Best Heel 2020

[Onyx2]

Who was dastardly?

[Supremo]

This was a tough one. I’ve gone with Roman because he’s been amazing as the most horrible, violent bully, far exceeding any expectations I ever had for his eventual turn. But man, shout out to the rest of that field. It’s been a great year for heels.

Brodie smashing Cody to bits and having those wild brawls, MJF being such a vile prick in that whipping angle that I wanted him dead, Kenny and Callis being the most exciting act going right now and Eddie Kingston consistently being the most entertaining man in the whole industry this year. “Shout out to Wolverhampton. You watch your mouth Tony!”

[Chris B]

MJF mocked a grieving 8-year-old on television, was beaten up by said 8-year-old, and then whined about it on social media ('Fuck that kid.'). Other stuff had me believing more throughout the year, but there's absolutely a place for the pantomime villains, especially after the whipping angle. He doesn't always work, but those two moments have me won over.

Kingston would be best character for me. And I've absolutely loved Kenny's slow-burn heel turn - his passive aggressive colour commentary was so much fun.

(Shout-out to KENTA for ruining Naito's moment. What an absolute dickhead).

[RedRooster]

In all rights it probably should be Roman. I always thought Reigns would be a Batista style heel, an utter badass. Instead he's been a terrifying, menacing, bullying thug with absolutely no redeeming features. When there are crowds he probably will get cheered to some degree, but it's difficult to see what an audience would be cheering here outside of one of the best wrestling heel performances in years. He has no redeeming features, he's utterly horrible (in a good way). 

However, I've voted for Brodie. His initial appearances in AEW weren't great. The Vince McMahon impersonation didn't work, and it didn't look like he'd be an asset in any way from a character perspective. But then he altered his character and, like Reigns, became a nasty, manipulative bully who utilised a cult of vulnerable wrestlers to advance his own interests. The Colt Cabana story was fantastic, his demolition of Cody is one of the most memorable AEW matches to date and his promos became utterly compelling to watch. He managed to balance that with an utterly fantastic performance on BTE where he managed to be both hilarious and detestable. 

This is Brodie's last chance to win the award, and I am more than happy to admit that's played a part in my decision to vote for him. But Reigns, as great as he is, has a lot working in his favour. Brodie was not guaranteed to succeed. He had to adapt his character both from Luke Harper, then the unsuccessful Vince McMahon-alike. He helped a floundering stable find an identity, creating a breakout character in John Silver. His short run in AEW was packed with memorable moments. And tragically, this brilliant character and human being did not ever get the chance to perform in front of a full AEW audience. 

I'd love to see his one brilliant year in AEW recognised this year. 

Edited January 13, 2021 by RedRooster

[Hannibal Scorch]

Reigns has been amazing as a heel. No doubt the best thing he has done since the shield. 

But anyone voting for him over anyone else just shows people arent watching AEW. With the exception of Jericho, who is a bigger heel in real life then in the ring, I would say everyone else has a better character, more rounded then Roman. Kingston I went for because he's come from nowhere and over achieved, but MJF and Brodie were probably better.

 

Edited January 13, 2021 by Hannibal Scorch