At its core, pro wrestling is just a TV show, complete with heroes, villains, anti-heroes, and everything else in between. However, the catch is that it’s a never-ending TV show, so it constantly needs changes in the cast and characters to freshen things up for the viewers.
Sometimes, that means hated villains becoming unlikely heroes or, on the flip side, beloved heroes turning to the dark side. Well, it’s mostly heroes who aren’t working as heroes who conveniently decide to turn to the dark side, but I guess we as fans can accept that as a part of this crazy world.
Another thing that we’ve learned to accept is that a lot of these character changes don’t make any sense. Like, we all saw Walter White become Heisenberg and turn to the dark side with a slow build spanning 5 seasons. That’s long-term storytelling done well.
On NXT, however, Johnny Gargano went from being a workhorse babyface to an annoying comedic heel. I mean, the turn itself was justified because who wouldn’t turn on Ciampa after all he did, but his character becoming a coward just because he attacked Ciampa doesn’t really make sense, when you think about it.
These are things that we have to accept as wrestling fans. Yes, the apron is the hardest part of the ring. Yes, every weapon is made of steel. Of course, Undertaker can teleport. Yes, referees are made out of the lightest feathers, and yes, wrestlers immediately start hating crowds, cheating in matches, and blindsiding other wrestlers as soon as they turn heel.
The important factor in all this is the heel turn itself. A good heel turn can create a heel who the audience despises, and if it’s done in the form of a backstab, it also creates a babyface who the crowd will feel sympathetic for and get behind for wanting to see them kick the backstabber’s behind.
A well-executed heel turn usually has a lot of build into it and a lot of aftermath as well. It gives the promotion months and years of content. Over the years, there have been countless heel turns in wrestling because apparently they’re all horrible people just waiting to turn on each other. Some good, some bad, and some downright stupid (most of Big Show’s turns), and here, we’re going to list some of the best.
Some honorable mentions include Roman Reigns finally turning heel, Trish Stratus turning on Chris Jericho, Andre turning on Hulk Hogan, Adam Cole turning on Kyle O’Reilly, Dean Ambrose turning on Seth Rollins, CM Punk turning on The Rock, HBK turning on Marty Jannetty, Christian turning on Edge, Matt Hardy turning on Jeff, Dakota Kai turning on Tegan Nox, Finn Balor turning heel in NXT, Triple H turning Evolution against Randy Orton, Triple H turning on Shawn Michaels, on Ric Flair, on DX, Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, and a lot of other guys Triple H might’ve stabbed in the back. All of these were amazing heel turns but didn’t quite make the list for not having enough buildup and/or aftermath. Becky Lynch’s heel turn propelled her to superstardom but the fans never saw her as a heel, only the company did.
Some great heel turns outside of WWE are Hulk Hogan joining the NWO, CM Punk turning in the Summer of Punk in ROH, Prince Devitt forming the Bullet Club, Evil turning on Naito in NJPW, MJF turning on Cody Rhodes and Chris Jericho in AEW, and countless more that I can’t mention because then the whole article would just be the honorable mentions.
With that out of the way, here are the 10 greatest WWE heel turns of all time.
10. Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan turns heel and low-blows AJ Styles to win the WWE Championship
Starting with one that’s still fresh in fans’ minds. It’s always tricky to put something recent into any “all-time” list because there’s always going to be recency bias, but this has to be on the list because it’s one of the most compelling runs the modern era ever produced.
What’s amazing is that on paper there are so many things about this that shouldn’t work. First of all, there’s turning Daniel Bryan, one of the most beloved babyfaces in history and a guy who’s just come back from a career-ending injury, heel and expecting the fans to boo him. Then, there’s the fact that he won the WWE title from AJ Styles on the SmackDown before Survivor Series 2018 via a low blow, and his first match as the WWE Champion is going to be a heel vs. heel affair against Brock Lesnar in which he’s most definitely going to lose. But, much like most of Bryan’s career, this run is more about the aftermath than the buildup.
