Favorite / least favorite heel turns?

  • Welcome to "The New" Wrestling Smarks Forum!

    I see that you are not currently registered on our forum. It only takes a second, and you can even login with your Facebook! If you would like to register now, pease click here: Register

    Once registered please introduce yourself in our introduction thread which can be found here: Introduction Board


Citan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2011
Messages
1,249
Reaction score
51
Points
48
Age
39
Location
Canada
Favorite Wrestler
kurtangle
Favorite Wrestler
mickfoley
Favorite Wrestler
ajstyles
My faves:

1. Hollywood Hulk Hogan: I'm gonna give Hogan all the credit in the world. He was reluctant when he was asked by Bischoff to be the third man. But he did it and ended up reinvigorated not only his career, but WCW in general, giving WWF/E a serious run for its money.

2, Rock joins the Corporation: Check my avatar. :p

3. Rock from Hollywood in 2003 and turns on the fans / HBK turns on Hogan in 2005: Both are tied for no 3, because they were so short. Still, they were both gold.


Worst:

1. Vince McMahon turns on the Rock: Wrestlemania XVI / 2000: Talk about completely random and devoid of common sense. I mean, Triple H had attacked the McMahon family backstage numerous times, married Stephanie against her will, turned Steph against her own father, etc...Yet, Rock was still betrayed by Vince. The RAW after WM, Vince refused to give an explanation to the fan. He finally gave one the next RAW: Basically the Rock failed to thank Vince....Yeah...That doesn't scream of lousy writing at all.

I think Rock was supposed to win the title at WM16. But shortly before the big event, Vince was desperate for ideas of programs for the spring. He then settled another "Most popular star vs Vince" program after WM16, even at the expense of common sense. HHH won that night. (When Vince joined the McMahon-Helmsley faction,Trips really lost his credibility as a heel if you ask me.) It pissed off numerous fans watching WM. All of it was done to increase the sales of Backlash 2000.

2. Vince McMahon is the Greater Power: Makes no sense if you consider the hell Ministry put the McMahon family through. And for what? To screw Steve Austin? Why didn't Taker go for Austin before WMXV then? I know this was to show just how sick a human being Vince was. But come on. Nobody acts that way. NOBODY.

This would my numero uno had not been of Stone Cold becoming CEO, which nearly salvaged the whole thing.


3. Rikishi "did it for da Rock" It makes no sense in the grand scheme of things of things. (Rikishi hadn't debuted when this happened). And he did it because the WWE was all about the "Great White Hopes?". First of all, in late 1999 Rock's popularity reached that of Austin's. He wasn't held back by racism. Second of all, Ron Simmons / Farooq and Booker T both became World Champions, and never needed the great white hopes out of the way to do it.

What's worse: His feud with Austin was doing so bad with audiences that they to introduce HHH as the man who actually did it. When this happened, Rikishi became totally irrelevant . Sure, he had a pretty cool bump at Armageddon 2000. But that's about it. It's a miracle his career survived and was eventually introduced into the HOF (him running over Austin was thankfully ignored)
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Sabretooth

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2011
Messages
74,099
Reaction score
8,938
Points
113
Age
25
Hulk turning heel is always number 1. It almost put WWF out of business for fucks sake.


Triple H turning heel off of DX because his heel character in 1999-2001 was fucking amazing.




I can't really think of any bad heel turns off the top of my head. Most heel turns work :lol: I guess Ryback turning heel wasn't a good move. He's better as a babyface
 

Citan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2011
Messages
1,249
Reaction score
51
Points
48
Age
39
Location
Canada
Favorite Wrestler
kurtangle
Favorite Wrestler
mickfoley
Favorite Wrestler
ajstyles
Hulk turning heel is always number 1. It almost put WWF out of business for fucks sake.


Triple H turning heel off of DX because his heel character in 1999-2001 was fucking amazing.




I can't really think of any bad heel turns off the top of my head. Most heel turns work :lol: I guess Ryback turning heel wasn't a good move. He's better as a babyface

Great picks.

Now that you mention it, Ryback's heel turn was quite bad. But he's not that much better as a face, to be honest.
 

Lover Boy

Certified
Joined
Jul 28, 2011
Messages
8,871
Reaction score
316
Points
83
Location
United Kingdom
Favorite Wrestler
adamcole
Favorite Wrestler
d6hYDrE
Favorite Wrestler
ZIF7zVA
Favorite Sports Team
2JJnnx8
I really enjoyed how Randy Orton's heel turn was done two years ago. Him cashing in on Daniel Bryan after HHH had attacked him was fantastic. I think Hogan's has to be the best of all time, I am not sure how it was seen at the time but it was amazing when I watched it. Scott Steiner attacking Rick was pretty awesome too when he joined the nWo, I really loved that heel turn. Chris Jericho attacking HBK and smashing his head into the Jeritron was great and it lead to an amazing feud between the two.

