5 Faces and 5 Heels
5 Faces and 5 Heels
If you could form a dream roster, taking anyone from any era, and you started with 5 faces and 5 heels to build a company around, who would you choose?
Re: 5 Faces and 5 Heels
Assumming they would be as over as they were in their time of existence....
5 Faces
1- Hogan 83-85
2- Sting 96-97
3- The Von Erich Boys of the early 80s
4- Bruno Sammartino of the 70s
5- Steve Austin of the late 90s
Hon. Mention - Dusty Rhodes (late 70s and early 80s), Rick Steamboat (80s), Rock-n-Roll Express (80s), British Bulldogs (80s)
5 Heels
1- Ric Flair (80s)
2- Shawn Michaels (96-97)
3- The Fabulous Freebirds (80s WCCW - people wanted to KILL them there)
4- Bret Hart (anti US/Pro Canada....maybe more of a tweener)
5- Big Van Vader (just to have a monster)
Hon. Mention - Gorgeous George (30s), Andre the Giant (managed by Heenan), Hall & Nash (WCW Outsiders), Road Warriors (80s with Ellering)
5 Faces
1- Hogan 83-85
2- Sting 96-97
3- The Von Erich Boys of the early 80s
4- Bruno Sammartino of the 70s
5- Steve Austin of the late 90s
Hon. Mention - Dusty Rhodes (late 70s and early 80s), Rick Steamboat (80s), Rock-n-Roll Express (80s), British Bulldogs (80s)
5 Heels
1- Ric Flair (80s)
2- Shawn Michaels (96-97)
3- The Fabulous Freebirds (80s WCCW - people wanted to KILL them there)
4- Bret Hart (anti US/Pro Canada....maybe more of a tweener)
5- Big Van Vader (just to have a monster)
Hon. Mention - Gorgeous George (30s), Andre the Giant (managed by Heenan), Hall & Nash (WCW Outsiders), Road Warriors (80s with Ellering)
Re: 5 Faces and 5 Heels
Another great list. I thought about putting Bret in the heel section, too. Going to do it shortly. Having Hogan and Sting. Why 83-85 for Hogan? I thought that might've been a bit wider, what with Hogan facing Andre in 87 and Warrior as late as 90.
Re: 5 Faces and 5 Heels
Nice inclusion of the tag teams, and getting arguably the hottest tag feud of all time, mixed in with more workers. Very good.
Re: 5 Faces and 5 Heels
83-85 Hogan was the explosion and he could do no wrong.
by 87 there was already growing unrest with his "unbeatable" character much like Cena and etc later on
by 87 there was already growing unrest with his "unbeatable" character much like Cena and etc later on
Re: 5 Faces and 5 Heels
Thanks for sharing. I wasn't watching in 87, though I was as a really young child in 88, and it feels like it went a bit beyond 85. However, you've got age on me, ahem, so...
Re: 5 Faces and 5 Heels
Since this isn't a list of the top five faces and five heels but a roster you would want to build your core stories and company around, I went a different route.
Faces:
- Road Warriors: The one tag team that was not only a spectacle but you could build your division around.
- Andre The Giant: Imagine having the luxury of Andre in his prime for story purposes.
- Bret Hart: He can wrestle Henning, Pillman, Austin, and Bockwinkle. He is a face you love, but in my role, he plays the man who chases the heels since history says the belt on him doesn't sell tickets.
- The Rock: That charisma and mic skills have people eating out of his hands. He would be the face I build around.
- Brock Lesner: Another cheat pick because he probably is a better heel. But that physical specimen, there may not be another wrestler his size, his look, and his physical ability ever in pro wrestling.
Heels:
- Curt Henning: The man who can carry a match with anyone, a feud, and fit anywhere in the card.
- Hollywood Blonde: This may be cheating, but this selection gives me Brian Pillman healthy just coming into his heel persona and Steve Austin in his physical prime.
- Nick Bockwinkle: While others will pick Flair and Hogan to build around and history says they are right, I am going with Bockwinkle with Bobby Heenan managing him. I could then even turn Curt face and have legendary matches at times.
- The Undertaker: Nobody can argue that he may be the best professional wrestling character ever. He is a heel spectacle and an in-prime Undertaker vs. an in-prime Andre would kill.
