Every single form of media has a protagonist and an antagonist, and of course professional wrestling is no different. Week after week all over the world “heels” (wrestling’s name for bad guys)  and “babyfaces” (the term used to discribe wrestling’s heroes) take to the ring to further the storylines and entertain the masses. However the line between the two sides of the wrestling coin has never been less clear. In the days before the WWE took their brand of sports entertainment national, heels and faces weren’t allowed to associate together. Separate dressing rooms and travel were the norm. The penalty for being seen with a member of the opposite side of the roster was steep. In 1987 WWE Hall of Famers “Hacksaw” Jim Duggar and The Iron Sheik were pulled over by police while traveling together and the discovery of drugs in their car was less of an issue to WWE management than the fact that two hated rivals were seen traveling together. In the modern era it’s very doubtful fans or management would care about that aspect of the  incident. In the 21st century heels might get booed and jeered in the arena but they also are some of the biggest movers of merchandise. A heel having action figures and t-shirts was unheard of in the past and now it’s completely acceptable. Can a bad guy really be a bad guy if school kids are playing with their toys and wearing a shirt with their face on it? In the WWE the villainous stable “The Bloodline” are among the biggest movers of merchandise in the company’s history. Maxwell Jacob Freeman or MJF openly tells people that he’s “better than them…..and they know it” yet sells thousands of shirts with that same slogan to fans. Do true heels and faces still actually exist in the wrestling industry anymore? Join us this Sunday at 6:00pm CST on Issues With Wrestling as we debate the modern heel and face dynamic.

Photo Credit: WWE