History Main / ForeignWrestlingHeel

** A bazillion percent averted (so far) in WWE's NXT with the Syrian-Canadian Wrestling/SamiZayn. Once confronted the polyglot Cesaro by showing off his own linguistic skills in both Arabic and French, and wears a flag patch on his tights for every nation in which he's wrestled. He's presented as the nicest male roster member by a mile, to the point that his competitors have said that his lack of a "killer instinct" is what has kept him from winning in his biggest matches. It's likely helped by the fact that he doesn't "look" like an Arab because of his fair skin and red hair, but his worldliness is an integral part of the character.

* Played straight with Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}}'s rudo (bad guy) stable, Wrestling/DieBruderschaftDesKreuzes (BDK), a group of malcontents and traitors, led by Swiss wrestlers Ares and Wrestling/ClaudioCastagnoli. They come out to Music/{{Rammstein}}'s "Engel," and are introduced by their own personal ring announcer, Jakob Hammermeier, in German.
* Claudio Castagnoli got signed by WWE and became Antonio Cesaro, an evil rugby-playing polyglot from Switzerland who really doesn't like Americans. Until he was made part of a Tea Party piss-take known as the "Real Americans." While the announcers ''still'' played up his Swiss heritage (This was a bit of a retread to the "Real American Heroes" Wrestling/KarlAnderson and Wrestling/JoeyRyan vs "Los Luchas" feud in the NWA). It was explained that Cesaro loved America, but hated Americans.

** Wrestling/GeneralSkandorAkbar (born Jim Wheba in Vernon, Texas) had a short wrestling career, but made up for it by becoming the Evil Arab Manager, and nearly inventing the heel stable during his feud with the Von Erichs in WCCW.

* [[Wrestling/VonErichFamily Fritz Von Erich]] (Patriarch of the Adkisson wrestling family) used the "Von Erich" name as a gimmick with a tag team partner as "The Nazi Brothers."

* In the early days of wrestling in Japan, during a time where hatred and fear of the US is legendary (mostly due to the use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki), white wrestlers were brought in to be beat by Japanese wrestlers, the pioneer being Wrestling/{{Rikidozan}}, himself Korean born, and later continued in the legendary Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling (created by Wrestling/AntonioInoki) and Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling (created by Giant Baba.) This was averted eventually and many wrestlers have obtained fame and respect in Japan (as fan favorites, no less) who wouldn't get it otherwise, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff way more than vice versa]].

*** Finally, the Funks, [[Wrestling/DoryFunkJr Dory Jr.]] and [[Wrestling/TerryFunk Terry]], particularly the latter. While the two were definitely heels in the first stretch of their work in Japan, this shifted after AJPW's 1977 year-end tag tournament, when Terry's legendary babyface performance in their match against Wrestling/AbdullahTheButcher and the Sheik shifted their perception overnight. By the time of Terry's first retirement in 1983, he was the biggest babyface a gaijin had ever been.

** [[Wrestling/JinseiShinzaki Hakushi]], heel because he's from overseas and little else(a monk on pilgrimage, how vile!). However, the WWF later portrayed him, Shinja and Bull Nakano as {{unwitting pawn}}s of Wrestling/JerryLawler, rather than being evil because of their ethnicity/nationality.

** Antonio Inoki, a consummate professional and one of the "living legends" of Japan, was also given the heel tag in the US. However, given that he (beat) fought to a draw with Muhammad Ali in an exhibition match during Ali's "Take on all comers" world tour, he probably deserved it.

* Wrestling/GailKim's hometown was changed from Toronto, Ontario Canada to "A Native Of Korea" when she was working for WWE and they started running shows in Canada.

** All Pro Westling has had several evil Canadians, such as Aeon Flexx in the Florida company, who opposed the nation he wrestled in playing its own national anthem and the Ballard Brothers in the California company, evil hockey players.

*** In his days with World-Class Championship Wrestling, the Wrestling/UltimateWarrior was known as "Dingo Warrior" and tried to play up an assumed Australian origin for heel heat. It didn't last, partly because he signed with the [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} WWF]] soon after.

