There's been a lot of talk lately among professional wrestling fans about what makes a face a face, and what makes a heel a heel. The days of clean-cut good guys went away a long time ago, but it seems more often that wrestlers we're supposed to cheer are winning via the cheapest means possible.
Sheamus has been one of the worst offenders. His World Heavyweight Championship victory over Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania XXVIII couldn't have been much cheaper - a quick strike seconds after the opening bell, while Bryan nearly had his back turned.
More recently, Sheamus stole (borrowed, if you want to use his word) and trashed Alberto Del Rio's car. Weeks later, he retained his title under suspicious circumstances. The referee never saw Del Rio's foot on the bottom rope.
I could cite other examples, but the conclusion is more important. Professional wrestling's good guys have really turned into a bunch of jerks. Some have behaved even worse. Triple H acted selfishly, and bullied Paul Heyman in order to get a match with Brock Lesnar. In the end, Triple H got what was coming to him. So why were fans being told to cheer one over the other?
Recapping the end of The Invasion was very interesting given the current state of morality in WWE. Team WWF was victorious over The Alliance at Survivor Series 2001, but did it deserve to be?
In the end, it's "Stone Cold" Steve Austin fighting valiantly for The Alliance against both Chris Jericho and The Rock. He is able to surprise Jericho with a quick pin, who responds in the most selfish way imaginable - attacking The Rock and nearly costing the World Wrestling Federation its very existence.
Austin battles on, and appears to have victory for The Alliance in his grasp when he hits The Rock with the Stone Cold Stunner. That's when he is betrayed by Kurt Angle, who was an 11th hour defection in the week leading up to Survivor Series. The Rock quickly takes advantage, and The Alliance is history.
As far as the story line is concerned, World Wrestling Entertainment owes its existence to betrayal, cheating and some dumb luck. Perhaps that's why it seems these days like it can longer tell the difference between right and wrong.
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