First, there’s the match with Brock. It’s probably the greatest heel vs. heel match I’ve ever seen. It was that good. In the beginning, Lesnar drops Bryan repeatedly on his head with some German Suplexes, and just when it looks like there’s no hope, the ref goes down and Bryan connects with a low blow. The crowd erupts as Bryan hits a Running Knee and Lesnar kicks out at the last possible second. The match is filled with amazing near falls, including a Yes Lock that felt like it would actually put Brock Lesnar down. Even though Bryan lost, it was clear that a new beast was created. This indeed was a new Daniel Bryan.
Then there’s the run itself. As far as mic work goes, this was undoubtedly Bryan’s career-best run. He cut scathing promos on the fans for damaging the environment and received more heat than any other heel in the company at the time. In-ring, he was having great matches including a very good Triple Threat against Kevin Owens and Mustafa Ali, and an excellent rematch with AJ Styles.
And then, there was KofiMania. Kofi Kingston’s rise from a B+ player to the WWE Champion and in what was an unintentional yet beautiful coincidence, it was Daniel Bryan who stood as a roadblock in Kofi’s path. The same Daniel Bryan who had crowd-surfed his way to the main event of WrestleMania and the WWE title back in 2015. And again, all of this wasn’t supposed to happen.
This run proves that Daniel Bryan is too good to be messed up, even by WWE, who seem to mess up so many amazing wrestlers. It’s a testament to Bryan that he seems to always end up in the spotlight even though he’s never supposed to. This remains true to this day as he was recently inserted in the Universal title match between Roman Reigns and Edge at WrestleMania 37.
Also, on a side note, that eco-friendly title was simply gorgeous.
9. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin turns heel at WrestleMania 17 and aligns with Vince McMohan
Okay, let me get this out of the way. It was not a smart business decision. There’s a reason why the Attitude Era was the most profitable time the company has ever seen and that’s because the product was raunchier and crazier than ever before. Much of WWF’s audience at the time wasn’t what you’d necessarily call “die-hards”. In the Attitude Era, some things were good, some were bad, but they all got people talking and for those people, Austin was the man they resonated towards the most because who wouldn’t want to flip their boss the bird and then hit him with a Stunner while glass shatters in the background.
Austin was the anti-hero the world needed and when he turned heel, casual fans tuned off in droves and if you are a casual fan, you’d still believe this turn to be the worst decision Vince ever made. However, if you’re a die-hard, you know it was brilliant.
Anticipation was through the roof when The Rock and Austin went head to head at Mania 17. It’s funny how WWF/E managed to build 3 Mania main events with two guys with very different narratives each time. Imagine that happening today.
In short, the buildup to the match was solid, and it wasn’t like their WrestleMania 15 clash where Austin was the clear babyface and Rock was the heel, both of them were beloved faces and the crowd was divided yet electric to see them face off and see how the match would play out. There was genuine intrigue to see who’ll win.
In the main event of arguably the greatest Mania of all time, Rock and Austin tore the house down. At the end of an amazing match filled with false finishes, Vince McMohan handed Austin a chair, who then proceeded to batter Rock with it. Sixteen chair shots later, Austin pinned Rock to become the new champion, and then shook hands and shared beers with Vince.
As far as shock value is concerned, I’d say this is right up there with Hogan turning in WCW. JR’s iconic statement, “Stone Cod has sold his soul to Satan himself” is a legend in and of itself.
As for the aftermath, like I said it was definitely bad for business, but it was good for wrestling because it gave us a full heel Stone Cold at the top of the card. He was an insecure prick who became exactly what he was so ferociously against. He became the authority.
Hilarious skits with Kurt Angle and Vince, the Two-Man Power Trip with Triple H, and a tag title match against Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho that many consider being the greatest RAW match in history are just some of the highlights of Austin’s heel run. This run also led to him finally putting The Rock over at Mania 19.
