HEAT WEEK: 25 Hellacious Heels (You’ve Forgotten)

If you’re born and bred WWE, you probably believe that Triple H, Stephanie McMahon and Vinnie Mac are the most notorious villains in all of sports-entertainment. While that may be true, Wrestledelphia covers professional wrestling and tackles the responsibility of educating our readers/listeners on the history of this great sport, shining an unbiased light on WWE’s revisionist chronicles.

It’s easier than ever with YouTube and the WWE Network, so here are the top 25 heels you need to rediscover or perhaps, experience for the first time.

25. Jim Cornette

A snotty mama’s boy with a motor mouth that never ran out of gas, the “Louisville Lip” led several of wrestling’s greatest villains to the top of the mountain. Camp Cornette included Vader, Owen Hart, British Bulldog, Yokozuna, the Heavenly Bodies, and of course, his most remembered combo: the Midnight Express.

With his ridiculous bright colored clothes patterns, his trusty tennis racket and his seemingly infinite quips, Jim Cornette was the personification of a hated wrasslin’ manager.

24. La Pareja del Terror

Sure, you know Eddie Guerrero, but do you know why he did the Frog Splash? It was a tribute to his former tag team partner Art Barr. The duo wrestled as pro-America villains in Mexico under the name La Pareja del Terror and later Los Gringos Locos. Their matching red, white and blue attire stirred quite the frenzy south of the border and led to a classic hair vs. mask battle against the popular El Hijo del Santo and Octagón in which “Latino Heat” and the “Love Machine” were shaved on American soil.

23. Nikita Koloff

The Russian Nightmare scared the shit out of NWA fans during the Cold War. With his gruff, broken English, his piercing eyes and his bulging biceps, Nikita Koloff embodied the threat of nuclear warfare.

22. Adrian Street

He paved the way for Goldust, Rico, and Dalton Castle, yet you’ve probably never heard of him. Wearing outrageous Elton John-style outfits and being accompanied by his real-life wife Miss Linda, “Exotic” Adrian Street tugged at the heart strings of homophobia and carved a 60-year niche in pro wrestling.

21. Eddie Gilbert

A creative genius who inspired Paul Heyman, “Hotstuff” Eddie Gilbert had his heat extinguished too early, succumbing to a heart attack at age 33. The self-appointed King of Philadelphia created controversy in Mid-South, Memphis and the Continental Wrestling Federation, most notoriously remembered for running over Jerry Lawler in a parking lot.

20. Buzz Sawyer

Quite possibly the craziest man to ever step foot in a ring, “Mad Dog” Buzz Sawyer lived the gimmick. The roid-raged lunatic waged war with Tommy Rich in a classic rivalry that inspired the later-day Hell in a Cell. Current members of the WWE Universe would be astonished to learn that Sawyer scammed the UNDERTAKER by offering to train him for a large sum of money and then skipping town the next day.

If you’re willing to fucks with the Deadman, you’re batshit insane.

19. Ole Anderson

WWE tries to erase him from the Four Horsemen, but that’s just a testament to how loathed this man is. One half of the Minnesota Wrecking Crew, Ole Anderson broke down his opponents bone by bone, focusing on a body part for the entire match until his victim had no choice but to surrender. He was the high school bully who never grew up.

18. Killer Kowalski

This ruthless vegan ripped off Yukon Eric’s ear with a flying knee drop. Then he went to the hospital and LAUGHED at the half-deaf Eric! A few years later, Kowalski sent boxing legend Jack Dempsey to the hospital after kicking him during a special guest referee appearance.

And if you need one more reason to hate Kowalski, he trained Triple H!

17. Gino Hernandez

I was introduced to Gino Hernandez by Brandi Mankiewicz, a Pro Wrestling Illustrated columnist who praised the “Handsome Half-Breed” and ended every column with his trademark “I am your champion.” After digging through YouTube, I was blown away by Gino, who tragically passed away at 28 years old. The cocky Texas legend formed a hated alliance with Tully Blanchard and later with Chris Adams, battling the Von Erichs in record-breaking main events.

16. Larry Zbyszko

In the ultimate teacher vs. student angle, Larry Zbyszko became “The New Living Legend” by violently turning on his mentor, Bruno Sammartino. In just one night, Zbyszko went from the lovable rookie to the selfish prick, a reputation that carried him throughout the industry for close to two decades. His perpetual arrogance and constant cheating evoked that of a used car salesman doing whatever it took to close the deal and score the win.

15. Austin Idol

The “Universal Heartthrob” dedicated his career to eliminating Jerry Lawler from Memphis. As you can imagine, that didn’t endear him to the southern fans who loved The King. Idol’s greatest moment was shaving Lawler in a steel cage while a riot broke out around the ring.

14. Vader

He demolished Mick Foley, helping rip off his ear. He destroyed Gorilla Monsoon, who never returned to WWE management. He broke the backs of jobbers and fought Stan Hansen while his eye dangled out of his socket.

It’s time, it’s time to recognize Big Van Vader as the greatest monster in pro wrestling history.

