10 Most Shocking WWE Heel Turns Ever

A heel turn can be one of the best things to happen in wrestling, especially when you are not expecting it. Whether it built up little by little, or completely out of the blue, a heel turn can make or break a superstar.

While for the better part of two decades now it has been cool to be the bad guy, there is still something so gratifying about seeing someone turn to the dark side. Whether it be a tag team partner, friend or one completely out of the blue, it makes for much entertainment and top-notch feuds and matches with the face stars.

Heel turns happen all of the time, some we are expecting, others a little surprised by and then others that totally take us back, and here are the top 10 most shocking to have happened in WWE history.

Honorable Mentions: Andre The Giant - 1987, Triple H - 2002 & 2013, The Rock - 1998, Bret Hart - 1997, The Undertaker - 2001, & Becky Lynch - 2018

#10 Shawn Michaels - 1992

Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty formed one of the most popular tag teams of all time, The Rockers, in 1985 and teamed together until the end of 1991.

The seeds were planted for the group's disbanding in November 1991. Shawn and Marty began to have issues with each other off camera, the two had several real-life arguments and fights before the decision was made to end them as a team. After weeks of scripted arguing on TV, Brutus Beefcake interviewed The Rockers about their recent problems on the January 12, 1992 edition of the 'Barbershop'.

After seemingly working their problems, Michaels suddenly superkicked Jannetty, before sending him through the glass window of the barbershop set. Shawn then ripped a full page picture of the group in half. Although many saw a break-up coming, it happened in a very shocking fashion, for the time.

#9 CM Punk - 2012

CM Punk instantly became the most popular superstar in all of WWE after his infamous 'Pipe Bomb' promo in 2011.

For the next 12 months, CM Punk was the hottest star in wrestling. While his aura slowed down for a while after the 'Summer of Punk' ended, and even though as WWE Champion he still played second fiddle to John Cena, Punk was still WWE's and all of wrestling's most popular superstar.

And that is why his heel turn on the 1000 episode of WWE RAW was all the more shocking. It was one of those shocking heel turns to come out of nowhere to as their had been no build up to it. As The Rock was about to ly into the Big Show with the People's Elbow, Punk sprung into the ring with a clothesline, followed by a Go To Sleep.

Punk justified his actions the following week when he said he was tired of people like Cena and Rock overshadowing him when the WWE Champion should be the focus of the company.

#8 Sgt. Slaughter

To an extent, this one could be labeled as the most shocking heel turn of all time, but it doesn't take the top spot on this list due to how controversial it was to the point that it was borderline offensive.

Vince McMahon was behind everything here, and although he had initial trouble with anti-American promos associated with this gimmick, the Sgt. loved it to. The August 1990 invasion of Kuwait by Ba'athist Iraq triggered a political crisis that would lead to the 1991 Gulf War, in which Kuwait was freed by a US-led military coalition.

The decision was made to have Slaughter support the Iraqi cause, not for the actual political reasons, but more for the fact that Slaughter liked "brutality" and the Iraqi government was "brutal" while Sgt. felt the US regime had become soft. He joined up with General Adnan and regularly trashed the US, with at one point revealing a (fake) photograph of he and Saddam Hussein.

This all leg to Sgt. becoming WWE Champion to lead to an Iraq vs. America match at WrestleMania with Sgt. defending with Hulk Hogan. Sgt. turned face after the angle.

#7 Sami Zayn - 2017

This was another heel turn that came out of the blue, and it would also be one that would turn out for the best.

Ever since his arrival in WWE in 2013, Sami Zayn had been a very popular performer, probably the most popular performer NXT had ever seen. After joining SmackDown in 2017, many expected Sami to receive a better push than he had on RAW. Instead, Sami had next to nothing to do for several months. That is, up until the 2017 WWE Hell in A Cell event.

Zayn's former partner and rival Kevin Owens had been feuding with Shane McMahon, where the two were to seemingly end things in a Hell in A Cell match. Mimicking his jump from his Cell match with The Undertaker from WrestleMania 32, Shane jumped off to structure looking to land on Kevin Owens but instead went through the announcers table after Sami Zayn appeared and shockingly pulled KO off the table.

Sami solidified his heel turn on the following SmackDown.

#6 Shinsuke Nakamura - 2018

This was a heel turn that absolutely nobody saw coming.

The anticipated feud between babyface WWE Champion AJ Styles and babyface Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura was built up pretty well, with no signs of either man having a future fully fledged heel turn.

Following a solid back and forth match at WrestleMania with AJ coming out on top, Nakamura presented AJ with his Championship, only to shockingly level him with a low blow. We had no warning, and it shocked everyone, it was masterfully done.