If we put everything else aside and just focus on professional wrestling, it’s easy to see that Austin still was the very best on the planet during this run. He was in top form and although he himself regrets turning heel, I’d say that this run still adds a lot to his legacy and he should be proud of it.
8. Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens turns on Sami Zayn on the night he won the NXT Championship
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens fought at WrestleMania 37 as well, which just goes to show that this feud is never going to end. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are two guys who’re best friends in real life, they’ve traveled the world together, and they’re pure magic in the ring together, as a tag team and as opponents.
Interestingly enough, their feud heading into WrestleMania this year had Zayn as the cowardly, annoying heel and Owens as the valiant babyface, which is a complete opposite dynamic from their rivalries in PWG, ROH, NXT, and even WWE back in 2016.
The reason why fans never get tired of watching these two go at it is simple, they’re two of the very best in the world today and even though WWE doesn’t utilize them as such, they’re both complete performers and potential main-eventers. The fact that they got a WrestleMania spot even with a complete change of dynamic in their feud is a testament to both men’s skills.
Sami Zayn, who’s perhaps the best pure babyface NXT has ever had is equally as good as a whiny heel, and Owens, whose reign of terror in NXT is legendary in terms of heelwork, works just as good as a fiery babyface and can get fans behind him. Now, I’m not saying they’re as successful today as they were in NXT, but that’s because of bad booking.
Owens and Zayn, along with Finn Balor and Neville, are the guys who helped build NXT into the brand that it is today and they absolutely deserve to be recognized as two of NXT’s greatest ever. And their feud, at least before Gargano and Ciampa came along, is perhaps the best NXT feud of all time.
As the DIY split and the Bayley/Sasha Banks feud have proved, NXT knows how to do traditional babyface vs. heel storylines well and as Tomasso Ciampa and Finn Balor have proved, they also know how to do heel turns. And Owens turning on Zayn the night he finally won the NXT title was the crown jewel of heel turns.
As Owens debuted on the same night, he wasn’t really part of the buildup to this turn. However, Zayn’s emotional journey to the top more than made up for that. In the main event of TakeOver R Evolution, Sami Zayn finally beat Neville for the NXT title. The entire locker room came out to celebrate, Neville hugged Zayn, fans cheered loud, Zayn had a moment with his debuting friend Kevin Owens, and then Owens power bombed him on the ring apron. On his very first night, Owens showed his true colors.
The feud that followed saw a relentless Sami and a remorseless Owens. We witnessed Owens win the NXT by referee stoppage, as he kept powerbombing Zayn repeatedly until he got the belt. This feud put NXT firmly on the map and would lead to NXT being recognized as a third brand eventually.
7. Randy Savage
Randy Savage snaps and attacks Hulk Hogan
Now, I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t know much about the Golden Era of WWF. I’m from Generation Z and I won’t pretend to know how well the Hulk Hogans and the Randy Savages and the Ultimate Warriors and the Andre the Giants came off to fans at that point. But even I can’t deny the significance of this feud in WWE’s illustrious history, which is why it deserves to be in the top 10.
Everything was over the top in the then WWF. I’m sure anyone telling the kids to say their prayers and take their vitamins wouldn’t be received as well as Hulk Hogan was back in the day. Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage both have to go down as two of the greatest of all time. Hogan may be more well known in the industry but the hardcore fans know how much of a legend the Macho Man truly is.
Hulk Hogan was the face of the company and the biggest star. Randy Savage was the only one close to the Hulkster when it came to sheer star power. Hogan was a showman, Savage was a worker. Their rivalry was like two gods going against each other, it was like Superman vs. Batman. This feud between Savage and Hogan has only ever been replicated by The Rock and Steve Austin, the two biggest names in the industry going at it.
But at first, the gods were friends. Their combined star power was so much, they were literally called the Mega Powers. Their feud was classic Golden Era wrestling, cartoonish and stupid in all the right ways.