- The Great Muta: My foreign heel would be Muta in his prime. There aren't many better characters than Muta, and he could face just about anyone.
My big feuds:
The Rock vs. Nick Bockwinke w/Bobby Heenan: The feud, Heenan with his mic skills vs The Rock. Bockwinkle with his selling and straight man heel vs Rock. It would be gold.
The Road Warriors vs The Hollywood Blondes: The Tag Match on the show. Road Warriors would punish the heels, and the heels would sell.
Andre The Giant vs The Undertaker: The Spectacle everyone wants to see.
Bret Hart vs. The Great Muta: Two non-US wrestlers are the best in each country.
Brock Lesner vs. Mr. Perfect: The most intense wrestler vs the best-selling wrestler.
Faces:
- Road Warriors: The one tag team that was not only a spectacle but you could build your division around.
- Andre The Giant: Imagine having the luxury of Andre in his prime for story purposes.
- Bret Hart: He can wrestle Henning, Pillman, Austin, and Bockwinkle. He is a face you love, but in my role, he plays the man who chases the heels since history says the belt on him doesn't sell tickets.
- The Rock: That charisma and mic skills have people eating out of his hands. He would be the face I build around.
- Brock Lesner: Another cheat pick because he probably is a better heel. But that physical specimen, there may not be another wrestler his size, his look, and his physical ability ever in pro wrestling.
Heels:
- Curt Henning: The man who can carry a match with anyone, a feud, and fit anywhere in the card.
- Hollywood Blonde: This may be cheating, but this selection gives me Brian Pillman healthy just coming into his heel persona and Steve Austin in his physical prime.
- Nick Bockwinkle: While others will pick Flair and Hogan to build around and history says they are right, I am going with Bockwinkle with Bobby Heenan managing him. I could then even turn Curt face and have legendary matches at times.
- The Undertaker: Nobody can argue that he may be the best professional wrestling character ever. He is a heel spectacle and an in-prime Undertaker vs. an in-prime Andre would kill.
- The Great Muta: My foreign heel would be Muta in his prime. There aren't many better characters than Muta, and he could face just about anyone.
My big feuds:
The Rock vs. Nick Bockwinke w/Bobby Heenan: The feud, Heenan with his mic skills vs The Rock. Bockwinkle with his selling and straight man heel vs Rock. It would be gold.
The Road Warriors vs The Hollywood Blondes: The Tag Match on the show. Road Warriors would punish the heels, and the heels would sell.
Andre The Giant vs The Undertaker: The Spectacle everyone wants to see.
Bret Hart vs. The Great Muta: Two non-US wrestlers are the best in each country.
Brock Lesner vs. Mr. Perfect: The most intense wrestler vs the best-selling wrestler.
Handle: "The Legend" Sean Darring & Prime Time Athletes
Re: 5 Faces and 5 Heels
BTW - you could easily swap Undertaker to face, and Brock to heel on my list and change the feuds to Undertaker vs Muta, Bret vs Perfect, and Andre vs Brock also to avoid the Brock debate on if he should be accepted as a face the more I think about it. 
Handle: "The Legend" Sean Darring & Prime Time Athletes
Re: 5 Faces and 5 Heels
This has taken long enough. When I initially conceived the idea, I was looking for 5 singles for faces and heels, but I’ll take the same route Chris and Brian did with 4 singles and a tag team for both columns. Plenty of honourable mentions to come. Let’s get started.
FACES: Firstly, it might seem like I’m copying both Brian and Chris here.
Hulk Hogan – The biggest star in the history of the business, for me, even if I don’t like/love him anywhere near as much as I did 30-35 years ago. A fantastic face and heel offers flexibility, but we all know him best for his run in the WWF/E. While he’s not even close to a top 5-10 promo or in-ring performer, he had arguably the most important matches in WWE and WCW history, and was instrumental in changing the industry forever. He HAS TO be here.
Honourable Mention: John Cena
Steve Austin – As does this guy. A phenomenal promo, who was a good in-ring performer prior to his neck injury, and still afterwards, albeit with an adjusted style. Could work as a hero or villain, remarkably over and the true number 2 in WWF/E history, for me, even if The Rock outdid both Hogan and Austin outside of the business.
