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Not everyone can be the crowd's favorite, and some superstars have truly mastered the art of being despised! Join us as we count down our picks for the pro wrestlers who were most widely hated by fans! From arrogant outsiders and backstage bullies to shocking betrayals and controversial characters, these performers made audiences everywhere boo, jeer, and occasionally throw trash at the ring!
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00:12Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 pro wrestlers
00:17who were, at one point or another, widely despised by the fans.
00:3020. JBL The talent that JBL possessed for being a heel
00:35at the peak of his powers was truly something to be marveled at.
00:44A 2004 reinvention saw him emerge as the wealthy, arrogant Texas businessman that led to a championship
00:52reign where he became one of the standout heels of his era.
00:56When people are buying tickets and pay-per-views just to see you lose, you know you've nailed
01:01the formula.
01:07Factor in real-life reports of backstage belittling and intimidating behavior to staff and his
01:13fellow wrestlers, and you have a villain that ticks every single box.
01:2119. Logan Paul There might not be a wrestler in history who
01:25entered the profession with as much existing hate as Logan Paul.
01:30While he has indeed impressed many fans with his natural athleticism and commitment, most
01:35of his haters just can't get past his arrogance and obnoxious nature.
01:46Of course, his performances on the mic and in the ring play into those traits heavily.
01:52His willingness to taunt established stars and succeed despite his relative inexperience
01:57fans, made him an easy target for fans who resented outsiders being given such major opportunities.
02:10Logan wasn't out of his depth necessarily, but his status as a celebrity novelty act has
02:15been too difficult to fully ignore.
02:1718. Don Callis To say that Don Callis has nailed the
02:22villainous manager formula would be putting it lightly.
02:3218. When it comes to AEW, there's an argument to be made that he has the most consistently
02:45hateable character the brand has had to offer over the years.
02:4818. His greatest strength is not physical intimidation, but an overwhelming sense of smugness.
03:10He presents himself as the smartest person in every room, talks down to fans and wrestlers,
03:16and treats betrayal as a legitimate business strategy.
03:19He is a character that uses arrogance in an almost artistic fashion, which makes him a
03:25highly effective target for hatred.
03:4117. Muhammad Hassan
03:44There was an unavoidable overlap between the angle that Muhammad Hassan took in the WWE and real-life
03:50events that both built his notoriety and ultimately contributed to his downfall.
03:5518. Muhammad Hassan was hated because the promotion deliberately built him as an antagonistic, self-righteous
04:12villain who claimed that Arab Americans were unfairly treated while simultaneously behaving like an entitled jerk.
04:1818. Muhammad Hassan
04:18Because if anybody deserves to be named the new Smackdown champion, it is definitely the great Muhammad Hassan.
04:30He complained about discrimination, demanded respect, and accused American wrestlers and fans of hypocrisy.
04:37But his actions repeatedly made him difficult to sympathize with.
04:41In reality, the character was played by an Italian-American, Mark Julian Coppani,
04:46and was pulled out of circulation immediately after the London terrorist bombings of July 2005.
04:5416. Vader
04:56The memorable but divisive Big Van Vader was a villain in Japan, setting off a riot upon defeating
05:03the beloved Antonio Inoki in 1987.
05:07His stint in the US was by no means a face turn for him either.
05:1118. Vader was marketed as the unstoppable monster, but he was widely regarded as a highly intense individual.
05:1819. On top of it all, many of his fellow wrestlers were quite critical of Vader's wrestling style,
05:28accusing him of being aggressive, needlessly rough, and one of the most unhygienic stars in the game.
05:37He also earned a reputation as confrontational and pushy backstage.
05:43Bret Hart famously was quoted as saying he never felt safe working with Vader,
05:48due to his blatant disregard for his opponent's safety.
05:5615. Edge
05:57During the ruthless aggression era, Edge became one of the WWE's premier villains,
06:03because virtually everything about his character screamed opportunism.
06:12In other words, he was the perfect rated-R superstar.
06:16He was willing to betray allies, exploit stipulations, cheat when necessary, and attack people when they were vulnerable.
06:23His relationship with Lita intensified the reaction dramatically,
06:27particularly after the storyline involving Matt Hardy, which blurred the lines between fiction and reality.
06:40It wasn't necessarily supposed to be seen as the hard-working, down-to-earth champion.
06:46Instead, he was easy to hate on because of his tendency to always find a shortcut.
07:01And you're!!!!
07:02To this day, the sound of the words,
07:04EXCUSE ME when spoken by Vickie Guerrero, is enough to make most wrestling fans cringe.
07:11In reality, she has been a highly-talented heel who knows exactly how to get under a crowd's skin.
07:16As Smackdown's general manager, Vicky routinely abused her authority, changed matches, handed
07:23out punishments, and used her position to benefit heels, particularly Edge.
07:40She is the quintessential irritating character, the type of presence that can summon up a chorus
07:46of booze simply through her presence in an arena.
