Surprise turns are an integral part of storytelling. And professional wrestling is essentially an art form of telling stories, with what happens in the squared circle being that which solves the conflict. Promoters have been using the surprise factor as a story telling element ever since the inception of the sport and it has given us some great moments throughout history.
From the nWo angle to Cody Rhodes turning on Ring of Honor, if pulled off correctly, turns do wonders. WWE had their fair share of turns this year and we are going to take a look at them in this list.
#5 James Ellsworth
The run of James Ellsworth in WWE has been a fairy tale. When WWE brought him in to face Braun Strowman on Monday Night Raw, Ellsworth seemed like just another guy who was going to be destroyed by Strowman. In fact, Strowman did destroy him. But the Ellsworth made most of the opportunity.
He soon became a hit with the fans and WWE soon offered Ellsworth a full-time deal. After flirting with the main event scene on SmackDown Live and piling up three straight victories against AJ Styles, Ellsworth pulled off a heel turn at TLC, which in turn cost Dean Ambrose the WWE Championship.
While most of us saw it coming, the moment was special and it showed the brilliant storyline curve that WWE Creative gave him.
#4 Randy Orton
Randy Orton’s run with the Wyatt Family has been a memorable one. It got him back into the tag team division and Orton even got a taste of gold as well. And all this started with a heel turn from the Viper. He was well into a feud with the Wyatt Family after the drafts and had some help from Kane.
However, Orton would soon turn on Kane and align with the Wyatt Family.
Orton’s turn was a slow one but it was well executed. It also made the Wyatt family relevant again. It would only be a matter of time before the association breaks up but the storyline will be fun while it lasts.
After the loss to Brock Lesnar, the heel turn was what helped Orton regain footing in the WWE universe.
#3 The Usos
The fun baby face tag team image of The Usos was shattered this year when they stepped out of their comfort zone and turned heel. SmackDown’s tag team division benefited big time due to the turn and the image change would eventually go down as a crucial part of their careers.
The turn did have some huge potential and during the initial stages, WWE made good use of it as well.
But The Usos were soon pushed back but it’s not too late. WWE could still tap into the possibility in 2017 and the heel Usos could well become the face of SmackDown’s tag team division with the right storylines.
#2 Neville
Neville’s career seemed to be heading into the pits due to the forgettable booking that he had been getting. When WWE introduced the Cruiserweight division, everyone expected him to be included but surprisingly he was left out. The division then went through a tough phase as the fans found it hard to connect to the wrestlers that they barely knew as characters.
This, in turn, forced WWE to introduce some major steps to improve the division. One among that was the return of Neville. And not only did he return, he turned heel and put the whole division on notice.
Neville’s return and turn was what helped the Cruiserweight division get much-needed momentum and due to the sheer importance of his turn, Neville deserves such a place in this list.
#1 Triple H
For a major portion of 2016, Triple H had been steering the company from backstage. He had his hand in numerous projects that happened this year and most of them were successful as well. In front of the camera, the presence of Triple H was limited. However, he did change the course of Monday Night Raw with just one appearance.
After Finn Balor was forced to vacate the WWE Universal Championship due to injury, WWE booked a match to decide the new Champion.
And Triple H interfered in the match and turned on Seth Rollins. He helped Owens to win the gold by doing so, and though the storyline is still not resolved, Triple H turning on Rollins was one of those special moments that made the fans mark out.
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