** Then in the late 90's there was the short-lived, pseudo-fascist Truth Commission, which was supposed to be a stable of South African commandos (who would refer to South Africa as the "Fatherland.") Once the head of the stable (The Commandant) was released, the South African angle would be eased up and eventually they would disband.
*** The WWF made the mistake of introducing The Commandant in a vignette that they aired....while on tour in South Africa. In 1997, less than a decade after the end of apartheid. [[DudeNotFunny The crowd did not react well.]]
** Leo Kruger, who's gimmick is similar to a poacher

* 2014 saw the WWE debut of Alexander Rusev, a Bulgarian strongman (who was in fact actually born in Bulgaria) who often enters the ring accompanied by the Bulgarian national anthem, cuts promos in Bulgarian and Russian and is presented as speaking almost no English, and is accompanied to the ring by Lana, a [[TheBaroness steel-hearted Russian villainess]] (played by CJ Perry, an American who lived in the USSR/Latvia as a child.)

* Ring Of Honor has Wrestling/PrinceNana, an evil Ashanti prince from Ghana, [[LondonEnglandSyndrome west Africa]] (he was born in the United States but moved to Ghana as a child).

* Wrestling/KurtAngle generally played a condescending JerkJock during his WWE run, and American fans loathed him as much as anyone. During shows in Canada, Kurt continued to refer to himself as "your Olympic hero", which gave him a hint of being a foreign heel. After all, why was he saying this to Canadians when he won his medals competing for the U.S.?

** But don't get the wrong idea, "Zenjo" wasn't the only promotion that relied on evil foreigners for a decade. All Japan had a notoriously shallow roster, the 1990s being largely summed up as "[[FanNickname the four pillars]]" (Toshiaki Kawada, Wrestling/MitsuharuMisawa, Wrestling/KentaKobashi and Akira Taue) fight gaijins while other native stars like Jun Akiyama fail to break into the main event.

* Parodied in the ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "The Blind Bandit": Among the line up of Earth Kingdom wrestlers in ''Earth Rumble VI'', there is one Fire Nation fighter, naturally named "Fire Nation Man", whose only purpose was to go on stage with a Fire Nation flag, declare loudly his allegiance to [[EvilOverlord Fire Lord Ozai]], ask the audience to stand for the "Fire Nation National Anthem", and be thrown across the room by the Earth Kingdom contender "The Boulder" (voiced by actual wrestler Mick Foley). His parody of a heel goes as far as having a Russian accent that violates everything known about people in the Asian-influenced Avatar world. Moreover, his over-the-top performance and his entry in an Earthbending contest make his Fire Nation nationality amusingly suspect (especially when he ''actually earthbends'' in the mega fight against Toph). On the DVD commentary they mention that he is actually an immigrant from ''the desert''. [[FridgeBrilliance Which is pretty well fitting too,]] considering the whole thing was a send-up of Pro Wrestling, with 'Fire Nation Man' being a deliberate nod to this character, right down to his FakeNationality. "The Boulder" himself was voiced by Wrestling/MickFoley, in a blatant parody of Wrestling/TheRock. Ironically, the notion of an [[http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Kori_Morishita Earthbender who identifies more as a Fire Nation member]] (being born from mixed stock) became a major plot-point in the sequel comic, ''The Promise''.

[[quoteright:350:[[Wrestling/{{Sabu}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sabu_31.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Introducing first, from Bombay India...]]

* When the World Wrestling League was in Mexico, El León’ Apolo said that since Setzuco was not Puerto Rican she was not worthy of announcing his entrance on the grounds that Puerto Ricans dominate the "Mexican shorties" in all sports, listing several Puerto Rican boxers such as Wilfredo Gómez, Félix "Tito" Trinidad and Miguel Cotto, who had beaten Mexican boxers.

[[caption-width-right:350Introducing first, from Bombay India...]]

[[quoteright:349:[[Wrestling/{{Sabu}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sabu_31.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:349:Introducing first, from Bombay India...]]

** Played straight with Jinder after he finally got his push and defeated Wrestling/RandyOrton for the WWE Heavyweight Championship. [[MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales In India, he's a hero]]. [[AmericansHateTingle In America, he's a villain]].

%%* Osama bin Rotten from an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode, ''[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS14E7SpecialEdna Special Edna]]'' has Bart watching a middle-eastern themed wrestler Osama Bin Rotten getting impaled with an American flag by AllAmericanFace, Uncle Slam.

** British wrestlers, on the other hand, have had mixed success maintaining heel status. Wrestling/ExoticAdrianStreet sees your brain damaged cowboys like "Wildcat" Wendell Cooley and their rodeos as competitions to show off you can ride the worst. You'd never see such clumsy horsemanship from a British man. Now go watch a fox hunt, colonials!

