The Great Monster Heels

I posted this on the 606 boards yesterday and found it got some interesting debate on it so I thought I would share it on here
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On an article yesterday I made a case for Umaga being one of the great monster heels of all time. This (all be it brief) argument seemed to have support on both sides. I said this about Umaga as I fekt he offered so much more than just a massive frame, he was dynamic and mobile in the ring, he also had an interesting move set (all bar the Thumb of Doom, which no doubt effective but hardly spectacular), he was a good worker (a rarity i monster heels tbh) and didn't often have bad matches (at least when he returned as Umaga) and had 3 memorablely good matches with Jeff Hardy, a few battles with HHH and served up a classic at Royal Rumble 07. On top of this Umaga was able to survive the 1st loss syndrome and comedy face turn period that normally kill off most monster heels and had begun evolving his character (through a grasp of the english language) just before he quit the WWE.

On the other hand some folk were saying that my memories of Fatu were rose tinted due to his death and that he wasn't at the level of the truely great monster heels like Andre the Giant, Big John Studd or Earhquake, men who IMO with the greatest of respect were only at the big time due to there massive frames as any promos ive heard from them have been poor and ive never seen one of them have an entertaing match (I wouldn't say they were poor workers as at that size keeping your oppoent safe must be important as highlighted in Bret Hart's book).

Anyways for me great monster heels are those who offer something else like ring or promo skills to go with there big bodies, men like Vader and Umaga and women like Aja Kong who are the true greats.

Anyways that's my bit I would like to know who you think the greatest monster heels of all time are?

I look forward to your opinions and surely the inevitable debate about why Kane should have his mask back

Thanks

I think Umaga had the makings of being a great monster heel, but in his time in the WWE he didn't really achieve anything, I think he was going into his best performances just before he quit, making a strap match with CM Punk, which you would have thought have been a silly match, a very good one. But I don't think you can call him one of the great monster heels, he had the potential, but no where near fullfilled it, whether or not he ever would we will never know.

I think Kane is definetly one of the best monster heels ever, the fact that even now with all the rubbish storylines, bad matches and dissapointments he's had over his career one good promo can make us extremly interested him again is a great credit to the character and Glen Jacobs, I think with the right person he can put on a pretty good match as well, he has always looked dominating, even without the mask in my opinion, and I do hope that WWE give him a send off worthy of one of the great characters they've ever had.

Surely The Undertaker has to be one of the best monster heels ever, even though he's face now, when he's been heel he has been excellent, it's a shame that he's at the point in his career now, that he just can't turn heel because he is viewed as such a legend.

And the Great Khali...just kidding.

I dont know much about the guy but whenever i see videos of king kong bundy or w/e he looks impressive as hell you look at him and you instantly think fucking hell hes massive

i'd put physco sid up there with the top monster heals.
That guy just had a really intense look about him,and was quite intimidating back in the day.

thats a great one! he did have a wierd look about him almost as if he should be a gimp

For me that was my point Kane, Sid and Bundy look amazing but none of them were particualry great wrestlers though Kane can cut a decent promo, I though what made Umaga stand out above the rest is that (unusually for someone porraying a monster heel) was that he was a fanatstic worker who rarley had poor matches and after his classic performance against Cena at the Royal Rumble 07 (which for me was his best outing to date and the best WWE match of the year) he was rewarded with being the heel trusted enough to carry Bobby Lashely to a decent match in the Battle of the Billionaires at Wrestlemania 23 (not exactly the main event for real wrestling fans, but as I argued on 606 the most hyped event that drew US wide if not worldmide outside media coverage) ahead of the 3 other heels who could have been considered for the role, King Booker, Edge and Randy Orton who were all relegated to the opening match stunt show, if that wasn't a vote of confidence by the WWE I don't know what was.

Heck yeah umaga had such a range in his move set compared to normal big guys scoop slam chokeslam zzzzzz.

yeah umaga was'nt a bad worker,I dont think the gimmick he was saddled with did him any favours though.he was never going to be a wwe champion with it.

the thing with most monster heals is there dont need to be great workers,as long as they look like there going to kill you or just look strong in the ring it normally carries them through.

im thinking sheamus could possibly be the next top monster heal if booked right.

