4 worst babyface turns in WWE history

A well-timed babyface turn can put a WWE Superstar on the path to greatness. After becoming a heroic figure at WrestleMania 13, Stone Cold Steve Austin went on a historic run during the most profitable period in professional wrestling. The Texas Rattlesnake was the catalyst that took WWE to its peak in popularity.

However, an ill-conceived babyface turn can set a wrestler back several years. It can take a lot of hard work to win the fans over again. With that being said, here's a look at four of the worst babyface turns in WWE history:

#4 Randy Orton's babyface turn in 2004 didn't yield dividends

Once the Attitude Era came to a close, WWE had to create a new generation of stars as the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock wound down their professional wrestling careers. There was no WCW to poach talent from and the promotion had to develop wrestlers from scratch.

Batista and Randy Orton, two of the most promising prospects from OVW, were paired with Triple H to form Evolution. The group ran roughshod over RAW and were one of the top acts in WWE. However, splinters began to appear when The Viper upset the hierarchy and won the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam 2004.

The other members of the stable immediately assaulted Orton, turning him babyface. However, the role didn't suit the third-generation star, who lost the swagger that set him apart in the first place. He merely just pandered to the fans instead.

Orton dropped the title to Triple H at Unforgiven 2004 and was soon relegated to the mid-card.

#3 Brock Lesnar was Vince McMahon's handpicked star in 2002

Brock Lesnar was on a meteoric rise to the top of WWE after his main roster debut in 2002. With Paul Heyman by his side, The Beast Incarnate laid waste to some of the biggest names in professional wrestling history, including Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, The Undertaker and The Rock.

At Survivor Series 2002, Lesnar dropped the WWE Championship to The Big Show after Heyman switched allegiances. This decision turned the University of Minnesota product babyface and was meant to install him as the next marquee attraction of the promotion.

However, Lesnar just didn't click with the audience as a heroic figure at the time and ended up turning heel the next year.

#2 The fans rejected Batista in 2014

After two years of headlining WrestleMania with The Rock, Vince McMahon decided to turn to another wrestler-turned-actor Batista. The Animal returned in 2014 and won the Royal Rumble, setting up a clash with former Evolution stablemate Randy Orton.

The story had all the right ingredients to click. However, McMahon forgot one important detail: Daniel Bryan was the hottest commodity in professional wrestling, and the audience was invested in seeing the culmination of The American Dragon's rise to the summit.

Batista earned the ire of the fans due to this miscalculation and was soon forced to turn heel in the build to WrestleMania.

#1 WWE wanted Alberto Del Rio to become its next Hispanic megastar

After the first brand extension in 2002, Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio proved to be tremendous hits on SmackDown. The two legends connected with the Hispanic audience and drew in several viewers from that particular demographic. Professional wrestling has been on the lookout for the next big thing from Mexico.

Alberto Del Rio met all of the promotion's criteria. He was tall, good-looking, and proficient at cutting promos in English. Del Rio was an exceptional heel who flaunted his riches and pulled-up in a fancy car.

At TLC 2012, WWE turned him babyface with the hope that he would become a needle-mover. However, the former MMA fighter simply couldn't connect with the audience as a heroic figure despite the promotion's best efforts.