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2000 R.S.P-W Awards

Best Heel

Awards
Best Heel                               

Award Description:

To be given to the person who was the best villain this past year. This
person should bring out the fans' wrath. Match quality is not paramount
here; this award should be based primarily on how over the wrestler was in
the past year.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Ted DiBiase
  1991: Cactus Jack
  1992: Jake Roberts
  1993: Big Van Vader
  1994: Bob Backlund
  1995: Big Van Vader
  1996: Steve Austin (Ring Master)
  1997: Shawn Michaels
  1998: Mr. McMahon (Vince McMahon)
  1999: Triple H

**2000**: Triple H

573 first place votes
565 second place votes
554 third place votes

441 53  20 2404   Triple H
 42 98 105 1014   Kurt Angle
 11 73  78  430   Chris Benoit
  5 49  40  252   Jeff Jarrett
  8 39  41  239   Eddie Guerrero
  4 29  50  207   Lance Storm
 10 12  33  152   Steven Richards
  4 21  30  143   Scott Steiner
  5 14  18  103   Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley
  3 11  15   78   Steve Corino
  3 11  11   70   Vince McMahon
  7  4   7   61   Cima
  2  6   7   42   Vince Russo
  5  2   3   37   Suwa
  3  3   5   34   Dick Togo
  1  5   7   34   Tazz
  2  5   2   29   Jun Akiyama
  1  0  11   27   Christian
  2  1   6   25   Justin Credible
  0  3   8   25   Edge
  1  0   8   21   William Regal
  1  1   6   20   Shane McMahon
  1  4   1   19   Shinjiro Ohtani
  1  3   1   16   Yoshihiro Tajiri
  1  0   4   13   Vader
  2  0   1   12   Bokujin Ken
  1  1   2   12   X-Pac
  2  0   0   10   Akira Hokuto
  0  3   0    9   Mayumi Ozaki
  0  0   4    8   Rikishi
  0  0   3    6   Rhino
  0  0   3    6   Mima Shimoda
  0  0   3    6   Hardcore Holly
  1  0   0    5   Trent Acid
  1  0   0    5   Masao Orihara
  1  0   0    5   Kodo Fuyuki
  0  1   1    5   Koji Kanemoto
  0  1   1    5   Big Bossman
  0  1   0    3   Toshiaki Kawada
  0  1   0    3   Sugar Sato
  0  1   0    3   Simon Diamond
  0  1   0    3   Shane Douglas
  0  1   0    3   Ric Flair
  0  1   0    3   Mr. Gannosuke
  0  1   0    3   Chris Jericho
  0  1   0    3   Abismo Negro
  0  0   1    2   Takeshi Ono
  0  0   1    2   Steven Regal
  0  0   1    2   Rob Black
  0  0   1    2   Raven
  0  0   1    2   Poodle
  0  0   1    2   Mike Sanders
  0  0   1    2   H (Eiji Ezaki)
  0  0   1    2   Cyrus
  0  0   1    2   Big Poppa Pump
  0  0   1    2   Bauxite Medium
  0  0   1    2   Achilles

REJECTED

  0  2   3        Edge & Christian (ineligible)
  0  2   1        Duplicate votes
  0  0   4        "Tie" votes
  1  0   0        Full Blooded Italians (ineligible)

C. JOSEPH HOFFMAN: Russo would have gotten the nod if he had started at
the start of the ballot year.  But Russo did beat Jarrett because simply,
in my opinion, he was not a wrestler and made a terrific non-wrestling
asshole (sorry, but I had to say it).

HIRO: Triple H is undoubtly the best heel right now. The shortlived
'tweener act didn't even cause a dent to this although he turned heel back
again by the time the poll's timeframe closed. Kurt Angle's act could be
the heel act of the future, even though he didn't do too much of typical
heel stuff. Benoit's Rabid Wolverine act is a good heel act too (giving
Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley the headbutt rules!), and now that the R4dicalz
have reformed, expect them to be the top heel group in the WWF supplanting
RTC and the hopefully forever dead DX.

DEAN RASMUSSEN: Suwa is both psychotic and also a GREAT pure rudo in the
Fuerza Guerrera mold. Mayumi Ozaki was such a lesbianic psychotic sex
kitten in the super psychosexual KAORU feud that she scared me and got me
all worked up all at once. WHAT ELSE COULD YOU POSSIBLY WANT!? Dick Togo
is back and he rules. He even made a couple Onita Pro Main Events almost
watchable.

BRUNO PULVER: Scott Steiner is the best heel in a business and world title
reign is extremely fucking long over due

ADAM FROM TORONTO: There's just something about Eddy that makes me want to
hit him in the face with a frying pan.

