Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2013 12:25:57 GMT -5
I got into wrestling too old to really have that visceral connection kids have. But still, I tend to like the heels because they have more personality. It doesn't matter much. Good heels always end up making me hate them anyway. Triple H did it earlier this year and Bad Influence did it on Impact the other night. If they're good enough, I'll want to see them get what's coming to them.
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The Ichi
Patti Mayonnaise
AGGRESSIVE Executive Janitor of the Third Floor Manager's Bathroom
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Post by The Ichi on Nov 24, 2013 12:27:04 GMT -5
I didn't think kids liked heels, then one day my nephew tells me his favourite wrestler is Dolph Ziggler. This was in 2011.
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Dat Dude
Dennis Stamp
Wait, what?
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Post by Dat Dude on Nov 24, 2013 13:34:31 GMT -5
When certain wrestlers became my favorites they were faces at the time, but when they turned heel I still rooted for them and would justify their actions through their point of view. I rooted for Savage when the Megapowers exploded because I too thought Hogan was showing him up and trying to move in on Liz. I rooted for Hart when he went Anti-American because I too thought he was screwed over and over again by Austin and Michaels, and having the life experiences I had growing up I was far from patriotic. Rooted for Eddie in WCW cause I really did think he knew better than his nephew Chavo or the LWO. And I rooted for Rocky Maivia (yes, when he was lame) when he finally snapped and became the Rock. Melina was probably the first one I rooted who was a heel when she became a all-time favorite of mine.
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Post by Cesaro Smirk on Nov 24, 2013 13:39:14 GMT -5
I forgot to mention when my favorites who happened to be heels turned babyface, I didn't stop cheering for them. I could justify with the best of them too.
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jdsnelson
Don Corleone
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Posts: 1,714
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Post by jdsnelson on Nov 24, 2013 17:34:15 GMT -5
I didn't start watching wrestling until I was 13. That being said I was always a huge fan of Disney Villains. Also I was the biggest Kurt Angle mark to the point when he joined the Alliance they had my full support.
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nate5054
Hank Scorpio
Lucky to be alive in the Chris Jericho Era
Posts: 7,016
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Post by nate5054 on Nov 24, 2013 18:35:16 GMT -5
I read this so often online. It seems as if you'd struggle to meet or hear the opinion of anyone who didn't cheer the heels or support the heels or hate the faces. I only have one question. Where were all these people at the time? Is it genuine or is it after-the-eventism e.g people who think now in retrospect it reflects well on them to cheer the bad guys in a 'I was never taken in by any of that phony crap, I cheered who I wanted'. Maybe my memory is going but I went to school with a load of wrestling fans when I was growing up and I have to be honest and say to those who claim to have cheered the bad guys - I don't remember you. Where were you? Was it just my town where you didn't really exist? Sure there'd be the odd kid who would, usually someone older who did it just to antagonise everyone else, but these days it's as if everyone's Spartacus. Now everyone was that smart kid who weren't taken in by Hogan or Bret or any of that 'phony good guy' stuff. Everyone was a child who supported Ted DiBiase or Yokozuna. I don't get it where have these people come from and where were they at the time? I'll fully admit that as a kid (Mania 3 era) I only cheered the faces. As an adult it's switched a bit, but only because faces are so bland and lame now. I can't bring myself to root for John Cena. But like you I don't know any of my friends who rooted for the heels then. I certainly remember them though, and not just that but remember showing genuine emotion towards the things they'd do. Like disgust when Savage hit Steamboat with the bell, or when Rick Rude had a picture of Jake Roberts' "wife" on his tights, or when Earthquake sat on the Ultimate Warrior.
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Boo!
