5 best face turns of 2017

The Festival of Friendship was perhaps the best segment of 2017
Listing the five times bad guys turned good in 2017

It is said in today's WWE, there exist no heels or faces. The fans boo the performers they wish to boo and cheer for the performers that they like. However, sometimes, stories are told so beautifully in WWE that good guys are born on live TV.

This article will focus on the 5 best face turns in 2017. And yes, there were some good ones this year. Feel free to disagree with our assessment and let us know in the comments below.

In addition to this piece, check out the list of 5 best heel turns of 2017 as well. Without good guys and bad, WWE would be just like any other sport, wouldn't it?

Without wasting any more time, here's our list of the best Face Turns.


#5 Mickie James attacks Alexa Bliss

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Alexa Bliss and Mickie James had formed quite an alliance on SmackDown Live. Bliss got the legendary James back to WWE (in storyline) as a masked Luchadora. The two of them terrorized poor Becky Lynch, as a heel unit.

However, friendships seldom last in WWE. James would subsequently turn on Alexa Bliss, turning face in the process. This was at the end of a tag team match when Alexa Bliss tagged herself in to pick up a victory, even though James had the match won.

The two of them would start a feud that would spill over to RAW. While some have been critical of the feud, Mickie James is a far better babyface than she is a heel.

This is the only women's entry in this list. We almost included Charlotte Flair's entry, but we feel she was better as a heel.

#4 AJ Styles shakes Shane McMahon's hand

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AJ Styles is one of those performers that the crowd wholeheartedly roots for, irrespective of whether he's a heel or a babyface. He was in a furious feud with Shane McMahon leading up to WrestleMania because he felt that he had been wronged with regard to a Championship rematch.

Following the classic that ensued at WrestleMania, AJ Styles and Shane McMahon would meet in the middle of the ring on SmackDown Live. AJ Styles would stretch his hand out and shake Shane McMahon's, in a mark of respect. In doing so, he would turn babyface.

This was a fantastic development considering that he's been the biggest star in the company ever since. He gets the biggest reaction in the current roster, and it made no sense to have him as a heel.

Styles is one of those performers who cannot have a bad night. Every time he steps into the ring, the match that unfolds is generally beyond awesome. He is the true embodiment of the moniker that best describes him: 'phenomenal'.

#3 Randy Orton burns the Wyatt Compound

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Only in WWE can you commit arson and become a good guy. Randy Orton had shocked the world when he became a member of the dreaded Wyatt Family. He grew to be a loyal aide to Bray Wyatt. But when the time was right, the Viper struck.

Wyatt won the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber and was all set to face Randy Orton at WrestleMania. But Orton would refuse to face his master and surrender his title shot.

And then, when Wyatt's guard was down, he would enter the Wyatt Compound and set it on fire. In doing so, he would ignite a feud with Bray Wyatt that would go... nowhere.

For what it was worth, this was a priceless moment and a pretty cool babyface turn too.

#2 The Festival of Friendship

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Many in the WWE Universe have described this segment as their favourite one, this year. This segment had drama, it had magic and it had a sense of betrayal that would tug at the heartstrings of everyone who loved JeriKO.

Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho were the best thing about 2016, weren't they? So, everyone joined in, as they celebrated their friendship on Live Television. Sadly, Kevin Owens would betray Jericho by putting his name on Owens' own list and attacking him to turn him face.

When Jericho returned at Fastlane and cost Owens the Universal Championship, the pop was truly massive. When he returns for his next run, the pop will again be massive!

#1 Braun Strowman returns to RAW

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This face turn was masterfully carried out at TLC. Braun Strowman had teamed up with Cesaro, The Miz, Sheamus and Kane at TLC. Midway through the match, the rest of Strowman's team turned on him. They even put him in a garbage compactor.

Oh well, it is well known that Strowman is not human. He would return in the very same compactor, and confront the Miz. Since then he has been unstoppable.

Strowman may just be the top babyface on RAW. He gets a reaction that rivals that of the Shield and is probably more over than every individual performer among the Hounds of Justice, currently.


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