Well yeah the gimmick was hard to make him champ of a flagship show as he couldnt speak lol . Before i started watching iv seen some stuff with estrada now if he had a manager like him behind then the gimmick worls but still only to a certain extent...

So i dunno unless he had of had a hughe gimmick overhaul then he would always and now will go as one fof "those" people who came close but never won the main title

This is why i dont get wy vince is so obsessed with huge guys

I wouldn't say Umaga was that good in the ring, compared to most monster heels sure, but it's not hard to be better in the ring than most big guys. I don't think he was really tested a main event heel to the extent as some monsters, the Battle of Billionaires in the view of a wrestling fan was not the biggest match, and I think King Booker, Edge and Orton were all heels that wouldn't suit being used by McMahon.

id say hes a level above most big heels , in the no way out elimination chamber that shows he was imense and i dont think he even used his diving headbutt

this is JUST from memory

Samoanspiker-ok that was awful
piledriver
butt to face thing lol
diving headbutt
piledriver
samoan drop
that mini sweet chin music thing
swinging side slam
choke lift

Then try do that with another good top heel

Kane

Chokeslam
piledriver
last ride
dropkick
clothesline

I've just noticed this article, apologies mate.

I always like the Earthquake, he was a fantastic worker, he could promo, he looked big bad and ugly, perfect for a heel and always had a good connection with the crowd, his dropkick was not only impressive but devastating, bigger guys back then could work too, not them all but not many got a place without being able to work

Another big monster heel I always liked was Ax from Demolition, because guys where so big back then he wasn't often noticed in that catagory, but he was heavier than Hogan and only a couple of inches shorter than him

The Big Bossman when he came to the WWF was mightily impressive, that guy could work, his agility as well for a big man was top class, he didn't mind taking superplexes from the top of the steel cage, he could go to the top rope and his spring and speed where first class

Umaga was a favourite of mine, his feud with John Cena was great stuff too, people will remember him more fondly now that he is dead but thats not to say what you remember isn't true, another guy who could go to the top rope, I'd actually have preferred to see him use the top rope splash more than the Samoan Spike which although would be truly devastating, isn't very Razamataz

Umaga went well before his time, he had plenty left to offer Pro Wrestling and the WWE, I have no doubt he would be a big force in the WWE at this moment in time i he didn't pass on

As for Andre, I was never his biggest fan, by the time I started watching Pro Wrestling he was well past his prime, that being said, I've seen a lot of his earlier stuff and although he was in a lot better shape, for me he still wasn't anywhere near interesting, I'd say the Big Show is far superior to him, the difference though is that Andre was booked superbly in the WWF, they booked him like the indestructible monster he should be and that meant when the time came when he did lose it was a WTF moment, I loved his match with Hogan at WrestleMania III, when Hogan went for the body slam and buckled and the ref made a near 3 count right away..................true story telling at its very best, Andre looked convinced, he held his 3 fingers up in the air, the crowd thought it was over too, so so simple but deadly effective

One guy who I currently believe could eclipse most monster heels is Matt Morgan.
At present he's more egotistical heel but easily has the size and power to revert back to a guy that just decimates opponents.

Matt Morgan for me is the best big guy in the business at this moment in time, he has everything, is absolutely massive, is excellent on the mic, is very mobile, in great shape

Can someone tell me why he isn't main eventing TNA or WWE at the moment? he is the kind of guy Vince dreams about and you'd have to expect he is the kind of guy Hogan has to love, he was that guy in the early 80s

Also, Yokozuna was an incredible worker for a guy his size, he could do the superkick, he would do some amazing run off the ropes flying spinning kick, a series of suplex' plus the Bonzi Drop was absolutely devastating as a finisher, especially when he was allowed to kill Jobbers with it, Vince must have paid them a fortune to take those, the only problem I have with Yoko is that he became so big, no one could really work with him because while he was alright as he was, no one could logically do any moves to him at all and it all became a bit silly, still a brilliant monster heel though and the first bad guy to win the World Title at WrestleMania

i've always thought the wwe dropped the ball with matt morgan.
there saddled him that shitty gimmick then had him job quite a lot.you never know tna might start to book the blueprint right in the futrure.

How about Disel? He's probably not a great monster heel but I thought he was pretty good around 1994. As HBK's bodyguard, he didn't speak much but always destroying people.