* Parodied in the ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "The Blind Bandit": Among the line up of Earth Kingdom wrestlers in ''Earth Rumble VI'', there is one Fire Nation fighter, naturally named "Fire Nation Man", whose only purpose was to go on stage with a Fire Nation flag, declare loudly his allegiance to [[EvilOverlord Fire Lord Ozai]], ask the audience to stand for the "Fire Nation National Anthem", and be thrown across the room by the Earth Kingdom contender "The Boulder" (voiced by actual wrestler Mick Foley). His parody of a heel goes as far as having a Russian accent that violates everything known about people in the Asian-influenced Avatar world. Moreover, his over-the-top performance and his entry in an Earthbending contest make his Fire Nation nationality amusingly suspect (especially when he ''actually earthbends'' in the mega fight against Toph). On the DVD commentary they mention that he is actually an immigrant from ''the desert''.\\\[[FridgeBrilliance Which is pretty well fitting too,]] considering the whole thing was a send-up of Pro Wrestling, with 'Fire Nation Man' being a deliberate nod to this character, right down to his FakeNationality. "The Boulder" himself was voiced by Wrestling/MickFoley, in a blatant parody of Wrestling/TheRock. Ironically, the notion of an [[http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Kori_Morishita Earthbender who identifies more as a Fire Nation member]] (being born from mixed stock) became a major plot-point in the sequel comic, ''The Promise''.

** British wrestlers, on the other hand, have had mixed success maintaining heel status. The British Bulldogs (singles or doubles) were always brought back as faces. Wrestling/WilliamRegal has been a heel for most of his career (though he did have a brief face turn when he gained "special" wrestler [[Wrestling/NickDinsmore Eugene]] as a tag-team partner and MoralityPet), as well as Fit Finlay. Finlay was intended to be pure heel, but ended up having his share of face turns because the no-nonsense gimmick of an [[FightingIrish Irishman who "loves to fight"]] appealed to fans...and then the WWE teamed him up with a leprechaun. Really. [[Wrestling/ChrisAdams "Gentleman" Chris Adams]] started as a face and then took a long turn as a heel. The British Invastion (Brutus Wrestling/{{Magnus}} and Doug Williams) had a long heel run in [[Wrestling/ImpactWrestling TNA]]'s tag division; after the breakup, both wrestlers have gone from heel to face.

** British wrestlers, on the other hand, have had mixed success maintaining heel status. The British Bulldogs (singles or doubles) were always brought back as faces. Wrestling/WilliamRegal has been a heel for most of his career (though he did have a brief face turn when he gained "special" wrestler [[Wrestling/NickDinsmore Eugene]] as a tag-team partner and MoralityPet), as well as Fit Finlay. Finlay was intended to be pure heel, but ended up having his share of face turns because the no-nonsense gimmick of an [[FightingIrish Irishman who "loves to fight"]] appealed to fans...and then the WWE teamed him up with a leprechaun. Really. [[Wrestling/ChrisAdams "Gentleman" Chris Adams]] started as a face and then took a long turn as a heel. The British Invastion (Brutus Magnus and Doug Williams) had a long heel run in [[Wrestling/ImpactWrestling TNA]]'s tag division; after the breakup, both wrestlers have gone from heel to face.

* Parodied in the ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "The Blind Bandit": Among the line up of Earth Kingdom wrestlers in ''Earth Rumble VI'', there is one Fire Nation fighter, naturally named "Fire Nation Man", whose only purpose was to go on stage with a Fire Nation flag, declare loudly his allegiance to [[EvilOverlord Fire Lord Ozai]], ask the audience to stand for the "Fire Nation National Anthem", and be thrown across the room by the Earth Kingdom contender "The Boulder" (voiced by actual wrestler Mick Foley). His parody of a heel goes as far as having a Russian accent that violates everything known about people in the Asian-influenced Avatar world. Moreover, his over-the-top performance and his entry in an Earthbending contest make his Fire Nation nationality amusingly suspect (especially when he ''actually earthbends'' in the mega fight against Toph). On the DVD commentary they mention that he is actually an immigrant from ''the desert''.\\\
[[FridgeBrilliance Which is pretty well fitting too,]] considering the whole thing was a send-up of Pro Wrestling, with 'Fire Nation Man' being a deliberate nod to this character, right down to his FakeNationality. "The Boulder" himself was voiced by Wrestling/MickFoley, in a blatant parody of Wrestling/TheRock. Ironically, the notion of an [[http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Kori_Morishita Earthbender who identifies more as a Fire Nation member]] (being born from mixed stock) became a major plot-point in the sequel comic, ''The Promise''.

