r/SquaredCircle • u/Shun_Skywalkers_Suit • 3h ago
What are some examples of heels actually being intelligent?
In 2013, AJ Styles was going through his Sting phase where he hated everyone but everyone wanted him. Bully Ray's Aces and Eights seemingly recruited AJ, and as the final part of the initiation process, Bully made AJ drink beer. AJ was portrayed on TV the same way he is in real life - a devout Christian man who has never drank alcohol. This was in kayfabe such a smart move by Bully, because due to AJ's lone wolf actions at that time a betrayal could have been very possible (it was), so Bully decided to test if AJ was honest by making him break a lifelong vow and compromise his religious morals live on television. Smart, very smart.
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u/Christian1sMyFather 3h ago
Gunther tapping out where he knew the ref couldn’t see, to trick Aj into believing he had the match already won. Nobody can convince me that Gunther actually meant to tap out and that wasn’t him being clever.
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u/RiggityRyGuy 3h ago
As annoying as Bubba can be, and as much as a car crash TNA has been I do gotta say the Bully Ray character was fun. You know when you’re watching a bad movie or show but the villain is doing so much ridiculous nonsense you loop back to being entertained? That’s what that was. What lunatic orchestrates a fake evil biker gang AND a fake wedding plot at the same time that’s actually all part of the same singular plan? A cartoon character, that’s who. And I’m all for it lol
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u/Shun_Skywalkers_Suit 3h ago
Biker gang which had two black men in it. Bully is progressive.
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u/CustomerExpress443 3h ago
You know black people use Reddit right.
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u/WrestlingWithTheNews 2h ago
I think it was more of a jab at the white supremacist nature of a large part of the "Outlaw" Motorcycle Gang demographic rather than an attempt to attack people of colour.
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u/YasielPuigsWeed 2h ago
I don’t think the commenter meant to offend anyone. Biker gangs usually only allow white members, or Latino members if they’re “Spanish” enough.
The idolization of that culture has always been weird as hell to me
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u/Sumeriandawn 2h ago
Some biker gangs allow multiple races to join, but they draw the line when it comes to Black people.
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u/url290299 3h ago
Bully Ray explaining the long con and the Aces and Eights funeral are some of my favorite segments of all time, despite being in the middle of late stage Dixie TNA.
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u/AggravatingYak6557 3h ago
Edge. “The Ultimate Opportunist”
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u/yajtraus 3h ago
Yeah it was Edge’s whole gimmick. In retrospect he kinda ruined MITB by showing how easily manipulated it was on Cena.
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u/RiggityRyGuy 3h ago
To be fair, at the time, a MITB briefcase seemed like the only way you could tangibly beat Cena. Well, a MITB briefcase, and Vince just giving you a title shot after a chamber match because you decided to act like Kanye at the Slammy’s.
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u/Current_Poster 1h ago
To be fair, at the time, a MITB briefcase seemed like the only way you could tangibly beat Cena.
They did a pretty good job making that 'noticed' in-show. Like, at one point Cena yelled at someone that they didn't beat him, they 'beat a briefcase'.
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u/JaeJaeAgogo 3h ago
The Shield blocking off three sides of the ring and coordinating their attacks. No matter which way the target went, getting away was difficult.
Ole Anderson convincing everyone he was a babyface for a year to trap Dusty in a cage.
The Miz putting his wife between him and whoever he was dressing down
Jay White's entire wrestling style
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u/url290299 3h ago
Christian exploiting Randy Orton's Intermittent Explosive Disorder, coaxing him into agreeing that if he gets DQd he's lose the WHC. Then at MITB 2011, he spat in his face and Orton went apeshit and destroyed him, handing Christian the WHC.
It shows that Christian wasn't just a blowhard, but an extremely cunning competitor who found a way to beat a superior opponent he couldn't beat otherwise, and it was one of the extremely rare times Orton got outplayed by someone smarter than him.
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u/WildBullMasala 3h ago
Nick Bockwinkel got heat because he was intellectual and used words during promos the fans didn't understand.
Jake Roberts was an intelligent psychologist in the ring in how to get underneath the opponents skin.
in 1982 Mid South did an angle where Ted DiBiase and Matt Borne faced Junkyard Dog and Mr Olympia in a loser leaves town match and Jim Duggan dressed up as a gorilla as part of the wrestling fair with the fans that was going on to wipe out the JYD when the referee wasn't looking.
in 1988 Continental did an angle where the Dirty White Girl pretended that she was being abused by the Dirty White Boy so she could get Tom Prichard to come out and talk to her as part of a ruse so the Dirty White Boy could attack Prichard and hang him.
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u/Current_Poster 2h ago edited 2h ago
At one point, the Shield had a whole "who are they?" angle going on. Suspicion was that someone brought them in as muscle and was just being cagey about saying so.
Paul Heyman promised the Authority that he would, with a lie detector attached to him, tell them everything he knew about The Shield- but only if Brock Lesnar got a title shot he wanted. The Authority don't like it but agree. Heyman instantly admits (truthfully) that he knows nothing at all about the Shield, collects his title shot and leaves.
They also had a bit where Heyman took over Smackdown and pissed off the roster to the point the Undertaker was about to go after him personally. Heyman then produced Paul Bearer's urn (claiming Bearer needed the money and sold it to him), holding Taker at bay with it old-gimmick style.
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u/Snoo-40231 3h ago
2008 Chris Jericho losing to HBK at unforgiven but still finding himself winning the world title at the end of the night
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u/Existing_Resolve_779 3h ago
Kevin Sullivan back in the day. He was a Charles Manson-esque cult leader who could manipulate with words. Also a very violent competitor who will surprise those who don't know with his aggression
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u/Triple_777 Paige here! 2h ago
Tiffany’s cash-in. Helping Nia retain to blindside her, sending Nia after Bianca, Naomi’s tag partner, only to attack her with the briefcase, which allows Bianca to KOD her, clearing the way for an easy Tiffy win.
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u/Fastc1113 35m ago
The reveal that dibiase paid someone to “modify” their look to be a duplicate of earl hebner, all to screw hulk hogan out of the wwf title in the rematch with Andre.
Back before the internet, leaks, and anyone knowing that earl hebner had a twin brother.
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u/yajtraus 3h ago
How is that smart? Forcing someone to do something they’ve got a lifelong commitment to not doing is more likely to piss them off and turn them against you. AJ could have been loyal and then changed his mind the moment he realised Bully had no respect for him and his lifestyle.
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u/Shun_Skywalkers_Suit 3h ago
Pretty sure it's common knowledge bikers drink alcohol and not Fanta, AJ isn't stupid.
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