The Starz series Heels ran for a compelling eight-episode season, with a second on the way. Telling the story of a southern independent wrestling promotion, Heels primarily follows Jack Spade (Stephen Amell) and his brother Ace (Alexander Ludwig.) Jack runs the local indie while also competing as the champion. Ace begins his run of the show as a face or good guy, but his real-life attitude problems lead to his transformation into a heel or bad guy.
While the show would primarily be comprised of actors with no professional wrestling experience, there would be multiple pro wrestlers featured on screen and behind the scenes. Here, we’ll look at the appearances of professionals featured throughout the first season of Heels and provide insight into each athlete’s experience going into the hit show.
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6 Doc Gallows
Paramount Media Networks
Doc Gallows has minimal screen time with the show, making his appearance towards the end of episode one. When most of the roster enters a battle royal, the audience is treated to panning shots of the action. Doc Gallows has a noticeable look, wearing the iconic black and white Bullet Club gear and donning his signature beard.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
While Doc wouldn’t win the battle royal, he does carry considerable real-world success in the pro wrestling ring. Working for companies such as WWE and Impact Wrestling, Doc would find his most tremendous success in the land of the rising sun, in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He would team with Karl Anderson to hold the Heavyweight Tag Team Titles on multiple occasions. Perhaps Doc will bring his partner along for an appearance in Season 2.
5 PJ Hawx
PJ Hawx would make multiple appearances on the show, albeit not in his usual role as a wrestler. PJ would be the de facto referee for the indie promotion, featured throughout the show’s run. Appearing in multiple scenes, his most memorable would be at the end of episode one when he had to officiate the contest between Jack and Ace, being forced to call for the bell when Jack began injuring his brother for real.
PJ Hawx is a young gun in the business, still working his way up the ladder. While Luke gets plenty of ring time on the independent scene all across America, fans can primarily see him perform on the National Wrestling Alliance’s weekly streaming programs, NWA Powerrr & NWA USA. Competing primarily in the Junior Heavyweight division, PJ can also be seen teaming up with his father.
4 Luke Hawx
Paramount Media Network
Luke Hawx would work both in front of and behind the camera. Being credited as a wrestling coordinator for the show, Luke would take his years of experience competing in a professional wrestling ring and help teach the actors how to safely work in such an environment while also providing insight into the mindset of a professional wrestler. On-screen, Luke would portray The Hole, a wrestler from a rival promotion who would act as an enforcer for promoter Charlie Gully. Luke Hawx has prior work on film as well, appearing in The Fate of the Furious (2017) and performing stunt work for multiple films, including the upcoming Black Adam (2022).
Luke Hawx would make regular tours throughout the independent circuit, appearing on MTV’s Wrestling Society X, the short-lived Extreme Rising promotion, and even making televised one-off appearances for WWE. Luke’s career would begin revitalizing after teaming with his son, PJ Hawx, in the NWA.
3 Mick Foley
The hardcore legend Mick Foley would appear on the sixth episode of Heels. While Mick’s days of competing in the ring are behind him, he appears on the show as Dickie Valentine, a podcast host with whom Jack Spade lands an interview. Mick doesn’t seem to play a character as much as a version of himself. Speaking softly and going for the hard questions when speaking with Jack, Mick’s screen-time was limited to one scene, but it was one of the most impactful in the development of Jack’s character.
Mick Foley’s career accolades are well known among even casual fans of the industry. Many remembered his infamous fall from the top of a 16-foot structure through a table at ringside, accompanied by commentator Jim Ross’ call that he had been “broken in half!” Mick would also prove to be a vital component to WWE winning their ratings war against rival company WCW, winning the WWE Championship on January 4th, 1999, in a match where WCW commentator Tony Schiavone spoiled the result. In an unprecedented reaction, most WCW viewers changed the channel to witness this historic moment, proving Mick Foley’s star power was capable of crossing promotional barriers.
2 Stephen Amell
That’s right; the former Arrow star is counted among the many to have the professional wrestling ring. Originally appearing as a promotional crossover for his hit CW series, Stephen Amell would draw the ire of Stardust, leading to a tag team matchup, where Stardust would team with King Barrett and Stephen Amell would team with the high-flying Adrian Neville. Stephen Amell wouldn’t make just one appearance, as he is counted among the few to have worked for both the WWE and AEW. Appearing at what many consider the progenitor of All Elite Wrestling, Stephen Amell would compete against ring veteran Christopher Daniels in a losing effort. Stephen’s commitment to putting on a solid performance in the ring and on-screen would lead to a brotherhood with Cody Rhodes, who would make Stephen Amell a member of the Nightmare Family.
1 CM Punk
There was a time when CM Punk said he would never return to a wrestling ring, stating that his time in WWE had tarnished his love for the business. His vitriolic attitude would soften over the years, first making appearances as an analyst on WWE Backstage and making a deal for a significant guest appearance in Heels. As we all know, these events would lead to him signing with AEW and winning the coveted World Heavyweight Title in May of 2022.
His appearance in Heels would be pure fun, rocking the mullet of classic southern ring veterans. Portraying Ricky Rabies, Punk would enter the ring featured in the third episode, accompanied by a possum-skin drone that spits blood into his opponent’s face. Fans would get to see a proper wrestling match from the point of view of both performers as they communicated and worked together to put on a show. Punk would be brought back for the season finale in a less substantial role, which could mean the door is open for future appearances.