* ''Film/RockyIV'' has the American lead going up against a Russian boxer.

* New Japan of course has had to deal with its own groups of evil foreigners. The Wrestling/BulletClub, a MultiNationalTeam originally consisting entirely of Westerners and Pacific Islanders, made a lot of waves when it snatched up Wrestling/AJStyles after he departed from TNA. Bullet Club are not necessarily heels because they are Western, but because they represent the Western style of wrestling and are seen as disrespectful in the Japanese wrestling world. They emulate American heel stables like the Wrestling/NewWorldOrder and Wrestling/DGenerationX (partly because their [[Wrestling/FergalDevitt initial]] [[Wrestling/KarlAnderson leaders]] were massive fans of Wrestling/TheKliq), and like those stables, [[RootingForTheEmpire they've gained a sizable fan following despite being the bad guys]].

Lest the gentle reader think this is solely a gimmick for culturally insensitive Americans, consider the team of Art Barr, Wrestling/EddieGuerrero, and Louie "Madonna's Boyfriend" Spiccoli, who wrestled as Los Gringos Locos in Mexican federation Wrestling/{{AAA}}, and were Evil ''American'' Foreigners. Likewise, many Japanese promotions have had their fair share of evil foreigners, Wrestling/AllJapanWomensProWrestling using them extensively for the first ten years of its existence, especially women from the USA based WWWA and AGWA.

* New Japan of course has had to deal with its own groups of evil foreigners. The Wrestling/BulletClub made a lot of waves when it snatched up Wrestling/AJStyles after he departed from TNA. Bullet Club are not necessarily heels because they are American, but because they represent the American style of wrestling(even though [[Wrestling/FergalDevitt their initial leader]] made his start in Ireland) and are seen as disrespectful in the Japanese wrestling world. They emulate American heel stables like the Wrestling/NewWorldOrder and Wrestling/DGenerationX, and like those stables, [[RootingForTheEmpire they've gained a sizable fan following despite being the bad guys]].

* One of the more nonsensical examples was Brian Adams aka Crush, who was born and raised in Hawaii and was originally a {{Face}} with a surfer gimmick and exaggerated Hawaiian accent. His FaceHeelTurn involved him allying with Yokozuna, emphasizing Hawaii's close relations with Japan, to the point that he even joined the "Foreign Fanatics" foursome during the 1993 Survivor Series despite being a white American. Whenever it was pointed out that Crush wasn't foreign, it would be quickly handwaved with something about Hawaii not being "really" part of the US. Seriously.
* Wrestling/KurtAngle generally played a condescending JerkJock during his WWE run, and American fans loathed him as much as anyone. During shows in Canada, Kurt continued to refer to himself as "your Olympic hero", which gave him a hint of being a foreign heel. After all, why was he saying this to Canadians when he won his medals competing for the U.S.?