Hogan was becoming a little too close to Savage’s real-life wife and valet, Miss Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Hogan celebrated a little too hard after every match, with Savage increasingly getting visibly annoyed. It all boiled down to a tag match between the Mega Powers and the Twin Towers (I know, right?), i.e., Big Boss Man and Akeem. Savage accidentally knocked Elizabeth out and Hogan carried her to the back, leaving Savage alone. Elizabeth was revived and urged Hogan to go back and help Savage, but it was already too late. Hogan wanted a tag, Savage, who was the WWF champion at the time, slapped Hogan and walked away with the belt. Hogan then won the match singlehandedly, of course.
The feud that followed was equally cartoonish and stupid. Savage showed some edited footage that proved Hogan lusted after Elizabeth, but Hogan showed the actual footage to defend himself. The two men met at the iconic main event of WrestleMania 5, in which Miss Elizabeth acquired a “neutral” corner, whatever that means. Hogan kicked out of Savage’s Elbow Drop, hulked up, and got the win and the title.
The feud would continue with Hogan’s new movie, No Holds Barred becoming a background theme. Savage aligned himself with Zeus, the villain in the movie No Holds Barred. Apparently, he was a villain in real life too. Hogan and Brutus Beefcake defeated Savage and Zeus in the main event of Summerslam that year. The same match happened in a cage with Savage again being on the losing end. Hogan and Savage then had a match with boxer Buster Douglas as the referee. Savage would lose that match too and get knocked out by Douglas in the post-match angle.
Well, one thing’s for sure, Vince didn’t believe in 50/50 booking back then. The Golden Era, am I right?
6. Owen Hart
Owen Hart turns on brother Bret and family drama ensues
Okay wrestling fans, a moment of truth. Wrestling is scary. There’s a reason why you see that disclaimer telling you to not try this at home. Wrestlers are trained professionals who risk their lives on a daily basis for our entertainment, and it’s always a tragedy when a wrestler, or anyone for that matter, dies young.
When it comes to wrestlers who were super workers and taken away too early, three names are usually thrown around. One’s Chris Benoit who’s remembered for all the wrong reasons, and the other two are Eddie Guerrero and Owen Hart, who’re remembered as heroes and are considered to be two of the greatest in-ring performers even though their careers were tragically cut short.
And for Owen, it is mostly because of this run.
So, back in 1993, Bret Hart was feuding with Jerry Lawler and Owen stood by his brother’s side. At Survivor Series, the Hart brothers (Bret, Owen, Bruce, and Keith) were scheduled to take on Lawaler’s team, but he was pulled from the show and Shawn Michaels took his place. Shawn Michaels and his “Knights” lost to the Hart brothers. However, Owen got eliminated due to miscommunication with Bret, and to add insult to injury, Owen was the only man eliminated in his team. Owen had a heated confrontation with Bret after the match and the seeds of this rivalry were planted. To add to all this drama, the Harts’ father Stu looked sad and the Harts’ mother Helen even cried.
Bret then reconciled with Owen and the brothers seemed to be on the same page, until they lost a tag match to the Quebecers at Royal Rumble 1994. This match played out beautifully as Bret hurt his knee and couldn’t give the tag to an increasingly frustrated Owen. Eventually, the referee stopped the match due to Bret being hurt. Owen snapped and kicked Bret right in his bad knee and turned heel.
Now, this could’ve easily been rejected by fans as too unrealistic, but Bret and Owen were masters of storytelling and it ended up being the greatest brother vs. brother feud of all time and one the best feuds in history, period.
The two brothers first met at WrestleMania X in a fantastic bout in which Owen rolled Bret up for the win. Bret won the WWF title and Owen won the King of the Ring tournament, proclaiming himself the King of Harts and enlisting Jim Neidhart as his heavy. The British Bulldog joined Bret and the four men produced excellent tag and singles matches throughout this feud.
