The Heel Report – Week Four (Johnny Mundo, The Decay, Team B.A.D., Kevin Owens)

Columns, Top Story

Welcome to the Heel Report, a weekly breakdown of the best heels in professional wrestling right now. Each week the heels will be ranked out of ten and then those numbers will go on to form the rolling chart that continues each week. This is a place to evaluate and praise the ‘baddies’ of wrestling in their efforts to make us boo them mercilessly so let’s show them some love and get on with the report!

 

Weekly Top Ten:

 

10: Trevor Lee

 Trevor Lee

I’m not sure why this happened or how to count it, but out of nowhere we now have a new X-Division champion, which is worth some points I guess. Then again not many since there was so little thought  put into this beyond trying to grab some fleeting attention that I wouldn’t be surprised if Vince Russo had a hand in the booking.

 

9: Johnny Mundo

 Johnny Mundo

I hate to keep harping on about this but Lucha Underground really is great, they get so much more done in an hour than the WWE do in several. The biggest point is consistency and how that so improves the world building of the show. In this world there is one champion, his prize is all-important and everyone, heel or face, wants it. One such man is Johnny Mundo, who made his intentions clear after getting a great win over a game Killshot, adding yet another person to Muertes’ mounting list of potential challengers.

 

8: The Decay

 The Decay

If you’re going to put your money on anyone in a match being referred to as a Hardcore War, its Abyss and a man called Crazy Steve. Their continued push this week goes further to confirming my theory that they are the pet project of Corgan, although I’m not really sure that they fit in with the rest of the TNA landscape. While this doesn’t have to be a bad thing it does make me question how they will gel with the audience, it will either make the group memorable and long lasting, like the Undertaker, or a quick flash in the pan, like Kevin Thorne.

 

7: Kevin Owens

 Disney Owens

Poor KO, being put through WWE creative’s go-to storyline when they have no idea what to do with someone: the losing streak. Luckily Owens can actually work this situation since he is the type of character who can actually look scary while throwing a tantrum and it makes you wonder what he will do next. Of course this all means nothing if creative don’t follow it up, which they never do, so I am slightly worried. Honestly at this point I’m not sure why Dean Ambrose was left with the IC title since he isn’t doing anything with it now and Owens being a prize-fighter would at least be able to hold onto some  momentum if he had the belt. I just hope the WWE have something for him to do at Wrestlemania, because it would be a crime not to have him in some kind of solid singles match.

 

6: The Wyatt Family

 Wyatt Family

Apparently the Wyatts have forgotten about Brock Lesnar for some reason and are now hell-bent on destroying Ryback, because you know, reasons. It’s probable that Brock vs. Bray is still happening, but if somehow it has changed to Brock vs. Ambrose at Mania then I would still be happy. With all the injuries that have been occurring this year Wrestlemania is more uncertain than ever so anything is fair game at this point, but the Wyatts really should have more to do, hell you could almost call it a crime that Bray isn’t the champion now instead of HHH as that would make just as much sense storyline-wise.

 

5: The New Day

 New Day

Why was Mark Henry teaming with the New Day this week? There is an obvious answer, that he is known for having great rhythm, but besides that I mean. I thought it was going to by Tyler Breeze, but no, that would mean he was actually given something to do.

Whatever the case the New Day continue to be entertaining and continue to pump out merchandise like there is no tomorrow, and what’s more they continue to hold the tag team gold, or as the Social Outcasts pointed out this week; bronze…pretty sure it is copper since the belts look like pennies but whatever.

 

4: Charlotte & Ric Flair

Charlotte & Ric

The Divas champion was feeling foxy this week as she beat Brie Bellas hanger-on-er twice, because that is the sheer depth of the divas division. I really hope that the WWE don’t decide to put the belt on Brie just because Nikki is injured and Daniel Bryan retired this week, sure there are all the feels, but that is no reason to push Brie again, we all know how badly that turned out last time.

Instead, I hope that everything leading u p to Fastlane is all a smoke-screen and after the event we will get the real rivalries being pursued for the matches at Mania. This doesn’t just concern the Charlotte-Lynch-Banks match, but also with whatever is going on with Brock, Bray, Ambrose and Owens, who all still really need defined opponents beyond the mere speculation that we have at the moment.

