5 heel turns in the WWE that we never saw coming

Oh Sami Zayn...what have you done?
Oh Sami Zayn...what have you done?

Stringing the fans along on a storyline and having them get emotionally invested in the characters involved are both hallmarks of good scripting.

Many times the WWE doesn't really do this justice, but the times that they do, we remember in vivid detail.

Those times could involve huge pay-off scenarios like Stone Cold arriving on Raw to tip the balance in the WWE's favour after the WCW-ECW 'invasion', once in a lifetime moments like the iconic Rock-Hogan staredown at WrestleMania 18...and unexpected heel turns that hit you right smack in the middle of the face when you least expect it.

Not for nothing do they say that it takes a good heel to get a babyface over. As such, an effective heel turn goes a long way in establishing the dastardliness of a heel.

And if it hits you outta nowhere, to borrow a phrase from Randy Orton, it just further adds to the 'oomph' factor.

On that note, inspired by Sami Zayn's (non)heroics in the recently concluded Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, here are 5 heel turns in WWE history that we never saw coming.


Seth Rollins turning on the Shield

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With the Shield reuniting last week, I thought this would be an appropriate entry to start with.

The Shield was one of the most dominant factions in WWE history, right up there with the likes of Evolution and Degeneration-X.

But thanks to Triple H's 'Plan B' and Seth Rollins' lack of piety towards his brothers-in-arms, it imploded in 2014.

It was an especially shocking moment because it arrived the very next day after the Shield dug deep and put their bodies on the line for one another to see off Evolution at Extreme Rules.

You know it was a neatly executed heel turn because Seth Rollins faced chants of 'you sold out!' from the audience for almost a year after that, and also managed to embark on a stellar singles run, winning the WWE and United States Championship while he was at it.

Not bad for a sneaky night's work.

#BeatUpJohnCena

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When AJ Styles came out to welcome John Cena back into the fold after one of his hiatuses in May of 2016, it elicited a roof-raising, earth-shaking reaction from the WWE Universe

Finally, the respective faces of two 'rival' promotions and - arguably - the two most over Superstars in America over the past decade were sharing the same ring.

It was a dream moment that many never thought would come to fruition and the feel-good factor was only embellished when it became clear that the duo shared an admiration for one another.

However, it wasn't a moment that lasted too long.

When the Club intervened, everyone thought that Styles and Cena would fend off their attack together but unbeknownst to Cena, the Phenomenal One had been plotting a sneak attack in conjunction with his former NJPW buddies all along.

And as Cena readied himself to do battle with Anderson and Gallows, he was met with a sickening sucker punch...from AJ Styles.

It was an attack that marked the beginning of Styles' ascent to the WWE Championship and also one of the most memorable WWE trends in recent history: #BeatUpJohnCena

Can't really complain about this one, can we?

A deal with the devil

Sometimes when I work on lists like these, I end up re-watching some of the older segments in the WWE and I'm absolutely taken by how riveting the characters and the interactions between them were in those days.

The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin are prime examples of that. They just don't make them like that anymore.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Stone Cold and the Rock headlined three WrestleManias but it was their babyface vs babyface match for the WWE Championship at WM 17 that had a particularly nasty sting in the tail.

Vince McMahon would appear at ringside and screw the Rock over despite feuding with Stone Cold for a prolonged period in the lead up to that event.

It would mark a heel turn for Stone Cold ( that people nonetheless cheered because he was so darn popular) and also usher in one of the most memorable commentary calls by JR.

Run back the whole match if you've the time (embedded above). Trust me, you won't regret it.

Shawn Michaels and heel turns

Shawn Michaels had, for some reason, a penchant of being involved in a number of well-executed heel turns.

When he Superkicked then tag team partner Marty Jannetty to the depths of hell, when he Superkicked the dentures off Hulk Hogan's face (deservedly so, I might add) or when he was on the receiving end, having his head shoved into the Jeritron by Chris Jericho or while being double-crossed by his DX partner-in-crime, Triple H.

In every case, it wasn't a heel turn that we could see coming and it led to an engaging feud to follow.

Perhaps it just boiled down to good booking when he was involved or maybe he just had a knack of pulling off a swerve.

Either way, we're not complaining.

And we'll leave you with a hilarious match that was borne out of one such heel turn: Michaels vs Hogan at SummerSlam 2005.

Enjoy.

Worst of enemies, best of friends

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Sami Zayn had every right to be enraged with Kevin Owens. Especially after he was on the receiving end of another sickening powerbomb over the ring apron just weeks ago.

And yet, just as Shane McMahon was about to drive his elbow into Kevin Owens' sternum from 20 feet above, he pulled his best friend to safety, allowing the former SmackDown Live Commissioner to crash and burn by himself.

Why did he do it? It was apparently because it had finally dawned on him that nice guys always finish last.

He felt compelled to make a statement and make a statement he did, saving his brother from suffering a career-ending (kayfabe) bump and catapulting himself into relevance at the same time.

If Sami Zayn now goes on to challenge for an important Title or embarks on a memorable run/feud, we can look back in hindsight to that seminal moment in Hell In A Cell 2017 when the goodness in him snapped.

It's almost ironic how heel turns end up becoming career-makers for clean-cut babyfaces in the WWE, isn't it?