ROBERT STRUPP: Again, Triple H was easily the best wrestler all year, and
the best heel, with top feuds against Rock, Jericho, Foley and Angle.
Angle was the only WWF star to be a heel through the entire voting period,
and his rise throughout the year to WWF champion is amazing. Steiner plays
the unpredictable psycho very well. This year was short on good heels.
Benoit could also be considered, but Hunter, Angle, and Steiner did it for
a longer period during the year.

BEN WEINER: Not a great year for heels.

ALEX GIPSON: Triple H is the best heel I've seen in my eight years in
watching wrestling. At a house show I attended in January, the level of
hatred that the audience conveyed towards him was unbelievable. Backstage
controversy or not, the man is the best at what he does.

CHRIS OSTER: Continuation of a LONG trend in this category, as Triple H
gets my top vote again.  He's done the unthinkable - stayed away from
using a catchphrase as a crutch in interviews, and from trying to be
"cool" instead of being the asshole the fans boo on sight, and created a
truly great heel character.  Kurt Angle takes second with one of the most
inventive gimmicks in a while...a heel hero!  Genius.  And, since I can't
vote for Edge and Christian as a team, and don't want to single either one
out, third goes to Eddie Guerrero, who went back to being the best dickish
heel around.

EDC: Scott Steiner is a great heel because it comes naturally for him as a
Roided out, maniac Monster. Even Russo couldnt screw this one up that
badly. JJ is the closest thing to a old school Heel, but you can tell that
he doesnt like where he is now. HHH comes in at the bottom below a God
Heel, and a Heel that has been doing this longer than he has.

DUDICALY2K: BEST HEEL: HHH communicates hatred and asshole-ness like no
one has since the days of Ric Flair at 6:05 p.m. on WTBS. Eddy is also a
great, great heel in an awful character. Benoit is starting to blossom as
a mic-worker.

DANIEL HERMAN: No US heel in recent memory has gotten me to hate their
character nearly as much as HHH at the beginning of the year. Dick Togo is
just great at being evil, as is Poodle.

SCOTT W.: Triple H is the greatest heel I have ever seen.  He even beats
Ric Flair in the department. (To steal from Rick Scaia, "In my own damned
personal opinion."  Kurt Angle being a legit Amercian Hero and getting
booed is a definite second.  3rd, well Vinny Mac always gets a heel vote
from me.

DONNIE VOMIT: Triple H and Angle are self explanatory.  Lance Storm is a
great heel in the Jake The Snake mold, really subdued, but still gets fan
reaction (no crack, though).

MARCUS SPARKS: The RTC would never have worked if it hadn't been for
Steven's skill on the microphone and willingness to look like a complete
fool from time to time. It's a testament to him the group is hated.  
Kurt's smarmy facade had developed nicely over the past year, with little
or no real impetus for the fans to even consider cheering him.  Despite
WCW's troubles, "The Chosen One" has truly been one of the best things
about WCW week in and week out.

JOHN C.: Triple H wins here because of his magnificent work both in the
ring and on the microphone allowing himself to be the best heel the
business has seen since Ric Flair was in his prime. There's nothing better
than an old school heel who backs up his words by kicking ass in the ring
and that's exactly what Triple H did. Rounding out the top three are Angle
& Benoit who both had good success as main event heels although neither
could come close to the standard that Triple H set.

GREG NECASTRO: Triple H was born to be hated.

JOSEPH MICELI: HHH gets too many pops to be a super-heel

TONY LING: Gotta be impressed by the way HHH stepped up his performance,
both in the ring and as the #1 heel in wrestling. The McMahon-Helmsley
stuff got on my nerves after a while, ESPECIALLY after WM, but it was
still a good angle.

ANDY P. GOSS:  Yeah, I picked Vader.  It's a lifetime achievement award
more than anything else.  Eddie Guerrero's sleazy Latino Heat stuff
(wooing Chyna, being in denial, cheating to win) really caught my
attention.  And Vince Russo the character could have people hating him in
a Noo Yawk minit.

JON WALTON:WCW did many moronic things this year, but one thing they did
right was keep Jeff Jarrett as a top heel.  It never ceased to amaze me
how much crap Jarrett took for being the solid, old school heel that every
federation needs.  His work ethic and exceptional heeldom were the only
thing that kept WCW interesting for a three month period.

MARKUS: Triple H is just doing the best heel schtick to be done in years.
The other two I think are two highly under-rated heels, but I dig 'em.

JONAH ROSCH: It was tough picking the winner in this category. All three
wrestlers have come into their own, especially in being heels. I went with
Triple H mostly due to the way that he has been pushed as a heel. Jarrett
has been the classic Flair-like heel, and Angle has been the humorous
cowardly heel.  But it has been Triple-H, who has totally redefined what
it means to be a heel that a federation can focus on. Triple-H has been
allowed to back up his actions with key PPV victories, and even the marks
view him as a significant threat in the ring. That makes him the top heel,
in my book.