* Wrestling/KurtAngle generally played a condescending JerkJock during his WWE run, and American fans loathed him as much as anyone. During shows in Canada, Kurt continued to refer to himself as "your Olympic hero", which gave him a hint of being a foreign heel.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* Often subverted in the Pro Wrestling themed manga/anime ''Manga/{{Kinnikuman}}'', where many characters start out as Foreign Wrestling Heels, but later become allies of the title character. Strangely, they even had a few Japanese Foreign Wrestling Heels (since, while the series is made in Japan, the protagonist is a space alien), with Rikishiman, who wasn't evil so much as arrogant & later became a good guy & also The Ninja. Also subverted in that they have characters from numerous different nations whose gimmick has little if anything to do with their background, like Stecasse King, a living tape recorder who happens to be Belgian.
* ''Manga/TigerMask'':
** A lot of them in many directions, as we are shown a lot of non-American heels in America (including two Japaneses) and many non-Japanese heels in Japan, with many being [[TruthInTelevision real-life wrestlers of the Sixties using their actual gimmicks]]. In a subversion, both in America and Japan there are foreign ''face'' wrestlers (the most notable being the Mexican brothers Mil Mascaras and El Sicodelico, wrestling in US, and the fictional South American Star Apollon, who faced Tiger Mask in Japan and gave him a desperate run for his money without a single foul), while the protagonist himself started playing this straight: his initial gimmick was that of the wrestler who fought only for money and greviously beat up the others so that the next time there would be more people paying in the hope of seeing him defeated, and got assaulted by civilians ''twice'' during the very first chapter (the first, being a child and the son of one of his victims, got the suggestion to train hard and try again in ten years, but on the ring. The second, being an adult with a knife, was unceremonously slapped on the throat as an example to what would happen to anyone attacking him without being a fellow wrestler on the ring or a child).
** We also have Mr. X, the Foreign Wrestling Heel ''Manager'': as a manager he's always seen working in Japan, his wrestlers are foreign heels trying to defeat Tiger Mask (only Miracle 3 didn't use a heel gimmick), and he himself identified himself as American on one occasion. He also took time to insult the Japan Pro-Wrestling Alliance (at the time the major Japanese wrestling promotion) when he showed up to organize the Maskmen World Championship, declaring that his maskmen would show Japan what ''real'' wrestling is, instead of the children game of the JPWA.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/TheWrestler'' has the character of The Ayatollah be the heel in the original Madison Square Garden fight that makes up the back story of the character.
** Of course, behind the scenes, he's referred to as "Bob" by Randy, and has apparently made a successful career as a used-car salesman.
* ''Film/RockyIV'' has the American lead going up against a Russian boxer.
* The ''Film/{{Ip Man|Film Series}}'' series has these as its villains.
** The [[Film/IpMan first film]] has Ip Man, the Chinese lead, fighting a match against a NobleDemon Japanese general during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
** ''Film/IpMan2'' takes place in colonial Hong Kong and has Ip Man fighting an AxCrazy British boxer.
** ''Film/IpMan3'' brings in another boxer, this one American, played by Creator/MikeTyson.
** ''Film/IpMan4'' adds an American martial artist played by Creator/ScottAdkins.
* Huo Yuanjia (played by Creator/JetLi) fights several of these in ''Film/{{Fearless 2006}}''. In the intro scene, he fights three Westerners who are all {{Sore Loser}}s. In a flashback, he fights an American wrestler who starts out as just another Foreign Wrestling Heel but has a change of heart after Huo saves his life. True to this trope, the "[[FakeAmerican American]]" was actually an Australian.
* ''Film/{{Gladiator}}'': In Maximus' first battle as a gladiator, where he's set up to lose, he's given the title "Spaniard" just so the Romans in the audience will hate him.
* ''Film/KayfabeAFakeRealMovieAboutAFakeRealSport'': The final show has "The Ninja Assassin of Death" as a guest heel, with one of the announcers, Marco Pain, missing every mark by continuously confusing Japan with more Fascist or Communist countries.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* In the ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' episode "The Gang Wrestles for the Troops," [[ButtMonkey Rickety Cricket]] (by now driven to homelessness by previous run-ins with the gang) is given the persona of "America's most hated terrorist, the Talibum!" He quickly [[BecomingTheMask Becomes The Mask]], knocking Dee down with a chair as she's in the middle of singing a pre-match song and taking down Dennis and Charlie (playing a tag-team of eagle-themed {{All American Face}}s who were supposed to win the match) by [[AHandfulForAnEye throwing handfuls of sand in their eyes]]).
* An episode of ''Series/QuantumLeap'' has Sam leap into one half of a sibling pro wrestling team, who pretend to be DirtyCommunists. They are fairly popular, but, when the time comes for the title fight, the promoter tells them that they have to lose. When the brother of Sam's host angrily tells him he wants to win, the promoter explains that the audience wants to see Americans triumph over "evil Russians". Sam ends up winning in the end, by putting the opponent in a sleeper hold.
* In the ''Series/MurdochMysteries'' episode "Crabtree Mania", the local wrestling stable has Vurugu, a "savage" in furs and a bone necklace who speaks no English and comes from PartsUnknown. Inevitably, he turns out to be Joe Jefferson from Indianapolis. There's also a wrestler called the Cossack, although to judge from the crowd reaction he may be a face, or at least more popular than Vurugu. He's not really Russian either, though.
* ''Series/GLOW2017'': Some of the girls' stereotype wrestling characters are based on their looks:
** Ruth Wilder (American) plays Zoya the Destroyer (Russian), who "eats stars and stripes for breakfast".
** Arthie Premkumar (Indian) plays Beirut the Mad Bomber (Lebanese). Unfortunately for Arthie they debut the character during the TWA Flight 847 hostage crisis and Arthie gets beer cans thrown at her head.
** Regina Walsh (American) plays Vicky the Viking (generic Scandinavian).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* In the wrestling chapter of ''VideoGame/LiveALive'' one of your opponents was a Wrestling/HulkHogan knockoff named Max Morgan.

