WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT has entered a new golden age.
Never before has Vince McMahon and company been able to feature such compelling villains as WWE is able to present today.
Just look at JBL, for example. John Bradshaw Layfield's performances in his storyline with Shawn Michaels were nothing short of stellar.
It's a very fine line to walk when a bully-heel is charged with punking out a babyface on a consistent basis, all in the name of enticing the audience to want, need, and even crave that babyface to explode and get retribution...only to dangle that carrot in front of the audience week after week after week after week.
But JBL walked that line brilliantly. It's a much harder task for JBL than during his feud with Eddie Guerrero, because all JBL had to do back then was yell and scream about Guerrero, then viciously beat on Guerrero, and the audience would be clamoring for Eddie to get revenge.
It's a lot different now. JBL's character is far more subtle, and while many will say 'Shawn Michaels can make anyone look good', even HBK will admit JBL presented a truly despicable character on television each week on Raw for the viewers to enjoy hating.
Then there's Chris Jericho. Talk about a total transformation. The riot-causing superstar, formerly known as Y2J, addressed every characteristic that made him popular, and stripped those traits away from himself.
You liked the charismatic delivery of his interviews? He went monotone and simply delivered his lines coldly. You liked the cool catchphrases? They're gone, too.
You liked the high-powered music entrance, with the cool pose and rock star turnaround? Gone as well!
All that's left is an articulate villain who delivers his lines with little emotion but lots of conviction. Jericho's contempt for all those who dare to oppose him is a 180 degree turn from the fun-loving Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rolla whose fan base had few peers in terms of numbers and volume.
While everyone is rightfully praising Roddy Piper's tremendous interview on Monday Night Raw, many are missing the point that one of the key reasons that promo was so effective is because it was delivered to Jericho, in his face, with his character being subjected to such a lecture.
But no two performers have clearly demonstrated the art of heeldom more so than Randy Orton and Edge. Just watch this past Monday's edition of Raw to see the best two heels of the new age showcase their awesome skills.
Adam "Edge" Copeland is the most entertaining heel I've seen in years. He's over the top, knows how to play the fool when necessary, and is so full of himself that you just want to see someone knock him on his ass.
EDGE ... impressive streak as WWE heel
EDGE ... impressive streak as WWE heel
From his devotion to Vickie Guerrero to his strength in the face of weakness – but fear in the face of adversity – Copeland plays it perfectly. He speaks, rants, raves, throws tantrums, and delivers his lines with such range that you never know where he's going next, but you're always interested in going along for the ride.
Copeland understands how to keep the Edge character fresh but not cool, entertaining but not humorous, and irresistible but not likeable. Just the way he hit the line 'the champ is...here!' in Cena's face was such a great moment, one that so many would be talking about if it wasn't for the fact Raw concluded with the big moment that will be played over and over again to promote the main event of Wrestlemania.
And that moment, which featured Shane McMahon getting punted, Stephanie McMahon getting RKO'd, and HHH – by his actions alone – going public with his marriage into the McMahon Family was made oh-so-much-more memorable because of the performance delivered by the most compelling character to come along in years.
As much as Edge has perfected the art of the wrestling heel, Randy Orton is by far the most riveting character WWE has ever presented.
Orton's character is so far from the "laughing at his own actions, bragging about his villainous conquests, reveling in his own heeldom" type of character as I've ever seen.
He has done what very few others have been able to do. He's broken new ground. He's given us a different perspective. The Orton character is driven by his demons, but shocked by his own actions.
It's Bruce Banner begging you not to tap into the rage that produces The Incredible Hulk, only deep down you know he wants that adrenal rush. He needs that power to conquer his adversaries. He likes the success and attention brought to him by the explosive nature of his actions.
And yet...and this is where Orton excels in his presentation...he is deeply afraid of the ramifications of his actions, be it suspension, termination, or getting his due when the babyface extracts revenge...this time, in the main event of Wrestlemania.
Advertisement
So, who's the better heel?
Well, Copeland is great at what he does. While many heels are so likeable the audience ends up embracing them, Copeland understands how to keep Edge hated, whether it's in his words, his antics during a match, or his sexual displays with Vickie Guerrero. Copeland is just a blast, and there's no one better at it.
But from my perspective, Orton is the head of the class. His in-ring ability is great and only getting better. His promos are different than everyone else's, and have improved in the past few months to the point where he's at the top of the list, and is still demonstrating marked improvement every week.
Now here's the scary part...he's not even 30 years old yet! Imagine how good he'll be in a few years. HHH, Shawn Michaels,and Undertaker have all past the magic number 40.
They're at the top of the heap because of the years they've been featured, the ability to adapt to new times, and the sheer number of television hours and marketing dollars invested in them. What's the WWE universe going to look like when Orton has that tenure?
We've entered the Golden Age of Heels, and while this golden age features some very diverse performers playing even more diverse characters, Randy Orton has punted his competition right in the head. He's got the Edge.
