"Hey, this guy looks like Fabio, lets make him act like it!"
:angry:
I think the reason he didn't get over was that he debuted as a monster heel around the same time as the Batista heel turn and Sheamus's first push. Sheamus was feuding with Cena, Batista destroyed Rey Mysterio, Drew was beating up R-Truth and Matt Hardy. The fans love violence, they wouldn't be wrestling fans if they didn't. A post-match beatdown against someone as beloved as Rey or Cena will make you look like a sick son of a bitch, but beating up an out-of-shape has-been and an 50 Cent wannabe assclown will simply entertain the fans.
Even so, the feud with Matt/Kofi/Teddy around WM26 was very well done and got him plenty of heat! Does anyone else remember how good that feud was?
And people may not boo him because they don't want to drown out his awesome theme song... and it doesn't have the "boo this man" feel it needs to. It has a "Stand before the Chosen One" feel.