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* Parodied in the WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail "[[Recap/StrongBadEmailE183YesWrestling yes, wrestling]]". Several of Strong Bad's old wrestling gimmicks make use of this trope, including "Sir Bolliver Turnbuckle" ("That was back in the days when pretending to be a pompous Brit was considered a premium gimmick."), "Il Cartographer", and one of his attempts at a tag team with Strong Mad, "the Wild Vacationers".

[[folder:Web Videos]]
* The Wrestling/{{WWE}} parody this in ''WebVideo/SouthpawRegionalWrestling'':
** One of [[Wrestling/BryanDanielson Daniel Bryan's]] characters, René Beret, is an [[NiceGuy extremely nice]], extremely French wrestler who makes it quite clear that he loves American culture. [[IrrationalHatred Everyone hates him]], and acts as if he was insulting America. This puts him at odds with the local AllAmericanFace, Dan Bandana ([[ActingForTwo Also played by Daniel Bryan]]), who refuses to switch their Flag match to a normal match(which is what René asks for, as he just wants to see which one of them is the better wrestler), and acts as if René called all Americans stupid when he (justifiably, since they treat him with hostility when he treats them with kindness) says they are frustrating.
** Big Bartholomew in the first season isn't one, as he says he will wrestle for "[[AllAmericanFace America]], and all the southern countries". However, he's [[CastingGag played by]] Wrestling/{{Rusev}}, who in the WWE is a Foreign Wrestling Heel, and who [[NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent makes no effort]] to hide his Bulgarian accent. And his opponent is also American.

[[folder:Western Animation ]]
* Parodied in the ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "The Blind Bandit": Among the line up of Earth Kingdom wrestlers in ''Earth Rumble VI'', there is one Fire Nation fighter, naturally named "Fire Nation Man", whose only purpose was to go on stage with a Fire Nation flag, declare loudly his allegiance to [[EvilOverlord Fire Lord Ozai]], ask the audience to stand for the "Fire Nation National Anthem", and be thrown across the room by the Earth Kingdom contender "The Boulder" (voiced by actual wrestler Mick Foley). His parody of a heel goes as far as having a Russian accent that violates everything known about people in the Asian-influenced Avatar world. Moreover, his over-the-top performance and his entry in an Earthbending contest make his Fire Nation nationality amusingly suspect (especially when he ''actually earthbends'' in the mega fight against Toph). On the DVD commentary they mention that he is actually an immigrant from ''the desert''.\\\
[[FridgeBrilliance Which is pretty well fitting too,]] considering the whole thing was a send-up of Pro Wrestling, with 'Fire Nation Man' being a deliberate nod to this character, right down to his FakeNationality. "The Boulder" himself was voiced by Wrestling/MickFoley, in a blatant parody of Wrestling/TheRock. Ironically, the notion of an [[http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Kori_Morishita Earthbender who identifies more as a Fire Nation member]] (being born from mixed stock) became a major plot-point in the sequel comic, ''The Promise''.
* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "Raging Bender", where the page quote comes from, has a similar parody. "The Foreigner" is shown as part of a [[{{Montages}} montage]] of stock {{heel}} stereotypes who are quickly vanquished in turn by Bender. Judging from his accent, the Foreigner hails from the far-off land of ''New Jersey'', as it happens. Considering Bender is, presumably, billed from New New York, New Jersey may be foreign enough for his fans.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' also had their fun with this trope in the episode "W.T.F.". Among other things, no one in the kid's league was from the country they were billed from.
%%* Osama bin Rotten from an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''.

[[folder: Web Animation]]

[[folder: Web Videos]]

[[folder: Professional Wrestling ]]

** Claudio Castagnoli got signed by WWE and became Antonio Cesaro, an evil rugby-playing polyglot from Switzerland who really doesn't like Americans. Until he was made part of a Tea Party piss-take known as the "Real Americans." While the announcers ''still'' played up his Swiss heritage (This was a bit of a retread to the "Real American Heroes" Wrestling/KarlAnderson and Wrestling/JoeyRyan vs "Los Luchas" feud in the NWA). It was explained that Cesaro loved America, but hated Americans.

