By Shawn Valentino, PWTorch Specialist

One of the things that make the experience of watching wrestling on television or in the arena so special is the suspension of disbelief. It is that escapist fantasy created by our favorite characters of the soap opera on steroids, both literally and figuratively, that makes wrestling so entertaining to watch. Of course, we must not forget that the men and women of the squared circle are not action figures come to life, but that they are real people putting their bodies on the line to please the fans, and sometimes, their own egos. Whether they are the most beloved babyface or the most hated heel, we often wonder what the person behind the larger than life character is like.

In my last article, I discussed the most fan-friendly wrestlers I have encountered in my years of meeting them. For those of you that had not read that article, I wanted to restate that I have had the fortune of meeting nearly every wrestler of the modern era over my many years of attending WrestleMania and staying in the same hotel as the WWE stars. This week, I wanted to have some fun and write about some of the least fan-friendly superstars in the business.

Before moving on, I wanted to reiterate what I stated in my last article. In my opinion, entertainers do not owe anything to the fans beyond giving them their money's worth for the hard-earned money they spend to watch them. Additionally, it is impossible to make a judgment on someone's true personality unless you know them personally. In fact, with some of the creepy fans that approach them, I cannot blame the wrestlers for blowing people off or being leery of their intentions.

These guys may be wonderful people for I know. That being said, this list is based on wrestlers that I have met personally, aided by details of friends's miserable interactions with them. Some of them are amongst my favorite superstars but even the realization that they may not be the most approachable does not inhibit my ability to enjoy their performances.

(10) Michael Hayes

Now this is a name I am sure nobody is surprised to see on a list such as this. It is no secret that Hayes has a controversial reputation because of his volatile personality. This is one of the reasons I was interested in seeing what he is like in person. I figured that at the very least, he would be an entertaining person to be around. He did not disappoint. The first few times I saw him he was heavily intoxicated and rude. When I was at the hotel bar in Detroit the week of WrestleMania 23, I was speaking to Victoria and a couple of the other wrestlers. A drunken Hayes was trying to gather them to get ready to go out. In the process, he basically pushed me and asked, "Who the hell are you?" I am not easily offended, and it was not a push meant to harm me so it was more funny than anything, but it also confirmed my suspicion that this was no friendly Freebird.

(9) Shelton Benjamin

Throughout his career, Benjamin has been categorized as the man with sensational athletic skills, but limited charisma and a lack of ability to connect with people. When you see him in person, it is easy to tell why he has not made it to the next level. I have been as awestruck by Shelton's breathtaking aerial grace as anybody, but there is something seriously deficient in the personality department. I have not heard stories of Benjamin being rude to fans, but nearly every time I have seen him, he appeared aloof and with a chip on his shoulder. At least the others on the list have been unfriendly in an entertaining way. It is difficult to describe exactly what it is about him that led me to place him on this list, but perhaps that is fitting, because it is tough to understand what it is about Benjamin's character that makes main event superstardom so elusive. Unfortunately, as much as I enjoy watching his unparalleled agility, I believe his inability to make a connection with the audience that top stars enjoy will prevent him from ever being a mega-star in the business.

(8) Ric Flair

I was in the audience last year for Flair's Hall of Fame induction, final match against Shawn Michaels, and the farewell sendoff on Raw. It was one of the most emotional displays I have ever seen. After his "retirement" he has been on tour doing autograph sessions, question and answer seminars, etc. On numerous occasions, he has come back to WWE television proclaiming how much he loves meeting the fans.

In actuality, nearly every time I have seen him, he has gone out of his way to avoid any contact with the fans he supposedly loves so much. To his credit, he has usually been really consistent, choosing to ignore everybody, instead of choosing who he interacts with and potentially disappointing some of his admirers.

At the same time, this contradicts his assertion that he "loves" interacting with them. After all, how difficult is it really to stop for a minute when there are two or three people standing outside to get a picture with you. To his credit however, the week of his retirement, he was incredibly friendly and he stopped and took pictures with every fan that wanted one. The same experience would cost about a hundred dollars a few months later. Despite this, just remember that when your favorite superstars talk about loving the fans on television, it does not necessarily guarantee you personal interaction with them in person.

(7) Eric Bischoff

On television, both in his stints with WCW and WWE, Bischoff played a weasely, smug authority figure that the audience despised. When you meet him in person, he does little to sway fans's perception of his character. He is generally an unlikable, stand-offish presence in person, and to his credit, he admits it. My friend once said to him, "So you are a prick both on and off screen right?" Bischoff did not hesitate to agree with his assertion. If you want to meet a star who is similar to his on-screen persona, then he may be the man who may live "up to" the hype.

(6) John Bradshaw Layfield

Like Bischoff above, JBL does little to disassociate himself from his arrogant on-screen counterpart. I was a huge fan of the JBL character as I love heels and he reminded me of one of the top bad guys of all time, "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. In fact, he was so great in his role that it would have been hard to imagine him as a cordial individual. Layfield is not so much rude to the fans as he is oblivious to their presence.

