JBL: "You've Failed Miserably," If Someone Tells You That You're A Good Heel Or Sell A Lot Of Merch

[JerseyBoy23]

JBL Names The Best Heels In WWE Today - Wrestling Inc.

"I would see these guys trying to be heels and right after some dastardly deed on Monday Night RAW or SmackDown, they quote a bible verse and say how great it is to help people on social media. You're killing yourself because these same people who follow you on social media are the same one that watch you on Monday Night RAW and SmackDown, and they're the ones out there saying, 'you know, he's really a good guy; I like him; he's a good heel.' If somebody tells you, 'you're a good heel,' you have failed miserably. If you're selling t-shirts as a heel, you're selling them, then you've failed miserably. If you have a heel section, then you've failed miserably. You want to be the most socially [unredeeming] person when you walk out there."

Does TSC agree with JBL or is it just too old school Cornette type thinking?

For me personally, I'd prefer for wrestlers to maintain kayfabe/4th wall outside of TV but those days are long gone. I've even given up on female heels caring about because they give no zero fukks about it on social media.

However, I do agree that heels should stop trying to be "cool heels" especially when babyfaces are so hampered by what they can say and do.

 

[Beautiful Bobby Eatin]

Its a PG fukking company how are you supposed to be despicable if you doing cartoon heel shyt?

 

[dh86]

JBL is a mark. Heels show their good side on social media to make merch money today and lay the groundwork for that post WWE run. Baron corbin is a REAL heel, and when WWE fires him there won’t be any $ for him in the indies/convention circuit.

 

[Riley Escobar]

It was a different time when he was around. JBL was the last true heel in WWE in the sense it was pre-social media so he didn't have to show an actual human persona. He refused ALL merch ideas even when WWE champion and always won dirty via fukkery. I HATED him as a young nikka for that reason

 

[The Rainmaker]

The future is now, old man.

 

[Mike the Executioner]

It's 2018. The days of believing in these people as characters off screen are over. The only way to get genuine heat nowadays is to be hated legitimately by the fans just for being you, assuming WWE sees it and turns you heel but that rarely ever happens.

Even Orton and Miz, the people he mentioned as good heels, are appreciated by the fans. I can only think of a few times in the last few years we had that classic face/heel dynamic, and that was because of circumstance.

 

[DANJ!]

Its a PG fukking company how are you supposed to be despicable if you doing cartoon heel shyt?

That PG shyt is a cop-out, breh. Cause back when WCW and WWF, and most wrestling companies for that matter were doing family-friendly TV, there were lots of great heels. All these guys who get praised to no end today- DiBiase, Savage, Perfect, etc... they weren't great heels cause they had to go all over the top and do 'offensive' stuff to get booed. It's a talent issue- you can be despicable as all hell and not have to do anything that'd test censors. If you want recent examples, Lesnar wasnt a cartoon heel, nor was Mark Henry, nor has been Nakamura (even tho' we barely see him).

You can absolutely be a great heel, and be an a-hole, and be hateable no matter what the TV rating is.

 

[Beautiful Bobby Eatin]

That PG shyt is a cop-out, breh. Cause back when WCW and WWF, and most wrestling companies for that matter were doing family-friendly TV, there were lots of great heels. All these guys who get praised to no end today- DiBiase, Savage, Perfect, etc... they weren't great heels cause they had to go all over the top and do 'offensive' stuff to get booed. It's a talent issue- you can be despicable as all hell and not have to do anything that'd test censors. If you want recent examples, Lesnar wasnt a cartoon heel, nor was Mark Henry, nor has been Nakamura (even tho' we barely see him).

You can absolutely be a great heel, and be an a-hole, and be hateable no matter what the TV rating is.

Lesnar sells shirts so apparently he is a bad heel according to JBL. So does Nakamura. And we all cheered on Mark Henry here. By his standard the only good heel is Miz. The WWE is a glorified marketing firm. There will always be merch. Its what they do. But just because JBL couldnt buy fan support, it doesnt make him a better heel than most.

 

[HYDRO]

Pass up money to sell your heel persona in a worked business, brehs

Fox Money see these shyt?

 

[Stop_It_5]

It was a different time when he was around. JBL was the last true heel in WWE in the sense it was pre-social media so he didn't have to show an actual human persona. He refused ALL merch ideas even when WWE champion and always won dirty via fukkery. I HATED him as a young nikka for that reason

I hated this fakkit I swear

 

[RammerJammer]

Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Ric Flair, and CM Punk were all popular heels who were cheered and moved merch, they were also damn good heels too so this JBL’s stance is flawed.

 

[TheAlbionist]

He's right, but the world's not as innocent as it was.

Kayfabe can't survive in 2018 and it DOES kinda suck, but you're not gonna have another turncoat Sgt Slaughter reaction... tbh the best old school heel today is The Miz. Lives his gimmick as well as anyone.

 

[Ill Lou Malnati]

It's a business, not reality. A TV show. A work. It's about money, so JBL is showing how much of a pathetic mark carny he is.

 

[Norrin Radd]

You know, working with WWE where Make-A-Wish and partnerships with other charity organizations are a top priority, I thought he'd say the exact opposite.

 

[dbp]

I'm with JBL on this, not enough people willing to be a proper heel anymore.

Being tough, looking cool, or being witty isn't being a heel. Those are traits people like and will cheer you eventually (Stone Cold, The Rock, rapper Cena, CM Punk etc..)

you gotta be nonredeemable. Nobody wanted to be any part of JBL. He was this flabby, loud mouth (but not funny) cowardly guy who never presented as genuinely tough.

Even the people who are heels, you can tell a part of them still genuinely want to be liked and respected. It's a big problem with todays wrestling.