07:49That's a powerful tool for a performer to possess.
07:5613 The Miz Like anyone who leveraged their pre-existing fame
08:01into a wrestling career, The Miz was certainly fighting an uphill battle from day one.
08:11His status as a reality TV star was something that was leaned into quite heavily, making
08:16him a solid villain.
08:18That said, there were many who simply found his style of performance annoying and undercooked.
08:29The arrogant and entitled celebrity had indeed been done before.
08:34However, public opinion has certainly softened up on The Miz as time went on.
08:39What could have been a short-term gimmick or cash grab ended up being a two-decade-long career
08:44with the WWE.
08:45Although opinions are still divided on his in-ring work, his commitment is no longer in question.
08:5412 Roddy Piper The term heat magnet can definitely be applied
09:00to Rowdy Roddy Piper.
09:11For years, his character was designed to be hated, combining an abrasive personality, outrageous
09:18insults, and a willingness to cross every imaginable line.
09:21Feuds with beloved superstars allowed Piper to put his knack for pushing buttons to great
09:27use.
09:34He knew exactly how to provoke the fans, and make them want nothing more than for their
09:39hero to do him real harm.
09:41Some of his content hasn't aged particularly well in the eyes of modern viewers, but the
09:47hatred that the fans felt for him at the peak of his heel years made him a legend.
10:0411 Vince McMahon The boss himself, Vince McMahon, was
10:17the perfect over-arching villain of the wrestling world.
10:20His status as the authoritarian promoter put him at odds with virtually every legend of
10:26the game at one point or another.
10:35His greatest strength as a heel?
10:37His position as head honcho.
10:39McMahon could bend the rules in his favor, frustrating viewers to no end, while maintaining
10:44a smug and satisfied look on his face.
10:53The fact he eventually faced a wide array of serious allegations took things to an entirely
10:58different level.
10:59He spent his entire career painting himself as the villain before his story took an undeniably
11:04dark turn.
11:0710.
11:12Dominic Mysterio In 2019, Dom joined the WWE and formed a team
11:17with his father, Rey Mysterio.
11:19All was well until 2022's Clash at the Castle.
11:23After Edge and Rey beat the Judgment Day, Dom celebrated with the two.
11:28Then he booted Edge below the belt before clotheslining his father, sealing his heel turn as he joined
11:35Judgment Day.
11:36Renamed Dirty Dom Mysterio, he soon formed a special bond with his mommy, Rhea Ripley.
11:50Despite this, fans still hated Dom for his underhanded tactics and arrogance.
11:56That only got worse when he turned on Ripley to hook up with Liv Morgan.
12:01Due to his volatile history, Dirty Dom has been awarded Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Most
12:07Hated Wrestler of the Year in 2023 and 2024.
12:179.
12:19Cody Rhodes Nowadays, he's one of the industry's most popular
12:22wrestlers in the WWE.
12:24But during the latter part of his AEW days, it was very different for Rhodes.
12:35As one of the brain children who created the brand, his feud with Anthony Ogogo, especially
12:41the awful weigh-in segments, caused a backlash.
12:45On top of relentless booing, even though he was seemingly a babyface, the fans really showed
12:50their displeasure at Rhodes' character in 2021.
13:04During a tag match, he threw his weight belt into the crowd, only for them to toss it back
13:09at him.
13:10Yikes.
13:11A few months later, while he stated it was due to personal reasons, Rhodes left AEW.
13:17Someone told me to save this promo, but I honestly don't know if I'm going to get the chance,
13:22so I'm going to do it now.
13:268.
13:27Shawn Michaels When he returned to the WWE ring from a serious
13:31back injury in 2002, the Heartbreak Kid began showing why people today call him one of the
13:37best.
13:47However, while Michaels was talented before that, his reputation in and out of the squared
13:53circle was vastly different.
13:551997 was a particular highlight in Michaels' hatred.
13:59At WWF One Night Only in Birmingham, England, he controversially beat home country hero, the
14:05British Bulldog, to win the European Championship, causing the crowd to cover the ring in litter
14:11as Michaels taunted them.
14:13Two months later, at Survivor Series, HBK was involved in the infamous Montreal Screwjob,
14:19where he controversially won the WWF Championship from Bret Hart.
14:23Canadians still haven't forgiven Michaels.
14:367.
14:37The Iron Sheik When the Iranian-born wrestler returned to the then-WBF in 1983, he soon began
14:44carving out his name in heel legend.
14:55With his pro-Iran stance and spitting on the floor, whenever he had to mention the US, Sheik
15:01was a heat magnet with the crowd.
15:14When he faced off against American heroes like Hulk Hogan and Sgt.
15:19Slaughter, it only got worse as fans rained booze upon him and sometimes garbage.
15:25Occasionally, they would go too far as they sent the Iron Sheik death threats.
15:30The peak of Sheik hatred was when he controversially beat Bob Backlund for the WWF Championship in
15:361983.