[[folder: Anime and Manga]]
* Often subverted in the Pro Wrestling themed manga/anime ''Manga/{{Kinnikuman}}'', where many characters start out as Foreign Wrestling Heels, but later become allies of the title character. Strangely, they even had a few Japanese Foreign Wrestling Heels (since, while the series is made in Japan, the protagonist is a space alien), with Rikishiman, who wasn't evil so much as arrogant & later became a good guy & also The Ninja. Also subverted in that they have characters from numerous different nations whose gimmick has little if anything to do with their background, like Stecasse King, a living tape recorder who happens to be Belgian.
* ''Manga/TigerMask'' has a lot of them in many directions, as we are shown a lot of non-American heels in America (including two Japaneses) and many non-Japanese heels in Japan, with many being [[TruthInTelevision real-life wrestlers of the Sixties using their actual gimmicks]]. In a subversion, both in America and Japan there are foreign ''face'' wrestlers (the most notable being the Mexican brothers Mil Mascaras and El Sicodelico, wrestling in US, and the fictional South American Star Apollon, who faced Tiger Mask in Japan and gave him a desperate run for his money without a single foul), while the protagonist himself started playing this straight: his initial gimmick was that of the wrestler who fought only for money and greviously beat up the others so that the next time there would be more people paying in the hope of seeing him defeated, and got assaulted by civilians ''twice'' during the very first chapter (the first, being a child and the son of one of his victims, got the suggestion to train hard and try again in ten years, but on the ring. The second, being an adult with a knife, was unceremonously slapped on the throat as an example to what would happen to anyone attacking him without being a fellow wrestler on the ring or a child).
** We also have Mr. X, the Foreign Wrestling Heel ''Manager'': as a manager he's always seen working in Japan, his wrestlers are foreign heels trying to defeat Tiger Mask (only Miracle 3 didn't use a heel gimmick), and he himself identified himself as American on one occasion. He also took time to insult the Japan Pro-Wrestling Alliance (at the time the major Japanese wrestling promotion) when he showed up to organize the Maskmen World Championship, declaring that his maskmen would show Japan what ''real'' wrestling is, instead of the children game of the JPWA.

[[folder:Film]]
* ''Film/TheWrestler'' has the character of The Ayatollah be the heel in the original Madison Square Garden fight that makes up the back story of the character.
** Of course, behind the scenes, he's referred to as "Bob" by Randy, and has apparently made a successful career as a used-car salesman.
* ''Film/RockyIV'' has the American lead going up against a Russian boxer.
* The ''Film/{{Ip Man|Film Series}}'' series has these as its villains.
** The [[Film/IpMan first film]] has Ip Man, the Chinese lead, fighting a match against a NobleDemon Japanese general during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
** ''Film/IpMan2'' takes place in colonial Hong Kong and has Ip Man fighting an AxCrazy British boxer.
** ''Film/IpMan3'' brings in another boxer, this one American, played by Creator/MikeTyson.
** ''Film/IpMan4'' adds an American martial artist played by Creator/ScottAdkins.
* Huo Yuanjia (played by Creator/JetLi) fights several of these in ''Film/{{Fearless 2006}}''. In the intro scene, he fights three Westerners who are all {{Sore Loser}}s. In a flashback, he fights an American wrestler who starts out as just another Foreign Wrestling Heel but has a change of heart after Huo saves his life. True to this trope, the "[[FakeAmerican American]]" was actually an Australian.
* ''Film/{{Gladiator}}'': In Maximus' first battle as a gladiator, where he's set up to lose, he's given the title "Spaniard" just so the Romans in the audience will hate him.
* ''Film/KayfabeAFakeRealMovieAboutAFakeRealSport'': The final show has "The Ninja Assassin of Death" as a guest heel, with one of the announcers, Marco Pain, missing every mark by continuously confusing Japan with more Fascist or Communist countries.

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* In the ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' episode "The Gang Wrestles for the Troops," [[ButtMonkey Rickety Cricket]] (by now driven to homelessness by previous run-ins with the gang) is given the persona of "America's most hated terrorist, the Talibum!" He quickly [[BecomingTheMask Becomes The Mask]], knocking Dee down with a chair as she's in the middle of singing a pre-match song and taking down Dennis and Charlie (playing a tag-team of eagle-themed {{All American Face}}s who were supposed to win the match) by [[AHandfulForAnEye throwing handfuls of sand in their eyes]]).
* An episode of ''Series/QuantumLeap'' has Sam leap into one half of a sibling pro wrestling team, who pretend to be DirtyCommunists. They are fairly popular, but, when the time comes for the title fight, the promoter tells them that they have to lose. When the brother of Sam's host angrily tells him he wants to win, the promoter explains that the audience wants to see Americans triumph over "evil Russians". Sam ends up winning in the end, by putting the opponent in a sleeper hold.
* In the ''Series/MurdochMysteries'' episode "Crabtree Mania", the local wrestling stable has Vurugu, a "savage" in furs and a bone necklace who speaks no English and comes from PartsUnknown. Inevitably, he turns out to be Joe Jefferson from Indianapolis. There's also a wrestler called the Cossack, although to judge from the crowd reaction he may be a face, or at least more popular than Vurugu. He's not really Russian either, though.
* ''Series/GLOW2017'': Some of the girls' stereotype wrestling characters are based on their looks:
** Ruth Wilder (American) plays Zoya the Destroyer (Russian), who "eats stars and stripes for breakfast".
** Arthie Premkumar (Indian) plays Beirut the Mad Bomber (Lebanese). Unfortunately for Arthie they debut the character during the TWA Flight 847 hostage crisis and Arthie gets beer cans thrown at her head.
** Regina Walsh (American) plays Vicky the Viking (generic Scandinavian).