Bret and Owen met again with the WWF title on the line in a 5 star Steel Cage classic in which Bret finally vanquished his evil younger brother. The rivalry still continued when Bret faced Bob Backlund for the WWF title at Survivor Series, in which Owen convinced Helen Hart to throw in the towel because Bret was in so much pain from Backlund’s Chicken Wing submission. It was a masterful and tearful performance from both Owen and Helen.
This was the best run of Owen’s career and another feather in Bret’s cap. It would also eventually lead to the reunion of the Hart Foundation and more glorious things.
5. Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens decimates Chris Jericho on the Festival of Friendship
Because sometimes, more is more.
A lot of people would prefer Owens turning on Sami in NXT as a heel turn because of its simplicity, but I’ll be lying if I said I don’t absolutely love the stupidity and the over-the-top nature of this heel turn. Stupid and over the top, pro-wrestling in a nutshell. That segment alone justifies this entry, but there’s more.
First, there’s the buildup. Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens were the best of buddies. Two annoying heels hugging and kissing each other to the point where their friendship became genuinely heartwarming. Both men had amazing chemistry together and virtually carried RAW on their backs for the better part of 2016.
Owens was the Universal champion, and the straight-faced one of the two, while Jericho had perhaps the funniest and most entertaining run of his WWE career. With the List of Jericho, “It”, Stupid Idiot, the Gift of Jericho, the scarves, the Mike Tom/Tom Mike, and the millions of other things with KO, Jericho seemed to be churning out comedic gold right out of his pocket. They teased the duo breaking up a few times, but they never did. They only got stronger and funnier and more endearing, and at the time of their breakup, they were the most entertaining act, which made it all the more devastating.
The aftermath was not the best though. They were the second match at WrestleMania over the US title. Owens and Jericho were always good but the booking never supported them, and that’s probably why this isn’t higher on the list, but let’s talk about why they just made the List! And that’s because of the Festival of Friendship.
It has to be one of the greatest segments in WWE history, it was a rollercoaster of emotions. Jericho spared no expense in showing his appreciation for his best friends. There were dancers, streamers, magicians, and of course, the gifts of Jericho. The kissing statue and the painting and Owens liking none of it. It was like that legendary “This is your Life Segment” between Rock and Mankind, Jericho trying to make Owens happy and Owens rejecting everything. He even put “Friendship” the magician on the list for not impressing Owens.
And then we took a bit of an emotional turn. Jericho expressed his love for Owens in a really heartfelt way that brought tears to the eyes of young and old fans alike, and we all waited for Owens to hug Jericho and tell him that he felt the same way. And he did. He acknowledged Jericho’s feelings and told him he loves him too, and got him a gift.
And it was perfect! A new list. But wait, how come Jericho’s name’s on that?
The sheer beauty of this particular bit is that it was shot brilliantly. Jericho realizes his name is on the list, the fans seeing “The List of KO” printed on the back, the roar of the crowd signaling something bad was about to happen, Jericho’s face when he turns the list around, Owens’ face just before he punches his best friend in the head. Owens savagely beat Jericho up, power bombed him on the apron, and then smashed him through the Jeritron in a throwback to another moment that may or may not appear on this list (no spoilers).
Most of all, this turn made sense. Jericho crossed a line when he accepted Goldberg’s challenge on Owens’ behalf, and Owens should’ve been frustrated seeing a clipboard getting more attention than the Universal Champion.
Also, there’s another tiny detail that seems insignificant but gets me every time I think about it. The last thing Jericho put on the list that night was “Friendship”.
4. Bret Hart
Bret Hart turns on the entire USA
Know why Bret Hart is widely regarded as one of the greatest pro-wrestlers of all time, maybe even the greatest? Because he had one of the greatest careers in pro-wrestling history.
Looking back at his run, it’s strange because I can’t imagine anybody in the current scene ever having that kind of a character arc. Bret Hart, throughout his entire career, was always the same person.