15:37Thousands of people in Madison Square Garden shouted abuse and booed as he taunted them.
15:43And the new World Wrestling Federation heavyweight champion, the Iron Sheik!
15:536.
15:54MJF Nowadays, it can be difficult for a heel to generate heat without being beloved by some
16:01for being cool.
16:01Yet, that's not an issue for Maxwell Jacob Friedman.
16:10With his arrogant, brash and cowardly attitude, alongside constantly telling other wrestlers
16:16and the crowd that he's better than them, he became one of the industry's most despised
16:21characters.
16:29Starting from the days of betraying Rhodes during his AEW Championship bout against Chris Jericho
16:35in 2019, MJF has drawn further ire with his mistreatment of Wardlow and tossing Jericho off
16:42the cage.
16:43Whenever MJF interacts with the crowd, it usually ends with an insult to them or him grabbing their
16:49drink to throw over them.
17:015.
17:02John Cena There's nothing wrestling fans hate more than
17:05when a character is forced down their throats.
17:08Case in point, Super Cena.
17:19Since rising to the top with his first WWE Championship win in 2005, a large portion of the fanbase has
17:26despised him.
17:27Some of their reasons for hating him include Cena's undefeatable positioning, his child-friendly
17:32appearance, the five moves of doom, and his mantra.
17:43The most anti-Cena experience happened in 2006's ECW One Night Stand.
17:49While facing Rob Van Dam to defend his title, he was greeted with signs saying,
17:54If Cena wins, we riot.
17:56Multiple times, Cena threw his shirt into the crowd, only to get it chucked back.
18:01Thankfully, Cena lost.
18:03Otherwise, we dread to think what would have happened.
18:054.
18:06Roman Reigns In recent times, WWE took the successful plunge
18:11of making Reigns a heel.
18:13But for years, they've positioned him as Cena 2.0, infuriating the audience.
18:26Still wearing Shield attire and using the theme tune post-breakup, Reigns was thrust into the
18:32top of the company, even when fans felt others were more deserving.
18:41One such beloved wrestler was Daniel Bryan.
18:44When he was unceremoniously eliminated from the 2015 Royal Rumble, the crowd turned on the
18:50pay-per-view as they knew what was to come – the coronation of Reigns.
18:54Even the big dog getting the rub from The Rock didn't settle the crowd's loathing.
18:59The backlash against Reigns would continue for years, with a highlight being the night
19:04after WrestleMania 33, where he was relentlessly booed.
19:123.
19:13Sergeant Slaughter During the 80s, you couldn't get much more American
19:18than Sergeant Slaughter defending the nation against the anti-U.S. hatred of the Iron Sheik
19:24and Nikolai Volkov.
19:25Yet, when he returned to the then-WWF in 1990, Slaughter did the unthinkable.
19:31With real-life tensions between Iraq and the U.S. which led to the Gulf War, Slaughter betrayed
19:38his country by becoming an Iraqi sympathizer.
19:52He would criticize Americans calling them puke and maggots, while wearing Arab attire and teeming
19:59with the Iron Sheik.
20:00The hatred, which only got worse when Slaughter won the WWF Championship, was so intense that
20:06Slaughter received many death threats and reportedly had to wear a bulletproof vest.
20:15Understandably, after only a year with the gimmick, he switched back to the U.S.
20:19Olympics.
20:19You thought the war was over, but as you can see, it's just begun.
20:27No wrestler has won more of Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Most Hated Wrestler of the Year
20:32awards than Triple H. With five to his name, he's spent the majority of his career as
20:38a heel for a good reason.
20:49Whether he was a cool baddie, like with D-Generation X, or an overpowered authority figure, Triple
21:04H has drawn a lot of hate, even from fellow wrestlers, for backstage politics.
21:17Certain moments where the animosity for him increased were when he won a racially charged
21:22feud with Booker T, as well as the terrible Katie Vick angle with Kane, and dominating
21:28the heavyweight title picture for way too long.
21:36Plus, we can't forgive him for beating Sting at WrestleMania 31.
21:54Back in the 80s, Hulkamania was running Wild Brother even outside of the ring as the media jumped
22:02on the bandwagon.
22:03Hogan, with his 24-inch Pythons, was a national treasure, even when he jumped from the then
22:08WWF to WCW.
22:11Yet, at 1996's Bash at the Beach, not only was his legacy altered forever, but so was
22:18wrestling's.
22:19In the main event, with the outsiders Scott Hall and Kevin Nash being sneaky against Lex
22:24Luger, Randy Savage, and Sting, Hogan seemingly came down to the ring to confront them.
22:29Instead, he attacked Savage and joined Nash and Scott to form the New World Order.
22:36Hulkamaniacs were livid as they chucked trash at the trio, who were instantly turned into
22:41the industry's biggest bads.
22:50But who do you consider to be the most hated pro wrestler of all time?
22:54Let us know in those comments below!