Eddie's heel turn and that feud with Rey was one of my least favourite, it just didn't make sense.
 

Fuji Vice

Hall of Famer
Joined
May 21, 2011
Messages
25,228
Reaction score
673
Points
118
Age
45
Favorite Wrestler
stanhansen
Favorite Wrestler
brusierbrody
Favorite Wrestler
rickrude
Favorite Wrestler
randysavage
I think Hogan's has to be the best of all time, I am not sure how it was seen at the time but it was amazing when I watched it.
Oh man, it was a total game changer. There's never been another turn with the same significance. Best ever without a doubt.

Surprised nobody has mentioned Michaels kicking Jannetty through the Barbershop window. That was amazing at the time. The double turn between Stone Cold and Bret Hart at 'Mania 13 is another all-time classic.
 

Gentleman Jake

You Must Have Me Confused with Someone Far Less Awesome
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
69,291
Reaction score
30,315
Points
138
Age
48
Location
Wherever Your Mom Is
Favorite Wrestler
scotthall
Favorite Wrestler
kevinnash
Favorite Wrestler
hhh
Favorite Wrestler
shawnmichaels
Favorite Wrestler
randysavage
Favorite Wrestler
nwo
Andre's on Hogan was great and Scott Steiners on Rick was another good one
 

Fuji Vice

Hall of Famer
Joined
May 21, 2011
Messages
25,228
Reaction score
673
Points
118
Age
45
Favorite Wrestler
stanhansen
Favorite Wrestler
brusierbrody
Favorite Wrestler
rickrude
Favorite Wrestler
randysavage
Yeah, the Andre/Hogan one doesn't get talked about enough. I've got a pack with the entire angle and the booking is brilliant shit.

Speaking of Hogan, the booking of the Orndorff turn was fantastic as well. You could really believe that Orndorff had a legitimate gripe with Hogan always upstaging him. Hogan was such an asshole when he was a face, it's not a surprise he was so good as a heel later on. :lol:
 

Gentleman Jake

You Must Have Me Confused with Someone Far Less Awesome
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
69,291
Reaction score
30,315
Points
138
Age
48
Location
Wherever Your Mom Is
Favorite Wrestler
scotthall
Favorite Wrestler
kevinnash
Favorite Wrestler
hhh
Favorite Wrestler
shawnmichaels
Favorite Wrestler
randysavage
Favorite Wrestler
nwo
Bigger face heel then Cena
 

Postman Dave

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2011
Messages
10,061
Reaction score
165
Points
63
Age
35
Location
UK
Least favourite turn? Monty Brown turning heel in TNA in 2005. Killed his momentum dead & left him fucked for the rest of his run.

Favourite? CM Punk in turning heel in 2009. FINALLY we got the Punk we all knew was just waiting to come out. That feud with Hardy is one of my all time favourites.
 

Jimmy King

It’s Britney, bitch
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
17,109
Reaction score
12,685
Points
118
Age
38
Location
Slam Diego
Favorite Wrestler
oAYiXZo
Favorite Wrestler
eAVr0ua
Favorite Wrestler
johncena
Favorite Wrestler
DjUmJN2
Favorite Wrestler
nock3cf
Favorite Wrestler
eIHNFff
Favorite Sports Team
padres
Favorite Sports Team
Zjaonp3
One that hasn't been mentioned yet, and a personal favorite of mine was Austin aligning with Mr. McMahon at WrestleMania 17. I remember being in complete shock and I couldn't believe my eyes when I wsatched them shake hands. Jim Ross' calling of it was superb too, "Austin is shaking hands with the devil himself!" Another one I like is Rock joining Team Corporate back at the 1998 Survivor Series.

Hogan as the third man is definitely the biggest one though.

I can't really think of one for my least favorite.
 

Lover Boy

Certified
Joined
Jul 28, 2011
Messages
8,871
Reaction score
316
Points
83
Location
United Kingdom
Favorite Wrestler
adamcole
Favorite Wrestler
d6hYDrE
Favorite Wrestler
ZIF7zVA
Favorite Sports Team
2JJnnx8
Some of the worst turns are Big Show's due to how often he turns face or heel. He always turns heel (and even face sometime) in the same way too, by turning on his partner(s) which just gets boring when you've seen it so many times before.