COLIN MORTON: Is Triple H a face or a heel?  The slow build to a turn has
been going on for months.

EDDIE BURKETT: Triple H is THE GAME!!! 'nuff said.

JAMES HOWARD: Patriotism is EVIL! It is EVIL EVIL EVIL AND BAD! Or it
least, it apparently is if you're *Canadian*. And if there's one person
who can pull that off, it's Bret Hart. But Lance Storm does it just as
well, and *that*'s something to be commended. Also to be commended is Kurt
Angle, who has proven himself to be mankind's last savior of cowardly heel
tactics until Jericho gets back around to doing it. And I never would have
thought that Triple H wouldn't make my Best Heel list this year, but- "I'd
smack you 'cross your face, but it looks like *God* already beat me *to*
it!" One line, *one* line, and Tazz became the most hated man on the
planet. Call me a sucker for a great Groucho line. :)

JUST JEFF: Stevie Richards' transformation from funnyman to serious,
"civic-minded" Steven is a stroke of creative genius on the WWF, and a
lesson to Russo on how to do a "worked shoot" promo the right way.  Kurt
Angle's twist on the concept of the American Hero fits very well with
today's cynical generation of viewers and fans, to say the least.  I
wouldn't be surprised if the Censor and the Olympic Hero remain fresh
enough for inclusion in next year's poll.  But Best Heel still goes to HHH
for his contributions to the WWF, and for making the fans hate him for
being "that damn good."

MAGNOOOS: I really think Mike Sanders should have been nominated in more
categories.  In my opinion he really saves the Natural Born Thrillers from
being a disastrous gimmick.

BOB MORRIS: I gave the nod to Kurt Angle here, because his gimmick was so
simple, just so effective, and drew massive heel heat for himself quickly.
The last person to rise to prominence this quickly was Bill Goldberg in
WCW, and a lot of that credit has to go to the fact that Angle's heel
schitck was very effective. Hopefully the WWF will keep him as one of the
promotion's major players for years to come.

SCOTT ZUCKER: SUWA, CIMA, and Dick Togo are my top three heels. All of
them are aware of how to get a crowd against them, and they do it with
ease. Honorable mention to Eddy Guerrero who was able to get a large crowd
reaction when he was injured.

JEREMY SORIA: It has to be Triple H, bar none. With the exception of when
he was questioning Kurt Angle's sexuality, he never had to resort to cheap
tactics to get heat. Kurt Angle's a great heel too. Deep down, you know
whatever Kurt Angle says is true. Steven Richards, in his Right To Censor
gimmick, has finally found the role for himself. He's the perfect guy to
throw the whole censorship issue back in everyone's face.

RICK SCAIA: One of the easiest no brainers in this year's voting is making
Triple H the Best Heel of the Year.  If you need an explanation why, you
just weren't watching TV...  Jeff Jarrett did his level best to equal
HHH's dedication to bastardly behavior in WCW, and gets second on the
list.  And I'll go with Kurt Angle for #3, if only because it cracks me up
that he can get such great heel heat by being relatively clean-cut and
truthful in his promos.

JEREMY DELINE: If 'Best Heel' means most successful, give it to Triple H.
If 'Best Heel' means most heel heat, give it to triple H. If 'Best Heel'
means best matches, you could argue a case for triple H. Kurt Angle's
character, who developed in leaps and bounds over the year from arrogant
'real' wrestler with an unbeaten streak to slimy homewrecker to cowardly
'I'll-do-anything-to-keep-the-belt-and-credibility-be-damned' champion,
really grew on me. Steve Corino's old school heel character was great
before he morphed into a face, both for the the mass amounts of blood he
spilled from his grotesquely over-scarred forehead, and for his mocking of
Dusty Rhodes.

NATHAN LONEY: Kurt Angle.  Yes, he plays the coward.  Yes, he plays the
clown.  Yes, he's also a great heel.  He knows what it takes to whip the
crowd into a frenzy, and he does it perfectly.  Chris Benoit is almost as
good, except he doesn't get the crowd as riled as Angle.  Steph Bear gets
my third vote, because she works the crowd up as good as Angle.  My only
question is, "What kind of heat does she draw?"

BILL LEHECKA: Triple H's that damn good... at being a heel.  While I don't
like the way he seems to go over EVERYONE, I do appreciate the heat he
generates.  Kurt Angle wasn't that type of heel. While Triple H was a
bad-ass, Kurt was a meddling prick.  Lance Storm was a Canadian Prick. I
appreciate all kinds of prickiness.

