Wrestlers who can cause polarization among wrestling fans usually will have a successful career. The concept of the audience having mixed emotions about a top star used to be taboo since WWE would want everyone cheering the face and booing the heel. However, changes in entertainment and society would make it more acceptable throughout each era.

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The wrestlers to benefit from having polarizing reactions will see fans going back and forth about them. It instantly creates interest in their matches due to most viewers having a strong opinion on them before the bell even rings. WWE has seen quite a few talented names reach that status in their careers. The following wrestlers were the most polarizing in WWE history.

10 Bret Hart

Bret Hart

The incredible success of Bret Hart in the ‘90s saw most fans enjoying his work. Things started to trend with the audience response becoming mixed during his feud with Steve Austin. Many fans wanted to cheer the heel antics of Austin with society embracing anti-heroes.

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WWE went with the organic nature of Austin’s rise by turning Bret heel as The Hitman began berating fans in the United States. However, the international audience loved Hart even more during his time leading the Hart Foundation for an intentionally polarizing character.

9 Goldberg

Goldberg in WWE

Wrestling fans used to collectively love Goldberg during his rise in WCW over two decades. However, his age play strongly into why there is now a polarizing nature for Goldberg in WWE.

The company brings him back in an attempt at a ratings grab, but many of the active viewers and full-time wrestlers take exception to him. Goldberg squashing Bray Wyatt and Kevin Owens for the Universal Championship caused many to turn on him. Social media comments saw many fans responding negatively to any WWE posts about his 2021 return.

8 Nikki Bella

Nikki Bella celebrates title win

The Bella Twins have had a polarizing reputation in wrestling for years due to getting hired as models and dating top male superstars. However, there is no questioning that Nikki and Brie have worked hard to show their passion for wrestling.

Nikki particularly became a polarizing wrestler during her record-setting Divas Championship reign. Many critics felt that John Cena’s backstage power led to her breaking AJ Lee’s record, but she clearly improved and had a strong base of supporters.

7 Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels

Vince McMahon did not expect Shawn Michaels to be a polarizing choice when winning the WWE Championship in 1996. Michaels had the look of a white meat babyface and his groundbreaking wrestling style already proved to get positive responses.

The title reign would see many of the older male fans turning on Michaels. This was one of the first instances of the face character loved by women and children getting resentment from the louder members of the audience. Michaels would get heckled in matches against Mankind and Sycho Sid with the experiment as the face of the company failing.

6 Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins

WWE tried to make Seth Rollins the face of the company when he gained momentum heading into WrestleMania 35. Rollins defeating Brock Lesnar led to him becoming the Universal Champion in the best of starts.

Many fans started to turn on Rollins after he made controversial social media comments and was booked poorly. Feuds with Baron Corbin, Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman led to Seth losing all momentum as his critics became louder than his loyal fans at most shows.

5 Triple H

Triple H

The start of Triple H’s relationship with Stephanie McMahon made him a polarizing wrestler for the rest of his career. Any wrestler to date the boss’ daughter and become a powerful person backstage would have the same stigma following them.

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Triple H’s wrestling was also met with polarizing reactions as he continued to dominate. Many fans felt that Triple H dominating the world title picture for years hurt the overall product while others loved the legend adding more memorable moments.

4 Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt as The Fiend

The recent changes to Bray Wyatt’s character with The Fiend has already made him an all-time polarizing wrestler. Viewers have differing opinions to one of the most unique characters in wrestling history.

The no-selling in the infamous Hell in a Cell match against Seth Rollins started the nature of the reputation. Wyatt’s cinematic matches and ratings ploys like getting set on fire have made him even more of a hot-button name in the industry to deliver strong reactions one way or the other.

3 Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns

Vince McMahon’s support of Roman Reigns backstage was what caused the polarizing reaction to start. Reigns was obviously the chosen one from day one and the rise of social media led to more stories coming out about his push.

Fans reacted with loud resentment at the 2015 Royal Rumble when he won the match to challenge Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31. The next few years would see Roman getting mixed reactions and loud crowd investment. A funny twist of Reigns turning heel in 2020 is that fans would have likely cheered him more if live crowds were allowed.

2 Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman

Some of the changes in WWE’s game plan over the past decade has been spotlighted in the use of Brock Lesnar. Both wrestlers and fans have complained about how WWE books Lesnar as above the rest of the roster often holding the top titles without defending them consistently.

The reason Brock becomes polarizing is due to how strong his talent is. Lesnar has outstanding matches whenever he chooses to perform at a high level. However, there are even more instances of Brock burying his opponents and/or being complacent leading to the polarizing reputation.

1 John Cena

John Cena

WWE realized that going all-in on a polarizing wrestler could lead to huge success with John Cena. Even though other wrestlers had crowds split on them before, Cena was the first wrestler to not change his character.

The fans of Cena loved him even more with massive financial success making him WWE’s top draw for almost a decade. Cena also benefited from the critics chanting “Cena sucks” and adding another layer of intensity to his matches. The reaction to Cena’s big matches always felt like a sports playoff game with the crowd adding to it.

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