Professional wrestling and WWE has always been a story of good vs bad, which has given birth to both great villains and great heroes.
For so long, WWE focused on the good guy overcoming all the odds every single time, which led to incredibly lengthy Championship reigns for the likes of Bruno Sammartino and Hulk Hogan. Heels and bad guys were there to put up a fight but eventually lose.
With the dawn of the Attitude Era, fans rejected the idea of the white meat squeaky clean babyface and wanted to cheer for wrestlers who were more realistic. This led to the rise of the anti-hero babyface, who exhibited many heel traits but was cheered regardless. The lines were just blurred.
For the purpose of this conversation, only WWE will be considered and given there is limited source material on the 1960s, Bruno Sammartino will be excluded, despite being a hero of his time.
With this in mind, GiveMeSport takes you through the 10 greatest babyfaces in WWE history…
10. The Undertaker
The Undertaker is one of WWE's top stars ever
When you think of babyface, Taker does not come to mind, does he? An undead mortician who terrorised the entire roster. However, this was the Attitude Era and beyond and everyone just loved The Deadman. He was a babyface for much of the 1990s and then from 2002 until his retirement. Timeless.
9. Bret Hart
The Hitman lived his gimmick. He was hard work personified and someone fans could believe in and trust. Throughout his lengthy WWE career, the Excellence of Execution stayed true to his values even when he became a pro-Canadian heel – he was booed in America but cheered at home.
8. Becky Lynch
The latest entry to the list – let’s try and forget the “Big Time Becks” era, Triple H is clearly trying to anyway. Outside of that year or so, Becky has been a career babyface from NXT to the now iconic “The Man” gimmick. The character was originally meant to be a heel but fans were too behind her, which led to her being involved in the first ever women’s WrestleMania main event.
7. Rey Mysterio
Rey was briefly a heel with Eddie Guerrero in WCW but otherwise, he has been a babyface for his 30-year career and rightly so. Firstly, he is the perennial and perfect underdog. Secondly, his move set and mask is sure to get younger fans behind him. And thirdly, he just seems like a nice guy. His current storyline with his own son is an example of why he is so hard to root against.
6. Mick Foley
Right here, in <insert town name where Raw was on>! – that line alone guaranteed Foley a pop every single night, regardless of how cheap it was. But that was part of the charm. Mick was the everyday man, a champion of the people and just thoroughly lovable. His 1999 WWE title win is a testament to his everlasting popularity.
5. Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan
While Bryan is an incredible heel (his 2018-19 run as the “Planet’s Champion” is hugely underrated), he really is another perfect babyface. He was never meant to be a true main eventer, even being called a “B+ player” on live TV. However, the fans just demanded he rightly was. The “Yes Movement” was like nothing seen before or since, and the biggest example of the audience raging against the machine in favour of their favourite.
4. John Cena
Arguably the most polarising wrestler in WWE history. Older fans even chanted “John Cena sucks” along to his theme song. However, the other half of the audience absolutely loved him. He never turned heel after 2003 and really, he was the perfect lead man for WWE at the time. He lived his Hustle, Loyalty, Respect gimmick (his Make-A-Wish record a testament to this) and all fans have finally once again learned to love the Champ.
3. The Rock
Becky Lynch and The Rock
Another wrestler who just was not a traditional babyface, but that’s what made him great. He still mocked fellow wrestlers and poor old Coach, but his hilarity and charisma was just too much to resist cheering for. He spoke about himself in third person, he called himself the People’s Champion. The thing was though, that’s exactly what he was and is.
2. Hulk Hogan
The Hulkster might be a very questionable human being but he was THE babyface in wrestling’s 1980 boom. A brilliant heel with the NWO, but it was in the red and yellow that he became a megastar. Everyone absolutely loved him from kids to adults – Train, say your prayers, eat your vitamins believe in yourself would be mocked now, but not then. His 2002 nostalgia run was a further example of his undeniable star power.
1. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Never a true babyface, but the biggest anti-hero in wrestling’s history. He was the embodiment of the Attitude Era, sticking it to his boss like every fan watching wanted to. For this, his trash-talking and his brawling, never-say-die style, the audience could not get enough of him. He was the biggest draw in WWE history and remains arguably the most beloved wrestler to this day. And that’s the bottom line. Why? ‘Cos Stone Cold said so!