Dennis Stamp
Posts: 4,417
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Post by Boo! on Nov 24, 2013 18:38:24 GMT -5
I read this so often online. It seems as if you'd struggle to meet or hear the opinion of anyone who didn't cheer the heels or support the heels or hate the faces. I only have one question. Where were all these people at the time? Is it genuine or is it after-the-eventism e.g people who think now in retrospect it reflects well on them to cheer the bad guys in a 'I was never taken in by any of that phony crap, I cheered who I wanted'. Maybe my memory is going but I went to school with a load of wrestling fans when I was growing up and I have to be honest and say to those who claim to have cheered the bad guys - I don't remember you. Where were you? Was it just my town where you didn't really exist? Sure there'd be the odd kid who would, usually someone older who did it just to antagonise everyone else, but these days it's as if everyone's Spartacus. Now everyone was that smart kid who weren't taken in by Hogan or Bret or any of that 'phony good guy' stuff. Everyone was a child who supported Ted DiBiase or Yokozuna. I don't get it where have these people come from and where were they at the time? I'll fully admit that as a kid (Mania 3 era) I only cheered the faces. As an adult it's switched a bit, but only because faces are so bland and lame now. I can't bring myself to root for John Cena. But like you I don't know any of my friends who rooted for the heels then. I certainly remember them though, and not just that but remember showing genuine emotion towards the things they'd do. Like disgust when Savage hit Steamboat with the bell, or when Rick Rude had a picture of Jake Roberts' "wife" on his tights, or when Earthquake sat on the Ultimate Warrior. You mean you give John Cena a mixed reaction? Nobody evokes that much passion from the WWE universe. Admit it. Go on. You mixed reactioner you!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2013 1:25:31 GMT -5
As a youngster, I had heels I rooted for, and I had faces I rooted for. I never gave it much thought, really. I thought the Von Erichs were great. I also thought the 4 Horsemen were the greatest thing ever. I was a Hulkamaniac for a bit, but got way more into Savage and Jake Roberts, regardless of their alignment. I thought The Rock n Roll Express were cool, The Midnight Express were cooler, and The Road Warriors were Gods among men. I rooted for Barry Windham, and booed Lex Luger, regardless if they were heel, face, or in a tag team together. I was a mark, but I liked what I liked.
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h
Hank Scorpio
Posts: 5,734
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Post by h on Nov 25, 2013 1:35:56 GMT -5
I think the people who are saying it might be exaggerating a bit--certainly, it's not farfetched to like some of the heels, but to just say that you've always liked them as a whole compared to the faces is going a bit far.
I've certainly always liked some of the heels. Doink is one of the first that comes to mind from my early watching. In hindsight, I really appreciate Yokozuna, but I generally preferred his opponents. I couldn't stand Jerry Lawler, and I was firmly on Bret Hart's side there. Shawn Michaels is a bit different, since I just never liked him and would never be able to like him on any level, regardless of his affiliation. A lot of the Wrestlecrap inductees were favorites at the time--guys like Ludvig Borga, Mantaur, Abe Schwartz, Kwang.
If I look back earlier, though, to days when I only saw a match or two from time to time, I was definitely anti-heel. I didn't like how Jake Roberts would put his snake on opponents after beating them, or how Ted DiBiase would stick money in their mouths. At the same time, I couldn't figure out how someone like Brutus Beefcake could be cheered for doing basically the same thing--giving his opponents haircuts after beating them (with that said, I'm not actually certain that it ever happened).
In summary, I'm on the fence.
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Post by Bishblast on Nov 25, 2013 1:57:03 GMT -5
Even with cartoons and the like, I enjoyed the characters of the good guys more, but I was more interested in seeing what would happen if the bad guys won... that translated to my preferring heels in wrestling perfectly.
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Post by sdoyle7798 on Nov 25, 2013 5:46:41 GMT -5
Everytime I see you post, I imagine Gorilla Monsoon coming from the dead and actually saying these things That's because this is what is actually happening. Not gonna believe it till we get a "Will you stop!?"
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2013 8:33:15 GMT -5
I got into wrestling too old to really have that visceral connection kids have. But still, I tend to like the heels because they have more personality. It doesn't matter much. Good heels always end up making me hate them anyway. Triple H did it earlier this year and Bad Influence did it on Impact the other night. If they're good enough, I'll want to see them get what's coming to them. That's a good explanation. I can look back now and admit that Randy Savage is probably the greatest wrestling personality of my lifetime, but back in those days of feuding with Hogan and Steamboat, I wanted him to get his ass kicked every night. Like someone else said, nowadays you have bland and boring, generic-looking good guys and a lot of bad guys trying to play the cool heel. (Triple H, I'm looking at you with your smart-ass comment to undermine anybody schtick. It doesn't get me to hate him, it gets me to change the channel.)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2013 8:45:48 GMT -5
I really enjoyed some of the heels, but I loved to hate them and enjoyed booing them instead of cheering them.
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thecrusherwi
El Dandy
the Financially Responsible Man
Brawl For All
Posts: 7,730
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Post by thecrusherwi on Nov 25, 2013 8:46:17 GMT -5
WCW fans cheered heels quite often. They never really condemned their heels like the WWF did. I remember being a kid and cheering for all of the WWF babyfaces, but then watching WCW and cheering for Arn Anderson, Barry Windham, and later guys like Harlem Heat. I would bet that many of the fans that have cheered heels "forever" were either kids that watched WCW, or became fans as teens. Myself, I was a fan as a real little kid and cheered mostly baby faces, but from about age15-19, I always cheered for the heels because I preferred the edgy wrestlers.
