Caleb Konley isn’t trying to win over fans with smiles and cheers. He wants the opposite reaction — and he says that’s exactly what makes wrestling work when it’s done right.
During his appearance on Jasmin St. Claire’s Off the Rails podcast, Konley opened up about why playing the villain comes naturally to him and what he really wants fans to feel when they watch him perform. Konley explained that while he can shift roles when needed, being a heel has always felt like his true comfort zone. He admitted that getting fans to dislike him isn’t difficult — and in his mind, that reaction is part of the job.
“Um, I I think I’m more at home. I am more natural being a heel. Um, just because I don’t know. I I think it’s very easy to make people dislike me.”
Even though he’s comfortable in that role, Konley made it clear that he understands the bigger picture of storytelling. He believes there’s a point where hatred from the audience can turn into admiration if the performance is strong enough.
“But, you know, I I do like being a babyface also when the when the time comes, and I think, you know, possibly down the road in JCW, I think there’s a you know, that opportunity to make people hate me so much that they they love me.”
That mindset didn’t come out of nowhere. Konley said his approach was shaped by watching wrestling as a kid, when certain villains stood out because of how much emotion they created in the crowd.
“That was, you know, that was when I was when I was a kid when I was watching wrestling, I always liked the heels, and there was always like that heel that got such heat that you would like you couldn’t do anything but just respect the fact that he was that good at what he did, you know?”
For Konley, the ultimate reaction isn’t silence or cheers — it’s loud boos followed by respect. That’s the reaction he’s chasing every time he steps into the ring.
“Like, that’s that’s always been like the goal for me is like I want you to boo me so hard that really in the back of your mind like, ‘Yeah, that guy he kicks [expletive] ass.’”
He summed up his philosophy in simple terms, making it clear that being disliked by fans isn’t something he avoids — it’s something he enjoys.
“Yeah, I I it’s great. I like being a heel. It’s more fun.”
Konley’s comments give a clear look at how he views his role in wrestling — not just as a performer, but as someone whose job is to pull strong reactions from the crowd. In a business built on emotion, creating real heat can be just as valuable as winning matches, and Konley seems fully committed to that mindset every time he steps into the spotlight.
Do you think Caleb Konley’s approach to being a heel is the right way to build respect in wrestling, or do you prefer villains who eventually win fans over? Let us know what you think and share your feedback.