13. Ray Stevens

Many moons before Chris Benoit, there was a different Crippler on the scene: the piledriving, knee-dropping Ray Stevens. A tag team specialist, Stevens partnered with Pat Patterson in San Francisco and Nick Bockwinkel in the AWA, achieving great success in each pairing and riling up crowds across the country. When he entered WWE, Stevens made an immediate impact, recruiting Capt. Lou Albano from Jimmy Snuka and piledriving the Superfly on the concrete floor. Twice.

12. Ernie Ladd

The Big Cat became one of the first black villains in wrasslin’. A pro football star turned squared circle giant, Ernie Ladd used his immense size and surprising agility to dominate pro wrestling, eventually crowning himself “The King.” Fans recoiled as Ladd used his taped thumb to score controversial victories while berating the fans for supporting losers.

11. Ivan Koloff

The Russian Bear preyed upon Cold War fears throughout the 1970s and 1980s, mauling Americans up and down the East Coast. Some say The Streak ending was the most shocking finish in wrestling history, but historian Bill Apter thought he went deaf the night Koloff defeated Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1971.

10. “Superstar” Billy Graham

He lifts barbell plates. He eats T-bone steaks. He’s sweeter than a German chocolate cake. He’s the reflection of perfection, the number one selection. He’s the women’s pet, the men’s regret. What you see is what you get. And what you don’t see is better yet.

He’s the sensation of the nation, the number-one creation. Marilyn Monroe looks her best when she is sitting on the Superstar’s chest. He’s the man of the hour, the man with the power, too sweet to be sour.

His rap was fun to recite, but in the 1970s, the tie-dyed muscleman earned his share of hatred after dethroning Bruno Sammartino for the WWE Championship.

9. Harley Race

“What would Harley Race do?” CM Punk famously said he ponders that question when faced with adversity in pro wrestling because the 8-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion is the consummate role model for every grappler. However, he was the ultimate villain for several decades as he did whatever it took to hold on to his gold. During the twilight of his illustrious career, Race found a whole new way to piss off the people: crowning himself the King in WWE.

8. Stan Hansen

Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016, Stan “The Man” Hansen established his legacy in Japan as a merciless foreign conqueror. Spitting tobacco juice and swinging his bullrope, the Bad Man from Borger, Texas attacked fans and opponents alike with his decapitating Lariat, even breaking Bruno’s neck in the 1970s.

7. Kevin Sullivan

The Taskmaster played his devil-worshiping character so well that conspiracy theorists (to this day) suggest that Sullivan set up Chris Benoit and caused the double-murder suicide as revenge for Benoit marrying Sullivan’s ex, Nancy. Now that’s heat.

6. Abdullah the Butcher

The Madman from Sudan terrorized fans and wrestlers alike for half a century, carving foreheads with forks and knives and pencils and anything else he could get his hands on. Spilling more blood than a Black Friday in Mayfair, Abdullah the Butcher proved that there are monsters under your bed.

5. Nick Bockwinkel

The perennial AWA World Heavyweight Champion paved the way for Chris Jericho’s dastardly intellectual run at the end of the last decade. Crisp suits, slicked blonde hair, a thesaurus of insults, Nick Bockwinkel was a consummate professional who knew how to rub those Midwesterners the wrong way for years and years.

4. “Classy” Freddie Blassie

Listen up, you pencil-neck geek. The “Hollywood Fashion Plate” followed Gorgeous George’s footsteps by becoming the next mainstream villain, achieving global hatred for barking at fans and slicing opponents with his filed teeth, earning the moniker “Vampire.” Blassie developed his reputation in Georgia, receiving jeers for being a successful Yankee. Then he took over the West Coast, rubbing shoulders with Regis and Muhammad Ali.

Transitioning into managing, Blassie became one of the most despised managers in WWE history, leading Iron Sheik to win the WWE Championship from “All-American Boy” Bob Backlund one day after Christmas 1983.

3. Buddy Rogers

Without Buddy Rogers, there would be no Ric Flair. The original Nature Boy invented the blonde, strutting, boastful, cocky heel character that thousands have emulated over the past century.

2. The Sheik

Throwing fireballs and stabbing foreheads, The Sheik was the forefather of ECW’s hardcore style. The wealthy, unpredictable Syrian exploded into territories like an inferno—his matches didn’t last long, but there was carnage everywhere. His legacy lived on through his nephew, the suicidal, homicidal, genocidal Sabu.

1. Gorgeous George

Pro wrestling wouldn’t exist without Gorgeous George. As television emerged in American households, the cape-wearing, blonde pretty boy, tossing bobbypins into the crowd and sauntering to the tune of “Pomp and Circumstance, captivated the nation.

Gorgeous George transformed wrestling from sport to entertainment, defining the role of the villain and subsequently igniting the boxing world by inspiring Muhammad Ali.

He developed the permanent business strategy: rile the fans up to the point they’ll spend money on seeing you get your ass kicked.

In conclusion, Gorgeous George invented heat.