You know how wrestling’s always about reinventing yourself to stay fresh and relevant? Chris Jericho is a master of that and it’s the reason why he’s also regarded as one of the greatest pro-wrestlers of all time, and rightfully so. However, if you think about it, none of that would fly in a movie series or a TV show. It’s all about characters and their journeys through life and their struggles and their lessons and their losses and their triumphs that really connect with the audience in the long run.
Sure, being over with different characters is commendable, but making fans feel different emotions throughout your career by essentially being the same person is simply masterful.
That’s exactly what Bret Hart did, and that’s what makes this heel turn so magical. At WrestleMania 13, Bret faced Stone Cold Steve Austin in a Submission Match with Ken Shamrock as the special guest referee. Bret was the veteran babyface and Austin was the hot-headed, menacing heel. But, Bret was getting stale in the fans’ eyes, with many fans audibly booing him in matches. Austin, on the other hand, was catching fire with his tough S.O.B. persona, natural charisma, and, of course, his Austin 3:16.
Throughout the course of this match, the two men told a beautiful story as Bret repeatedly outmaneuvered Austin, but a valiant Austin kept coming back. Both wrestlers beat the living hell out of each other. Most importantly though, that finish. It’s probably the greatest finish of all time. Bret locked Austin in the Sharpshooter, and Austin, with blood pouring from his head into his mouth, screamed in pain but didn’t tap out. The fans totally got behind Austin as they saw this man being relentless in the face of torture. His heart didn’t want to back down even though his body refused to cooperate. But, in the end, Austin couldn’t handle the pain, and he passed out. Shamrock awarded Bret the victory. Bret attacked Austin after the match, cementing his heel turn, while Austin Stunned Shamrock, now an anti-hero with the crowd fully behind him.
And this would go down in history as the greatest double turn of all time, possibly the greatest face turn of all time, and, according to me at least, the 4th best heel turn in history.
After this turn, Bret cut promos on the American fans, because in his mind, it was actually the fans who had turned heel on him. Bret did his best work on the mic in this run. He called out the American fans on their hypocrisy. He said America, as a country, had stopped respecting good guys. He bashed them repeatedly for cheering for guys like Austin, Shawn Michaels, and Undertaker. He talked about how other countries knew the difference between right and wrong, between bad guys and heroes, and how they still regarded him as a hero. He became a heel in America, and a babyface in the rest of the world, and the fans responded exactly like he wanted them to.
He was booed in America and cheered in Canada, Europe, South Africa, Kuwait, etc. He formed the New Hart Foundation with Owen, Jim Neidhart, Brian Pillman, and Davey Boy Smith, and they were treated the same way, hated by America and beloved by the rest of the world.
The fact that Bret was able to garner heat from American fans and love from the rest of the world truly makes him deserving of the moniker “The Excellence of Execution”.
3. Tomasso Ciampa
Tomasso Ciampa attacks Johnny Gargano at the end of TakeOver
Is the implosion of DIY the best-told story in NXT? I believe it most definitely is.
It’s also no coincidence that this feud represents the very peak of NXT as a show. Johnny Gargano vs. Tomasso Ciampa was the main event of what most fans consider to be the greatest TakeOver of all time and what some might even say is the best wrestling PPV of all time, TakeOver New Orleans. The only reason why this isn’t higher on the list or maybe even in the top spot is because we didn’t get the final Ciampa vs. Gargano battle properly. There’s still time though, so let’s wait and watch.
With all that said, let’s talk about the implosion of DIY.
First, there’s the buildup. Gargano and Ciampa were two wrestlers in WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic. They were never meant to be signed, they were just supposed to have an outing in the CWC. Then, they had an incredible match in which Gargano beat Ciampa with a roll-up. Ciampa seemed like he’d attack Gargano, but instead, they sat beside each other and made up. The story of these unwanted boys who weren’t supposed to shine is what led them to a tag title feud against the Revival. They lost the first match when Gargano tapped out but won the belts in a 2-out-of-3 falls classic which was also NXT’s 2016 Match of the Year.
