WWE: The Babyface and Heel Problem of 2017

WWE is currently going through a major identity crisis with its faces and heels.

In 2017, half the WWE superstars on the roster are not receiving their desired reaction. There is a belief that some faces are being booed by marks as a way of “sticking it” to backstage officials. That might be true with a small portion of fans, but there are far more variables that determine the crowd’s response to a character.

First I want to look at characters that are popular, but make ineffective heels. AJ Styles saw his latest heel run come to an end earlier this year. While Styles did capture the WWE Championship during this run and feud with John Cena, did he make you hate him?

Did people hate Jeff Hardy in 2010 during his heel run with (at the time) TNA? Could you see yourself really hating Finn Balor? The answer is simply no. These performers are just too exciting and take too many chances for a fan to believe that they are a cowardly heel. When Balor, Hardy, or Styles goes face to face with Roman Reigns, we know who would be considered an underdog in a real fight.

On the other end of the spectrum, what makes an effective heel? We most recently raised the question of, what if Miz enters WrestleMania as the Universal Champion? The A-lister is what a heel should be. He speaks, and the crowd legitimately hates him. He wrestles, and the crowd does not “pop” for his moves. Why would he do something in the ring that would erase all of the heat that he developed on the microphone?

As much as some fans might want Jinder Mahal, Sheamus, or Rusev to also go away, well that is the point of a heel. Fans should want the top bad guys in the industry to lose. It is similar to a super hero movie. As a viewer, you are usually compelled by the hero, because the hero is the one that is highlighted throughout the movie. The hero is the one that must perform death defying stunts to save the day that leaves the audience in awe, not the villain.

Now that we know what the recipe is for a heel, let’s delve into what makes a good babyface. There are three demographics that make up a WWE crowd: children, adult males, and females. In theory, the superstars who can capture all three demographics are the ones that will be most profitable to the company.

The problem is WWE finds ways to bend numbers in their favor. If Reigns or Cena is the top merchandise seller, then WWE can point to either man being a top draw as the reason behind it. There is a saying, “If you believe in something enough, you will find a way to make it true.”

In this case, WWE knows that by featuring both men on every event card, it makes Cena and Reigns the most popular among the younger fans. Another clear advantage is the number of merchandise Reigns and Cena have on WWEShop.com.

Roman Reigns as of this writing has 46 items on WWEShop.com, whereas the Hardy Boyz have 33 in total. Also remember that all Hardy Boyz sales have to be divided by two, because it is two members of a team.

When you think about it, Jeff Hardy, if put in a main event singles spot along with new merchandise, would likely pass both Roman Reigns and John Cena in merchandise sales. Hardy has fans in all three demographics, which makes him the ideal top babyface for a company. Hardy has cleaned up his act over the past five years, and has proven that he can be trusted again.