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Post by evilone on Nov 25, 2013 8:58:34 GMT -5
I think the people who are saying it might be exaggerating a bit--certainly, it's not farfetched to like some of the heels, but to just say that you've always liked them as a whole compared to the faces is going a bit far. I've certainly always liked some of the heels. Doink is one of the first that comes to mind from my early watching. In hindsight, I really appreciate Yokozuna, but I generally preferred his opponents. I couldn't stand Jerry Lawler, and I was firmly on Bret Hart's side there. Shawn Michaels is a bit different, since I just never liked him and would never be able to like him on any level, regardless of his affiliation. A lot of the Wrestlecrap inductees were favorites at the time--guys like Ludvig Borga, Mantaur, Abe Schwartz, Kwang. If I look back earlier, though, to days when I only saw a match or two from time to time, I was definitely anti-heel. I didn't like how Jake Roberts would put his snake on opponents after beating them, or how Ted DiBiase would stick money in their mouths. At the same time, I couldn't figure out how someone like Brutus Beefcake could be cheered for doing basically the same thing--giving his opponents haircuts after beating them (with that said, I'm not actually certain that it ever happened). In summary, I'm on the fence. I agree with your post word for word. I appreciated great wrestlers for their characters no matter if they were heel or babyface, but they all needed to have something believable in them and something distinguishable. On a side note that avatar of yours Mr. Hughes was quite intimidating and I appreciated him for it, never booed him.
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J is Justice
Patti Mayonnaise
Will now be grateful.
Hi.
Posts: 31,774
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Post by J is Justice on Nov 25, 2013 9:23:51 GMT -5
I liked everybody; Bret, Money Inc., Hulk, The Model. I don't think I necessarily cheered for the heels, though.
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Post by rapidfire187 on Nov 25, 2013 9:57:43 GMT -5
I was a real deal mark, like as in I actually believed it was all real until I was about 11 years old. I didn't care when adults told me it was fake, how dare they doubt the legitimacy of Bret Hart!?
I still couldn't stand Hulk Hogan. Maybe it's because he wasn't around when I began watching, but when I saw him on older tapes, I always cheered for Savage or whoever his opponent was. He was just way too phony to me. He was a bad wrestling stereotype to me.
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Boo!
Dennis Stamp
Posts: 4,417
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Post by Boo! on Nov 25, 2013 10:51:43 GMT -5
I really enjoyed some of the heels, but I loved to hate them and enjoyed booing them instead of cheering them. This is a good point. If you're in a feud with a top baby face the last thing you want surely is to get cheered, especially back in the day, as it'd be the sure-fire way for the feud to get nixed.
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Post by BayleyTiffyCodyCenaJudyHopps on Nov 25, 2013 11:08:08 GMT -5
I don't think I had a preference as far as alignment as a kid, I just liked really charismatic guys. When I started watching (summer of '91) my favorites were Bret Hart, Undertaker, Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Piper and Jake Roberts, so it was just coincidence that I wound up cheering a number of heels.
Although over time I've been able to greater appreciate traditional babyface characters, as it's probably the hardest role in wrestling to pull off. Playing a heel or anti-hero is easy, because those kinds of characters automatically tap into the crowd's base instincts. The good guy heroic face doesn't have that luxury, so their charisma has to carry everything. That's why you have to admire the likes of Hogan and Cena so much, they're working high wire acts without a net.
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Bo Rida
Fry's dog Seymour
Pulled one over on everyone. Got away with it, this time.
Posts: 24,165
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Post by Bo Rida on Nov 25, 2013 11:48:21 GMT -5
There's an international element to it too which I'm guessing wasn't represented in your town but is in on international forums, an American patriot isn't as appealing to foreign audiences and they have no reason to boo somebody for hating America. This is perhaps most notable in the Hart foundation vs America storyline where they mostly remained faces outside the USA.
There are other cultural influences too, for example Brits love a good panto villain and would never hate Regal, we tend to love a good underdog too even if they're a heel.
That's not to say nobody liked faces though. Even when it came to the pro-American types the likes of Hogan and Jim Duggan were still popular even if people like Lex Luger and The Patriot weren't.
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