DIY is hands down the best babyface tag team NXT has ever seen, which made it all the more devastating when they lost the belts to the Authors of Pain. They had more classic tag matches with the AoP and the Revival and their legacy as a team culminated in an excellent Ladder Match against AoP in the main event of TakeOver Chicago, which they lost.
At the end of the match, Gargano and Ciampa stood at the end of the ramp, soaking in applause from the fans in what seemed like an emotional end to TakeOver. They linked heads, Ciampa said, “This is my moment” and attacked Gargano, kneeing him in the face and delivering an Air Raid Crash through the announce desk, and everyone went home unhappy.
The feud properly started when Ciampa returned from a knee injury and attacked Gargano at the end of TakeOver Philadelphia, right after Gargano’s 5-star NXT title loss to Andrade “Cien” Almas.
The Gargano-Ciampa rivalry never seemed to miss. They had 3 violent TakeOver encounters, each of them layered and complex and littered with intricate bits of storytelling. Like when they sat side by side as a throwback to their CWC match in New Orleans, or when Ciampa spat on Gargano’s wedding ring in Chicago, or when Gargano replicated Ciampa’s attack move for move in their Last Man Standing match in Brooklyn. Both of them fueled each other’s matches, Gargano constantly used Ciampa’s moves in his matches to show fans how much this feud affected him. Whenever you saw either of them, the other guy was always in the back of your mind, they were connected and meant to do this forever.
Ciampa became the NXT champion because of Gargano and became the best heel in the business. Johnny meanwhile went on a downward spiral because try as he might, he couldn’t overcome Ciampa’s evil without becoming evil himself. This was more apparent at TakeOver WarGames 2018, where Gargano lost to Aleister Black and Ciampa beat Velveteen Dream to retain his title. There was a brief DIY reunion and Gargano’s redemption arc as he finally outsmarted Ciampa in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and it would’ve been perfect had Ciampa not suffered a neck injury right before their feud was supposed to culminate at TakeOver New York.
Now, the roles have been reversed. Gargano is a heel and Ciampa is a babyface. Their “One Final Beat” match in an empty arena wasn’t nearly as satisfying as the culmination of their feud should’ve been. Also, considering the awards these two swept for the year 2018, WWE would be stupid not to revisit this feud sometime in the future. Let’s hope Gargano and Ciampa get to go at it one more time on the biggest stage possible so we as fans can get that closure.
2. Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho turns on Shawn Michaels in the Highlight Reel
Jericho was right, but he was a prick about it and everyone loves Shawn Michaels. Summary of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Award for Feud of the Year in 2008.
Well, of course, it wasn’t that simple, so let me elaborate.
Michaels was feuding with Batista and Jericho became involved as the special guest referee for their match at Backlash. Michaels and Jericho were still on good terms at this point and it was common knowledge that Jericho considered Michaels his idol. In the match, Michaels feigned a knee injury, causing Jericho to stop Batista and allow Michaels to recover, but Michaels lured Batista in and hit the Sweet Chin Music for the win.
Then, there was a period of Jericho accusing HBK of faking the injury and HBK insisting it was real. Jericho was finally convinced and apologized to HBK for doubting him. HBK then admitted that he actually was faking it and proceeded to superkick Jericho to prove it. Everyone cheered and saw that as just HBK being HBK. Everyone but Jericho.
Jericho invited Michaels on an episode of the Highlight Reel and laid down facts of what happened. He accused Michaels of lying to him and the fans of cheering for him. He then proceeded to attack Michels, who fought back. Jericho then hit a low blow and sent Michaels head-first through the Jeritron 6000, injuring his eye, and we were off to the races.