 

3: Team BAD

Naomi & Tamina

Part of the confusion over what is going on in the divas division comes from the positive that was how strong both Tamina and Naomi were booked this week, indicating that they are getting an unexpected push. Both women won their matches this week and Naomi unveiled a new submission to rival her former friend in unity in the form of Sasha Banks.

I’m not sure why they are being given so much momentum going into Fastlane considering they are nowhere near the title picture, but maybe the WWE are attempting to give the division more than one storyline at once, which is nice, but I’d like to see it for all the other divisions as well. Here’s hoping that the whole thing doesn’t just boil down to another demonstration by the WWE that apparently all women hate each other and can never get along, because they seem to just love saying that.

 

2: The Dudley Boyz

 The Dudley Boyz

Like most things this week the turning of the Dudley Boyz took me by surprise, but rather than causing joy of any kind it was more met with confusion over how any of this helps build towards Wrestlemania. Maybe there will be a multi-team match at Mania for the tag titles and that is why, but then again I’m not sure why we have to have them as heels to do this. Also what is the deal with the Social Outcasts? The WWE seem to be using them as heel and faces interchangeably, pitting them against whoever they want on a week to week basis without actually caring about fan reaction.

There is something rotten in the WWE right now and it stinks like panic. No one seems to have a clue how to book anyone or who is heel and who is face, and while shades of grey can work when planned, when they are just a symptom of sloppy booking then it just leads to a lack of fan focus. How can you expect to garner a reaction from an audience when they have no idea why they should support, or not support, the characters are being presented with? Now sure, everyone can make up their own mind on who they like, whether good guy or bad, but if you don’t even know where they stand from week to week then how can you know if you like them or not? It is a problem and it is one that needs to be addressed quickly before Wrestlemania rolls around…Oh and the whole tabling of everyone was awesome obviously.

 

1: Matt Hardy

Matt Hardy

In a week where Lucha Underground’s shadows were just a little bit lighter, and the WWE quite frankly couldn’t keep itself together at all, there was ample  room for the TNA champion to squeeze through the heel ranks and snatch himself the first place position for successfully seeing off the hefty challenge of Kurt Angle, who was gunning for his belt.

So far he has managed to dodge two of TNA’s biggest stars of former WWE fame, but will his ‘iconic’ run continue? He is in a good position at the moment with Tyrus backing him up and his wife Reby at his side, also there was no baby this week, so that is a plus. Of course you can’t guarantee that any of this is going to last, this is professional wrestling after all and everything is in a state of flux. As soon as you introduce an element on camera you are already counting down the days until the relationship changes; brother turns on brother, spouses split up, and bodyguards gain ambition.

But that is all to come for the champ, for now he is riding high and making the most of his place on the TNA roster, jumping up a whole four places on the Rolling Chart, and while its early days yet he could easily gain a commanding lead if he keeps his course steady as everything else crumbles around him.

 

Rolling Chart – Week Four

1st Place:              The Wyatt Family             (29) (+1)

2nd Place:             The New Day                     (29) (+1)

3rd Place:              Kevin Owens                     (28) (-2)

4th Place:              Charlotte                             (19) (=)

5th Place:              Matt Hardy                         (17) (+4)

6th Place:              Sheamus                             (11) (-1)

7th Place:              Alberto Del Rio                  (11) (-1)

8th Place:              The Authority                    (10) (-1)

9th Place:              The Dudley Boyz              (9) (New Entry)

10th Place:            Team BAD                           (8) (New Entry)

 

That’s all for this week, seeing Daniel Bryan actually retire on Raw was a strange moment, all the while I was expecting some kind of angle or swerve, much like the Mark Henry retirement segment, instead all we got was real emotion. It was…awkward, but nice, definitely nice. I hate to be the douche bag in the room but can anyone tell me how the ending segment of Raw helped build towards Fastlane, or more importantly Wrestlemania? Because seriously I feel like this should be more important to the WWE than it appears to be. Perhaps Vince McMahon is so focused on the Roman Reigns problem that he has forgotten about everything else, but here we are, less than two short months away from the big event and barely anything has been decided, let alone all the injuries that have plagued the company as of late. It’s just not good. Thank badness for Kevin Owens, that’s all I have to say, and at this rate they will probably have him lost in the Andre the Giant battle royal, or jobbing to Nevil on the pre-show to Mania, great!

Agree with the rankings? Disagree? Who was your favourite heel of the week? Whatever the case, leave comment down below and come back next week for another dose of heel-ly goodness and for now this is James Wright signing off.