Nakamura's heel turn hasn't been as good as many anticipated, but he still has time.

#5 Jonathan Coachman - 2003

I think Jonathan Coachman is one of the most underrated heels ever and had one of the most underrated turns ever.

From 1999 until the summer of 2003, Coach was a pretty bland announcer. He had character in his voice, but not much of a personality to follow, at a time when personality meant so much being something in WWE.

Shockingly, without any kind of warning at all, Coach attacked Shane McMahon during his match with Eric Bischoff at SummerSlam 2003, beating him with a chair and double teaming he until Steve Austin made the save.

From here, Coach would spend the next 4 years as an obnoxious heel character, who did everything from commentating to hosting, being an executive assistant to Bischoff and Vince McMahon, a heel interviewer and a part-time wrestler, usually for comical purposes.

#4 Seth Rollins - 2014

The Shield are one of the most dominating factions in WWE history. Ever since they debuted to even their recent reunion on RAW, they have always proven to be nearly unstoppable.

What helps make them be such a strong unit is the brotherhood. They promoted themselves as being strong because of their bond and unity. And that is why it was all the more shocking when in the same night that they disbanded Evolution just 24 hours after a second consecutive pay-per-view victory over them, that Seth Rollins chose to turn on his brothers and 'buy in' to The Authority.

Seth attacked his 'brothers' from behind with a barrage of steel chair shots, leaving thousands of stunned fans in the arena and Millions watching from home.

#3 Randy Savage - 1989

Hulk Hogan and 'Macho Man' Randy Savage formed a dream team back in late 1987. After being bitter rivals years previous, Hogan aided Savage during an assault from the Honky Tonk Man. Afterwards, Savage extended his hand in friendship to Hogan, who accepted and the Mega Powers were born.

They teamed together for over a year, feuding with the like of André the Giant and Ted DiBiase before Savage grew anger regarding Hogan's behavior towards their manager and Randy's wife, Miss Elizabeth.

During a match with The Twin Towers on NBC's prime-time special, The Main Event in February 1989, Akeem threw Savage out of the ring. Savage was thrown onto Elizabeth, knocking her unconscious. Hogan saw what happened and carried Elizabeth from the ring to the medical area.

When Elizabeth was revived, she implored a distraught Hogan to return to the ring to help Savage. When Hogan returned, Savage was furious with being abandoned during the match, and slapped Hogan in the face and took his World Championship belt, and stormed back to the locker room.

Randy accused Hogan of trying to steal Elizabeth from him and manipulate the belt away from him. Hogan implored Elizabeth to try and talk some sense into him before Savage attacked him by hitting him in the face with the title belt, sealing the end to their partnership and beginning their feud.

#2 Vince McMahon - 1997

While WCW had Hulk Hogan make their biggest heel turn in history by forming the NWO, WWE had their biggest heel turn ever a little over a year later, but this one was far more real than any to come before it.

Everyone knows the story by now, WWE Champion Bret Hart is leaving the WWE for WCW (on Vince's recommendation), a paranoid Vince fears there may be a repeat of when Alundra Blayze binned the Women's Championship on Nitro or something worse, so Vince decides to screw Bret out of their planned finish. WWE's most infamous moment is born.

What was also born here was the heel character of Vince McMahon. Before the weeks leading up to this, he had only ever been liked to be referred to on TV as a commentator but brought himself into Bret and Shawn Michaels feud when it began to touch reality.

Now to be fair, the Mr. McMahon character didn't truly evolve until a few months later in his feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin, but from Survivor Series onward, Vince McMahon was detested by most fans.

#1 Stone Cold Steve Austin - 2001

Making a de — "Shaking Hands With Satan Himself!"

When it is all said and done, it is very possible that the greatest feud in not just WWE history, but wrestling history will be the rivalry that spanned over two years between Vince McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

This magic feud captured everything that was the WWE Attitude Era and quickly became WWE's best and most entertaining feud. And that is why it became one of the most shocking WWE moments ever and most shocking WWE heel turn ever when WWE's then most popular star, probably ever, Stone Cold Steve Austin, accepted help from Vince McMahon during his WWE Championship main event with The Rock at WrestleMania X-Seven.

The decision to turn Austin heel divided the wrestling world. Some called it brilliant, while others refer to it as ''The day the Attitude Era died''. While Austin himself has since shared his regret over it. I for one loved it, for the fact that it was the most surprising heel turn in WWE history and for Austin's intense and hilarious heel character that followed.

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Edited by Raunak J