I recently read how my colleague David Levin wrote about how AJ Styles is essentially the top heel on Smackdown. It got me thinking of the who else is on the Smackdown roster. While AJ Styles is one of top heels on Smackdown, I don’t see him as the top one. I see the top heel on the Smackdown brand as the Miz as the top heel on Smackdown.
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Prior to the WWE, AJ Styles was able to make a name for himself in other wrestling promotions. In the case of the Miz, he was able to make his name for being on the MTV show Real World. In 2004, WWE had their first run of Tough Enough, it would be here were the WWE Universe would first see this kid. Since then, he has blossomed into one of the better wrestlers.
I also see the Miz as more of a heel than guys like AJ Styles because the Miz gets the boos and has mannerisms that makes him get under your skin. When you look at someone like AJ Styles, he will get cheers the moment that WWE decides to turn him face again. If you look throughout the history of the WWE, the successful heels like Ivan Koloff, JBL, and others were able to get under the skin of the WWE Universe.
Another reason to why the Miz happens to be a better heel than AJ Styles or many of the wrestlers on Smackdown Live is how he talks. Many of his promos are done with him talking very high about himself and talking almost down to his opponents.
I see three categories where wrestlers can be put: You are either a face, heel, or you can switch back and forth. Someone like the Miz is better as being a bad guy than a good guy. This is not an uncommon thing though in wrestling as you look at someone like the Undertaker. He has been in wrestling for almost 30 years and is much better as a heel than a face. Don’t get me wrong though, when he was a face he was able to get it over with the WWE Universe. However, those runs didn’t last as long as he heel runs have in his career.