Honourable Mention: The Rock
Sting – One of these career-long babyfaces, a great guy in and out of the ring, the ability to reinvent himself doesn’t harm his value either, and is still going today. Am I his biggest fan? No. But, one-half of WCW’s biggest-ever bout with the man up at the top, and the face of the promotion in my book.
Honourable Mention: Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat
The Road Warriors – I was a Demolition fan as a kid. But, there’s a reason it’s called ‘The Road Warriors Pop’ and they were/would be a great foil for my heels, as well as teaming up with any of the guys on this list. Sting, especially.
Honourable Mention: The Hart Foundation, The British Bulldogs, Edge and Christian, The Steiners.
Daniel Bryan – He wasn’t as over, especially for as long as the other guys, but his reactions at his height might be in the top 10 in WWE history, and I reckon he may also be the best professional wrestler that’s ever lived. Plus, he’s a fine face and heel, and would work wonderfully well as an underdog.
Honourable Mention: Bret Hart, my favourite wrestler ever. High praise for DB, indeed. Rey Mysterio as someone different and playing an underdog.
HEELS
Ric Flair – The wrestler of the 80s, and like the previous entry, a rare mix of the best performer being the most over. Could go face if I wanted him to and would match up well against anyone and everyone over on the other side.
Honourable Mention: Chris Jericho, Roddy Piper, CM Punk, MJF and Ted DiBiase, who I reckon would’ve been great in this role, too. To be honest, though, no one gets near Ric, overall. Not saying he’s the best, but he’s my first pick for a reason.
Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson – Yes, three-quarters of The Horsemen, two tremendous singles and tag wrestlers, and a superb foil for The Road Warriors. I could plug in a 4th Horseman very easily, and the number of matches and storylines I could get out of these guys tangling with Hogan, Austin and everyone else…
Honourable Mention: For heat? The Dudleyz. For work? The Revival. You know why.
The Undertaker – Arguably the best big man of all time, unquestionably the greatest gimmick ever, and a great guy to boot. He can be face, heel, whatever I need him to be and would also stand out from anyone else on the roster. As you’ll see from my honourable mentions, he fits TWO roles that I’m seeking – A dark character as well as being a monster heel.
Honourable Mention: Jake Roberts, Raven, Bray Wyatt, Brock Lesnar and Vader, who was my favourite heel as a kid.
Kurt Angle – One of my top 10, an amazing all-rounder and someone who could be face, heel, serious, goofy and everything in between. Makes me want to take Bryan out for Bret, but then Bryan v Angle…wow. He had great matches with Sting and Austin and would make Hogan look better than Hogan actually is. A real asset.
Honourable Mention: No one. Kurt is Kurt.
Shawn Michaels – Probably the best WWE performer of all time. Would have marvellous matches with anyone, perhaps Hogan aside, and you get that joke, though he’d be able to carry Hulk if he wanted to. Could even be a 4th Horseman, which I’ve just thought of, but probably too good to be in that role for long. Good as a face or heel, I personally prefer him as a heel, and I’d love to see him against Sting or Daniel Bryan. Had great chemistry with Austin, as well.
Honourable Mention: Eddie, Perfect, AJ (who I adore), Seth, Randy Savage (in case you missed his name earlier)
In terms of a Wrestlemania/season finale?
There's a temptation to put Sting, who worked well against Flair, but Hogan v Flair never happened at Wrestlemania 8. They faced before, they faced afterwards, but the most famous face and heel of the 80s, as well as the flag bearers for their companies is my pick in the end, which frees Sting up for...
The Undertaker. Crow or not, it's a great match either way.
Road Warriors v Tully and Arn writes itself.
Daniel Bryan v Kurt Angle would be a wrestling classic if done right. I'd book this with a gimmick, such as submission, I Quit or 2 out of 3 Falls.
That leaves us with Austin v Michaels. Not bad, is it?
Alternatively, I could go down the Hogan v Austin route, and settle for Shawn v Ric in their primes...
FACES: Firstly, it might seem like I’m copying both Brian and Chris here.
Hulk Hogan – The biggest star in the history of the business, for me, even if I don’t like/love him anywhere near as much as I did 30-35 years ago. A fantastic face and heel offers flexibility, but we all know him best for his run in the WWF/E. While he’s not even close to a top 5-10 promo or in-ring performer, he had arguably the most important matches in WWE and WCW history, and was instrumental in changing the industry forever. He HAS TO be here.