NATE PATRIN: How can Chris Benoit be the best wrestler but not the best
heel? Personally, he's just not believably EVIL as a heel as of late.
Arrogant? Crowd-baiting? Yeah, but not evil. (Check out the beginning
promo of the 11.20.00 RAW against Steve Austin- pops and heat regardless,
Austin looked like the bigger asshole to me.) Kurt would also be higher if
he learned to get heat without resorting to "your local sports team
sucks!" (I mean... 'I'm not the Minnesota Timberwolves of the WWF'?
Puh-leeze.)

BLAZEJ SZPAKOWICZ: Triple H, of course. I mean, has anyone else managed to
get the crowd rallying behind TAKA Michinoku's quest for the WWF title?
Didn't think so. Kurt Angle is the only real competition, and he gets
second. It's amazing how obnoxious he is; it's great when he gets a crowd
cheering for him only to kick them right in the face. And he seems to do
that with amazing regularity. Steph gets third. She can be amazingly
annoying at times, but the crowd just hate her guts.

THE TALBOTS: Triple H could contend for best babyface and best heel in the
same year. However, his heeldom far surpasses anyone else in the business.
There are better babyfaces than Triple H but no one is a better heel.

OCTAVIAN: Kurt Angle and Stephen Richards are the break out heels of the
year in terms of how quickly the crowd took to hating them.

LAWRENCE BENEDETTO: E&C count as one heel if you ask me.

TANVIR RAQUIB: VKM plays himself quite well. Eddie Guerrero is an asshole.
Triple H Hates All Of You.

MIKE PLYLEY: Is there any doubt that Triple H was the best heel of the
year?  The guy who retired Foley, the heel who walked out of Wrestlemania
champion, this guy's done it all.  Jarrett gets #2 for being a great
non-comical heel, while Kurt was the best of the comical heels and gets
#3.

TOM CRUZ: Triple H was the guy you wanted to see lose. Not the guy you
loved to hate, but the guy you wanted to lose. It took him a while, but
once he got over as a heel, he got over huge. Kurt Angle is remarkable in
that he's a funny (as in he says funny stuff, not that he acts goofy)
heel. In the WWF, if you're funny, you're a face. The fact that he's still
a heel speaks volumes about how good he is. Jeff Jarrett is the only
person I can think of who comes even close two in terms of heel heat, not
to mention the fact that he's the only person I can think of who hasn't
randomly flip-flopped between face/heel status under Russo.

JEFF "FRO" WAHLMAN: Triple H just has to get this one as he had a run as
probably about the best heel champion since Ric Flair.  Kurt Angle is
second due to his awesome cheap heat promos.  Eddy gets three because he
just RULES as EL RUDO~!

PHIL PRZYBYLO: Another number one spot for Mr. Helmsley.  Part high school
bully, part spoiled brat, part heartless bastard, and part badass.  
Triple H's heeldom is almost an art form.  Tazz and Benoit come in second
and third.  A little touch of old school with these new heels has made the
Attitude era more interesting.

ROB "R2K" EVANS: Best Heel - Like CRZ sez: HHH is "The New Man."

C McMURTRY: Triple H is a rarity in North American pro wrestling in that
he appears to actually like being a heel. When he was working as a
babyface, it was clear he wasn't as comfortable. While most wrestlers are
marks for the pops, HHH seemed to relish in being jeered, which made him
work better as a heel to get them. Steve Corino as the old school heel was
perfect. It may have been cheap heat, but Corino always got heat
nonetheless, and like HHH, he played really well off of the fans
reactions. CIMA is another old school, yet effective heel who I can't get
enough of.

Intro
General Comments
Best Wrestler
Best Tag Team
Best Heel
Best Babyface
Best Worker
Best Jobber
Best Jobber to the Stars
Best Flyer
Best Technical
Best Brawler
Most Favourite
Most Improved
Most Overrated
Best Gimmick
Best Move
Best Match
Best Feud
Worst Wrestler
Worst Tag Team
Worst Heel
Worst Babyface
Worst Worker
Least Favourite
Most Deteriorated
Most Underrated
Worst Gimmick
Worst Move
Worst Match
Worst Feud
Most Disappointing News item
Most Obnoxious
Best Second
Best Announcer
Best Colour
Best Interviewee
Best Angle
Best Organization
Best TV Show
Best Major Show
Best Promotional Move
Worst Second
Worst Announcer
Worst Colour
Worst Interviewee
Worst Angle
Worst Organization
Worst TV Show
Worst Major Show
Worst Promotional Move
'netter Suggested Awards

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Copyright (C) 1999, 2000 Christopher Robin Zimmerman & KZiM Communications