It doesn't always happen, but when a heel really strikes a chord with wrestling fans, boos can quickly turn to cheers. That happened with Tiffany Stratton, and it's proving to be the case with Jacob Fatu and Dominik Mysterio as well.
YouTube star Logan Paul was a divisive figure long before he signed with WWE. While his in-ring work has been nothing short of extraordinary, it does appear as if he has the dreaded "go away" heat rather than the sort of boos that will eventually become cheers.
Talking on a recent edition of his podcast, Paul shared his thoughts on John Cena's heel turn (they'll team up against World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes at Money in the Bank).
"I think John finally realized it’s just better on this side of the fence. The grass is much greener on the side of the heel. Normally it’s not. They say the grass isn’t greener. In this case, it is because I’ll tell you why. You could be real. You can say what you want to say. You’re not worried about always being liked or selling tickets or getting your merchandise or hitting the bottom line, or even if your boss has come to you with notes and you’re like, 'Yo, do this.' You’re like, 'Bro, I’m gonna do whatever the f*** I want, and enjoy the f***ing show,' and that’s the wave I think John is on right now, and I love it."
He'd go on to share his belief that, given time, the fans will start cheering him as well.
"I’m just gonna say this. They don’t actually hate you, bro. It’s forced hatred. You’re in your seats, 'F*** you Logan,' but deep down, eventually I know the cheers will be, 'Thank you Logan,' like they are for John. The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference, and if they’re silent, that’s the problem. If you are capable of hating someone, of disliking someone to a degree where you’re really, really forcing yourself to say, 'F*** you' or whatever it is, you’re this close to loving them. All they have to do is flip that switch."
"John did it. Dominik might be doing it soon. We see it with Dom right. Biggest heel ever. Couldn’t get a f***ing word out and now champion, he’s turning the corner a little bit, and everyone’s like, 'Oh, Dom’s Awesome.' Yeah, I’ve been saying he’s [frick]ing sick. Whether you’re a heel or a babface, if you are getting the crowd to react, you are sick. John Cena is getting some of the biggest reactions he’s ever had. He knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s puppeteering the crowd. You are an instrument in John Cena’s orchestra, and I’m here for all of it."
There's a lot of truth to what Paul is saying, but it's still hard to imagine fans getting behind him. He's proven himself a legit talent in the ring on multiple occasions, so if it was going to happen, then it surely would have by now. Stranger things have happened in pro wrestling, though.
You can hear more from Paul in the player below.