Honourable Mention: John Cena
Steve Austin – As does this guy. A phenomenal promo, who was a good in-ring performer prior to his neck injury, and still afterwards, albeit with an adjusted style. Could work as a hero or villain, remarkably over and the true number 2 in WWF/E history, for me, even if The Rock outdid both Hogan and Austin outside of the business.
Honourable Mention: The Rock
Sting – One of these career-long babyfaces, a great guy in and out of the ring, the ability to reinvent himself doesn’t harm his value either, and is still going today. Am I his biggest fan? No. But, one-half of WCW’s biggest-ever bout with the man up at the top, and the face of the promotion in my book.
Honourable Mention: Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat
The Road Warriors – I was a Demolition fan as a kid. But, there’s a reason it’s called ‘The Road Warriors Pop’ and they were/would be a great foil for my heels, as well as teaming up with any of the guys on this list. Sting, especially.
Honourable Mention: The Hart Foundation, The British Bulldogs, Edge and Christian, The Steiners.
Daniel Bryan – He wasn’t as over, especially for as long as the other guys, but his reactions at his height might be in the top 10 in WWE history, and I reckon he may also be the best professional wrestler that’s ever lived. Plus, he’s a fine face and heel, and would work wonderfully well as an underdog.
Honourable Mention: Bret Hart, my favourite wrestler ever. High praise for DB, indeed. Rey Mysterio as someone different and playing an underdog.
HEELS
Ric Flair – The wrestler of the 80s, and like the previous entry, a rare mix of the best performer being the most over. Could go face if I wanted him to and would match up well against anyone and everyone over on the other side.
Honourable Mention: Chris Jericho, Roddy Piper, CM Punk, MJF and Ted DiBiase, who I reckon would’ve been great in this role, too. To be honest, though, no one gets near Ric, overall. Not saying he’s the best, but he’s my first pick for a reason.
Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson – Yes, three-quarters of The Horsemen, two tremendous singles and tag wrestlers, and a superb foil for The Road Warriors. I could plug in a 4th Horseman very easily, and the number of matches and storylines I could get out of these guys tangling with Hogan, Austin and everyone else…
Honourable Mention: For heat? The Dudleyz. For work? The Revival. You know why.
The Undertaker – Arguably the best big man of all time, unquestionably the greatest gimmick ever, and a great guy to boot. He can be face, heel, whatever I need him to be and would also stand out from anyone else on the roster. As you’ll see from my honourable mentions, he fits TWO roles that I’m seeking – A dark character as well as being a monster heel.
Honourable Mention: Jake Roberts, Raven, Bray Wyatt, Brock Lesnar and Vader, who was my favourite heel as a kid.
Kurt Angle – One of my top 10, an amazing all-rounder and someone who could be face, heel, serious, goofy and everything in between. Makes me want to take Bryan out for Bret, but then Bryan v Angle…wow. He had great matches with Sting and Austin and would make Hogan look better than Hogan actually is. A real asset.
Honourable Mention: No one. Kurt is Kurt.
Shawn Michaels – Probably the best WWE performer of all time. Would have marvellous matches with anyone, perhaps Hogan aside, and you get that joke, though he’d be able to carry Hulk if he wanted to. Could even be a 4th Horseman, which I’ve just thought of, but probably too good to be in that role for long. Good as a face or heel, I personally prefer him as a heel, and I’d love to see him against Sting or Daniel Bryan. Had great chemistry with Austin, as well.
Honourable Mention: Eddie, Perfect, AJ (who I adore), Seth, Randy Savage (in case you missed his name earlier)
In terms of a Wrestlemania/season finale?
There's a temptation to put Sting, who worked well against Flair, but Hogan v Flair never happened at Wrestlemania 8. They faced before, they faced afterwards, but the most famous face and heel of the 80s, as well as the flag bearers for their companies is my pick in the end, which frees Sting up for...
The Undertaker. Crow or not, it's a great match either way.
Road Warriors v Tully and Arn writes itself.
Daniel Bryan v Kurt Angle would be a wrestling classic if done right. I'd book this with a gimmick, such as submission, I Quit or 2 out of 3 Falls.
That leaves us with Austin v Michaels. Not bad, is it?
Alternatively, I could go down the Hogan v Austin route, and settle for Shawn v Ric in their primes...