By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Dot Net readers were allowed a single vote per day for each of the 2020 awards categories. The following are the results of our poll for Best Heel along with our staff comments. Thanks to everyone who took part in the voting.
1. Roman Reigns (37 percent)
2. MJF (16 percent)
3. Randy Orton (11 percent)
4. Pat McAfee (5 percent)
5. Johnny Gargano (4 percent)
Others (27 percent)
Nick Perkins’ Thoughts: Could this be anyone other than Roman Reigns? Fans have been clamoring for a “Roman Reigns Heel Turn,’ since 2015 and they finally got it in the summer of 2020. It started out awkwardly, but quickly became the highlight of WWE programming. Roman Reigns is finally able to be the asshole that, quite frankly, he’s justified in being. He tore down his own family to build it back up in his image, and he gaslights every person who tries to stand against him. At first, audiences thought Paul Heyman was the mastermind of this ‘New Roman,’ but Reigns just may prove to be the real mastermind in this saga. Fans knew Roman Reigns could be a great heel. They just didn’t know he could be this great.
Colin McGuire’s Thoughts: MJF was born to be a bad guy in the wrestling business, and he does it so well. Bayley played her parts perfectly in WWE, and Eric Young had a nice resurgence in Impact Wrestling that continues to shine today, but come on… This can’t be anyone else, can it? He’s the best talker, he’s the best cheater and he doesn’t have to set people on fire to get his point across. I can’t imagine this being anyone other than MJF.
Anish V’s Thoughts: This was a hard category because it really was a year for heels. Randy Orton, Bayley and Sasha, MJF, Evil, and more, but I think you have to give the nod to the guy who everyone said would be a fantastic heel in Roman Reigns. This should have happened years ago, and I am just glad it has finally happened. The timing made sense to pair him with Paul Heyman, who has been playing his sniveling part perfectly. Reigns just seems legitimate now and I look forward to everything he says and does, as well as seeing this new version of Reigns in matches. It’s all a testament to the great work that Roman has been putting in as a heel.
Jason Powell’s Thoughts: We told you so. I’m not even going to pretend to feel bad for rubbing it in. While Vince McMahon stubbornly attempted to shove Roman Reigns down the throats of fans as a top babyface, countless fans, pro wrestling media members, and even Dwayne Johnson suggested that Reigns needed a heel turn. It took McMahon far too long to pull the trigger, but he finally did and Reigns has been awesome as the top heel of WWE. The “Head of the Table” character is awesome and produced some of the best television segments of 2020. It was a major bounce back year for Randy Orton, who seemed inspired by the return of Edge, and delivered some of the best mic and heel work of his career. Pat McAfee might be the best heel in the business if he worked full-time. I despised McAfee as the obnoxious jorts wearing pre-show host, and now I can’t get enough of him as a part-time pro wrestling heel.
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