[[folder: Video Games ]]
* In the wrestling chapter of ''VideoGame/LiveALive'' one of your opponents was a Wrestling/HulkHogan knockoff named Max Morgan.

[[folder: Web Original]]
* Parodied in the WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail "[[Recap/StrongBadEmailE183YesWrestling yes, wrestling]]". Several of Strong Bad's old wrestling gimmicks make use of this trope, including "Sir Bolliver Turnbuckle" ("That was back in the days when pretending to be a pompous Brit was considered a premium gimmick."), "Il Cartographer", and one of his attempts at a tag team with Strong Mad, "the Wild Vacationers".
* The Wrestling/{{WWE}} parody this in ''WebVideo/SouthpawRegionalWrestling'':
** One of [[Wrestling/BryanDanielson Daniel Bryan's]] characters, René Beret, is an [[NiceGuy extremely nice]], extremely French wrestler who makes it quite clear that he loves American culture. [[IrrationalHatred Everyone hates him]], and acts as if he was insulting America. This puts him at odds with the local AllAmericanFace, Dan Bandana ([[ActingForTwo Also played by Daniel Bryan]]), who refuses to switch their Flag match to a normal match(which is what René asks for, as he just wants to see which one of them is the better wrestler), and acts as if René called all Americans stupid when he (justifiably, since they treat him with hostility when he treats them with kindness) says they are frustrating.
** Big Bartholomew in the first season isn't one, as he says he will wrestle for "[[AllAmericanFace America]], and all the southern countries". However, he's [[CastingGag played by]] Wrestling/{{Rusev}}, who in the WWE is a Foreign Wrestling Heel, and who [[NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent makes no effort]] to hide his Bulgarian accent. And his opponent is also American.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]
* Parodied in the ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "The Blind Bandit": Among the line up of Earth Kingdom wrestlers in ''Earth Rumble VI'', there is one Fire Nation fighter, naturally named "Fire Nation Man", whose only purpose was to go on stage with a Fire Nation flag, declare loudly his allegiance to [[EvilOverlord Fire Lord Ozai]], ask the audience to stand for the "Fire Nation National Anthem", and be thrown across the room by the Earth Kingdom contender "The Boulder" (voiced by actual wrestler Mick Foley). His parody of a heel goes as far as having a Russian accent that violates everything known about people in the Asian-influenced Avatar world. Moreover, his over-the-top performance and his entry in an Earthbending contest make his Fire Nation nationality amusingly suspect (especially when he ''actually earthbends'' in the mega fight against Toph). On the DVD commentary they mention that he is actually an immigrant from ''the desert''.
** [[FridgeBrilliance Which is pretty well fitting too,]] considering the whole thing was a send-up of Pro Wrestling, with 'Fire Nation Man' being a deliberate nod to this character, right down to his FakeNationality. "The Boulder" himself was voiced by Wrestling/MickFoley, in a blatant parody of Wrestling/TheRock.
** Ironically, the notion of an [[http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Kori_Morishita Earthbender who identifies more as a Fire Nation member]] (being born from mixed stock) became a major plot-point in the sequel comic, ''The Promise''.
* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "Raging Bender", where the page quote comes from, has a similar parody. "The Foreigner" is shown as part of a [[{{Montages}} montage]] of stock {{heel}} stereotypes who are quickly vanquished in turn by Bender.
** Judging from his accent, the Foreigner hails from the far-off land of ''New Jersey'', as it happens. Considering Bender is, presumably, billed from New New York, New Jersey may be foreign enough for his fans.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' also had their fun with this trope in the episode "W.T.F.". Among other things, no one in the kid's league was from the country they were billed from.
* Osama bin Rotten from an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''.
[[/folder]]

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