Here’s every real wrestler that makes a cameo in Heels so far. Set in a close-knit Georgia community, Heels focuses on the world of small-town professional wrestling. The Starz drama particularly centers around the family-owned wrestling promotion of Duffy Wrestling League, (DWL), and the two brothers Jack and Ace Spade (Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig) who have conflicting views about how the DWL should move forward in the wake of their father’s suicide. The series was created by Loki writer Michael Waldron, with Mike O’Malley serving as showrunner, and it features an ensemble cast of characters. All of whom, for one reason or another, have favored the life of in-ring warriors.
Along with the Spades, DWL is home to a number of wrestlers: Crystal (Kelli Berglund), Ace’s valet that’s eager to prove she’s quite capable in the squared circle. Rooster Robbins (Allen Maldonado) is one of DWL’s most talented and athletic competitors, though he feels Jack is holding him back. Apocalypse (James Harrison) is a veteran grappler that, conversely, purports to feel content with his spot on the card. Elsewhere in the promotion, the likes of Diego Cottonmouth (Robby Ramos), Big Jim (Duke David Roberts), and Bobby Pin (Trey Tucker) do their best to make an impression and rise up the ranks. Heels, at times, functions as its own wrestling universe. The show minimizes the impact of promotions like WWE and AEW in an effort to drive home that, for the residents of the fictional Duffy, Georgia, DWL is as big as it gets.
Heels does, nonetheless, include cameos from some very well-known real wrestlers, some of whom come from the massive wrestling franchises the show avoids directly discussing. In the first three episodes of the series, two real life wrestlers play significant roles. Another wrestler, who has had stints in everything from WWE to New Japan Pro Wrestling, shows up in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo. It’s also been reported that, throughout the remainder of season 1, names like Stevie Richards, Nick Mondo, and the legendary Mick Foley will all make appearances. Here’s every wrestler that has been a part of Heels so far, and what they’re most known for.
In real life, the younger Hawx made his debut in 2017. He participated in Ring of Honor’s Supercard Of Honor XII event, teaming with his father in a pre-show as part of a triple threat tag match which included the renowned team of The Motor City Machine Guns. The following year, the father-son tandem made their TV debut at ROH’s Glory By Honor event. They wrestled The Briscoes for the ROH World Tag Team Championship. PJ and Luke have likewise competed in other promotions, including WildKat Sports and Reality of Wrestling, the latter of which is owned by Booker T. In both promotions, PJ has won championships.
Near the end of Heels episode 1, the wrestler Doc Gallows shows up in a small cameo. He’s one of the participants in DWL’s battle royal, and he can be briefly seen fighting Robbins. He even wears a t-shirt for Talk’N Shop, the podcast he co-hosts with his frequent tag partner Karl Anderson. Gallows is perhaps best known for his second stint with WWE, performing under the ring name Luke Gallows. During his second run with the company, as part of his team with Anderson, Gallows wrestled The New Day and The Usos. He also won championship gold, with Anderson, as the duo held the WWE Raw Tag Team Championships on two occasions.
Gallows, who had previously wrestled with WWE under the ring name Festus, was among the wrestlers released by WWE in the past few years. Since his departure in April 2020, he’s continued to work in the ring with Anderson. The team, who often refer to themselves as The Good Brothers, have wrestled in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Impact Wrestling, and they make regular appearances in AEW as part of a group that assists the villainous Kenny Omega.
CM Punk appears in episode 3 of Heels. After sabotaging his match with Ace in the premiere episode, Jack has caused the DWL crowd to turn on both Spade brothers. He cost the fans a highly-anticipated match. And, as a result, the fans no longer want to cheer for Ace as a conquering hero. In an attempt to remedy the situation, Jack recruits veteran wrestler Ricky Rabies (CM Punk) to show up for one DWL match. Ricky’s beloved among followers of independent wrestling, thanks to his outlandish gimmick, which is modeled after a wild animal, and he’s guaranteed to put a smile on the faces of fans.
Unlike Punk, however, Ricky is not especially well-regarded for his wrestling skills or his ability to speak on the microphone. As he’s presented in Heels, Ricky is a journeyman competitor that knows his craft and generally sticks to it. Punk, on the other hand, is one of the wrestlers that helped revolutionize modern wrestling. During his time with WWE, he had memorable rivalries with everyone from John Cena and The Rock to Jeff Hardy and The Undertaker. He also had a record-setting reign as WWE Champion, holding the company’s top prize for 434 days. But perhaps more notably than all of that, Punk delivered the infamous Pipebomb promo which helped to alter the course of WWE in significant and long-term ways.
Punk recently returned to the ring, signing with AEW after a seven-year retirement. Speaking on his decision to come back to wrestling following his famously tumultuous WWE departure, Punk joked that it was his experience filming Heels that ultimately helped him to reach the crucial decision. It’s easy to see, jokes aside, why that would be the case. Despite their outward differences, both Punk and Ricky are tremendously skilled performers in their own ways.
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