Michaels cost Jericho the Intercontinental title, Jericho adopted the slow-talking, suit-wearing villainous persona inspired by Javier Bardem’s character in No Country for Old Men, and the two men met at The Great American Bash. Jericho brutalized Michaels, repeatedly attacking his injured eye. Michaels bled heavily and sold brilliantly, and got beaten by Jericho. Then there was the Shawn Michaels retirement angle at SummerSlam, in which Jericho interrupted HBK and told him to admit that Chris Jericho was the reason he was retiring. Michaels then unleashed the ultimate burn when he told Chris he’ll never be Shawn Michaels. Jericho tried punching Michaels but ended up punching his wife, Rebecca, square in the face.
Michaels decided to avenge that punch by challenging Jericho to an unsanctioned match at Unforgiven. In this match, it was Michaels who absolutely destroyed Jericho. Oh, and Lance Cade was involved too. Michaels bludgeoned Jericho to the point where the referee had to stop the match, declaring Michaels the winner, but HBK had a tearful and distraught look on his face, what was all this for?
The night didn’t end for Jericho though, as he entered the Championship Scramble as a replacement for CM Punk and ended up winning the World Heavyweight Championship. The feud culminated in a Ladder match for the title at No Mercy, and it’s been regarded as one of the greatest Ladder matches of all time. Both men beat each other up with ladders in innovative and unique ways, Jericho even lost a few teeth in this match. Jericho won a tug of war at the top of a ladder to retain his belt.
Everything about this feud, from the buildup to the turn itself to the aftermath was perfect and, for my money, it’s the best feud following a heel turn in WWE history.
1. Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins ends The Shield
Yes, this is it.
Taking the buildup, the heel turn, and the aftermath into account, Seth Rollins turning on Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose and breaking up the Shield is the greatest heel turn in WWE history.
Want a reason? I’ll give you three. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Jon Moxley. These are 3 of the biggest names in pro-wrestling today, and while I’m not saying that these talented gentlemen wouldn’t be successful without this heel turn, this turn did play a big part in each of their careers.
Think about it, Seth Rollins became a megastar when he turned heel and aligned with the Authority. Dean Ambrose became the Austin-esqe anti-hero babyface when he went up against the Authority, which would ultimately lead to Jon Moxley being unleashed outside of WWE. And while Reigns may have failed initially as a babyface, this over-pushing of Reigns is what led to the Tribal Chief that we know and love or love to hate today.
Also, it’s surprising that WWE managed to book a stable perfectly from start to finish just 9 years ago considering what happened to the Hurt Business recently. The self-proclaimed Hounds of Justice burst onto the scene at Survivor Series 2012, attacking Ryack and John Cena and helping CM Punk retain his WWE title. They attacked everybody in Punk’s path even though they didn’t associate with him.
They defeated Ryback and Team Hell No in a TLC match in their debut and then went on a 6-man-tag tear. They were undefeated in the 6-man-tag competition, and the key thing that made them special is that even though they were relatively new to the audience, it didn’t stop them from attacking anybody and everybody. They destroyed legends like Cena, Randy Orton, and even the Undertaker. The Shield was an unstoppable force and Reigns, Ambrose, and Rollins became major stars as a result of this union. They turned babyface and went against Evolution, decisively beating Batista, Triple H, and Orton on two separate occasions, and right when they were at their strongest, Rollins sold out and attacked Ambrose and Reigns with a steel chair. It was a perfect and genuinely unexpected heel turn.
What makes this heel turn the best of all time in hindsight, is the aftermath. Rollins and Ambrose got embroiled in a blood feud and delivered classic matches for months, and Reigns became the Big Dog, and it was awful for years, which is also fine in hindsight, I guess, considering he’s arguably the best heel in the business right now.
There were multiple Shield reunions. Some okay, some horribly unimaginative, obviously, because WWE just have to keep repeating things that once worked for them. However, all is forgiven for the Shield, because the fans did pop for every single one of those reunions.
The Shield will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the greatest factions of all time. It gave us 3 genuine main-eventers that define the wrestling scene to this day, it gave us classic matches and segments, and also, according to me at least, it gave the greatest heel turn in WWE history.