2018 Was The Year of The Heels

With everything that happened this year, was either side of the face/heel dynamic favored? Carol let’s us know how she saw the year shake out.

As 2018 comes to a close, I began thinking about everything that happened in WWE the past year. There was a lot of moments that sent shockwaves through the WWE Universe. Most of those moments consisted of heel turns.

First, we there was Shinsuke Nakamura who became a villain after he attacked AJ Styles following their WrestleMania 34 match. While Nakamura didn’t win the WWE Championship, he did go on to capture the United States Championship and become a cowardly heel.

Then there was NXT good guy Johnny Gargano, who showed his dark side when it was revealed he was Aleister Black’s attacker. Gargano has fully embraced his new role as a heel now that he’s teamed up with his former partner Tommaso Ciampa.

But today’s post focuses on the three heel turns that sent shockwaves through the WWE Universe.

3. Dean Ambrose’s heel turn was coming, but fans didn’t know when. Original plans called for him to turn during Survivor Series, but after Roman Reigns’ leukemia announcement, WWE decided have Ambrose turn that night.

After winning the tag team titles with Seth Rollins, Ambrose unleashed a vicious attack on his former friend. Footage of the crowd, showed their shock and sadness of the destruction of The Shield.

Ambrose’s heel turn has gotten off to a rough start thanks to silly germophobe skits. But now it looks like those are gone and Dean’s gained a cocky attitude that makes the audience hate him.

2. Daniel Bryan was always WWE’s underdog. After fighting against The Authority, he finally become WWE Champion in a momentous WrestleMania match. However, a series of injuries forced Bryan into early retirement. But that didn’t stop him from his dream of returning to the ring, after undergoing treatments; Bryan was cleared to wrestle.

In March of this year, he had his first match in two years, a moment that had the WWE Universe cheering. Yet, the audience would go on to boo Daniel Bryan when he delivered a low blow to AJ Styles to win the WWE Championship.

Much like he is during his early days in WWE, Bryan is embracing his heel role. He’s already got the audience hating him as he cuts promos admonishing the audience for their fickle behavior.

1.Becky Lynch was made to be a heel, although the star has garnered more babyface reactions since her push. For years, Becky has been the underappreciated star of the women’s division, but this year she proved that she’s a top star.

After her best friend Charlotte Flair stole her spotlight and championship at SummerSlam, Becky attacked her friend. Lynch flourished in her new role as she cut promos declaring how she felt underappreciated and the fans didn’t care about her. Becky become so popular that she impressed WWE officials and won the coveted SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Dean Ambrose, Daniel Bryan, and Becky Lynch definitely delivered shocking moments with their heel turns. They’ve had a big year and if WWE continues to write good material for the stars, they’ll have more success in 2019.