Nearly every time I have seen him, he has been rude or unconcerned with addressing those who approach him. This is just in line with the rich tycoon he plays on screen. As a huge fan of the old television show Dallas, I can appreciate the JR Ewing-like elements of his character. When my friend walked by him at a bar in Detroit, Layfield basically ran him over without apology. Despite my enjoyment of his work, he is one of the least fan-friendly stars that I have seen. If he were any less, I would be disappointed.

(5) Randy Orton

Of all of the young generation of superstars, Orton may be the most fascinating. To say he has a shaky backstage reputation would be a huge understatement. Of the times I have met him in person, he was as moody and unstable as one would expect. At times, Orton has been really cool and friendly with those who approach him. Usually, however, he has been extremely temperamental.

I actually like Orton's personality and find him entertaining, but nobody would mistaken him for being a nice guy. My favorite RKO moment was when a rude, overweight fan was heckling him for a picture. Orton told him to either lay off him or to get on a treadmill. Even though his character professes that he is not there to "entertain," in person he never fails to do so.

(4) Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels is the greatest wrestler I have ever seen in my twenty-plus years of watching wrestling, and is he also my favorite superstar of all time. As I said earlier, sometimes the stars we love may not necessarily be the ones we like. HBK, in person, generally comes across as a miserable, stand-offish individual. Nearly every time I have seen him, he appears to be in a bad mood and views the fans as pests. This is all the more disappointing to some because he tries to present himself as a religious man who loves people.

Michaels has a cocky aura to be sure, and he often comes across as smug in person. His confidence has allowed him to be one of the biggest legends in the history of the business, but unfortunately his smugness has made him unable to relate to the majority of the fans in a way that other elite stars have. I believe it is this side of his personality that prevented him from getting to the ultimate level of stardom that Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, and The Rock achieved. Nonetheless, to me, all is made up for by his unparalleled performances in the ring.

(3) Triple H

Of course, nobody is surprised to see him on this list. As unlikable and sarcastic as he comes across on screen, he may be more so in person. The man has a constant scowl on his face and when fans approach him, it is not likely they will get a favorable reaction. Like Shawn, it is not that The Game is a mean guy, but there is just something about him that makes him unpleasant and unable to relate to the fans. Maybe that is why they are such close friends. Again, I am not blaming the guy either, because many of the fans that come near him are just plain strange. The bizarre nature of many of the wrestling fans I have seen would be a good subject for another article.

This year, my friend approached him politely for a picture when he was just standing alone waiting for a coffee and he denied him, saying he "didn't have time." No matter which way you look at it, there is no excuse to be such a "prick" to somebody that pays so much money to see you. What makes it worse is that Triple H is essentially part of the management of the company, and you would think that he would make some efforts to come across as a friendly person. Just like you see on television, he appears to be an insecure guy with a chip on his shoulder that deals with his problems through sarcasm and arrogance.

(2) Dusty Rhodes

Over his decades as a top star in the wrestling business, Dusty Rhodes made it a career of playing "the common man" that loves the people. I figured if any wrestler should be friendly in person, it would be "The American Dream." In reality, for anybody I know that has met him, it has been more like a nightmare. By all accounts, he is extremely rude and egotistical. This was perfectly exemplified the weekend he was inducted in the Hall of Fame. In his speech, he talked about how he owed everything to the fans, and how much he "loves" them. The very next day, my friend approached him for a picture and Rhodes told him to leave him alone and go home.

Like Michaels, the reason Dusty holds such prominent spot on this undistinguished list is that he presents himself as genuinely loving the fans, but his behavior completely contradicts his convictions. He may be a common man on television, but he has been an uncommon prick every time I have seen him behind the scenes.

(1) Mark Henry

If there has ever been a stretch for a person to play a character, it has to be Mark Henry's recent conversion to the smiley, lovable giant. In person, there is nothing likable about the man. Whenever I have seen, he has a horrific expression on his face and generally presents himself as a rude, unapproachable monster. I have seen him cuss out fans, ignore little children that want his autograph, as well as insult the people that are paying to see him. I have heard of wrestlers staying in kayfabe so as not to compromise their on-screen character so perhaps it is a big act, but if not, this guy has some serious issues.

Now I make it a point to never approach someone who I believe is wasting time on my television screen so Henry has never been rude to me, but just being in his presence makes me shake my head in disbelief. I believe no encounter sums up the experience of meeting Mark Henry than the time my African-American friend went up to him and asked if he could "take a picture with a brother." Henry yelled at him angrily, "You're not my brother and you never will be!" Despite the fact that he "wins" the top spot on this list of least friendly wrestlers, I must say that was an unforgettable moment that we have laughed about for years.

I hope that you enjoyed reading about one fan's experience of meeting the stars. As I said before, this is not an indictment of any of these wrestlers as human beings, but merely a summation of experiences that I have compiled from my years of coming across them. I would love to hear stories about your own interactions with the lords of the ring.

Please send questions, comments, and feedback to valentino.torch@gmail.com

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