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They say you should be careful about what you wish for, because not all of your desires are necessarily good for you. In wrestling, that couldn't be any more accurate, as the WWE Universe has witnessed the effect of their power on the product over the years.
From sloppy dream matches to superstars that didn't work out as champion; sometimes, as a fan, it's better to wait and see what the promotion has crafted for you. However, there were instances where pressure from the crowd was too much for bookers to handle.
Today, we are going to take five recent examples of highly-demanded heel and babyface turns that only ended up disappointing some fans.
#1. AJ Styles
AJ Styles might be the most crucial wrestler for WWE today, and that is a statement that no one thought they would hear a decade ago. Ever since Styles moved from NJPW to WWE, he has been an integral part of the main event scene, as a heel and babyface.
However, many would agree that Styles' 2016 heel run was a pivotal point in making SmackDown the 'A show' in WWE. Styles was so good at his job the WWE Universe could not hate 'The Phenomenal One' in any programme he was involved. Therefore, due to Styles becoming a babyface in the eyes of many fans, WWE put him on an exciting path to become one on-screen.
Being the top babyface on the block, Styles now had the opportunity to feud with top heels like Samoa Joe, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, and Shinsuke Nakamura. While those veterans had great matches, some WWE fans felt it lacked a bit of the fire Styles' produced in previous programmes, with the likes of John Cena, and Dean Ambrose.
Many critics had concluded that it was Styles' babyface persona led to the drop in quality of those feuds. Consequently, it was clear that Styles is a more prominent attraction as a heel rather than a babyface. After Styles' recent heel turn and reunion with The O.C, fans have started to see the former WWE Champion show that passion on the mic and in his storylines once again.
#2. Dean Ambrose
Everyone wanted to see an uncaged, heel Dean Ambrose in the WWE. The reason for that was simple; Ambrose was a natural heel that would've given the product a fresh angle at the time.
Therefore, when Ambrose got injured during the latter stages of 2018, many thought the former WWE Champion would return as a heel. Still, WWE kept Ambrose's babyface run going until they flipped the script at the right moment.
After a bit of build-up, WWE finally let Ambrose loose when he destroyed Seth Rollins on the worst night in The Shield's history. Roman Reigns had just confirmed his health issues on the very same night, and when Ambrose turned heel, many felt WWE just executed the best heel turn of the decade.
However, fans counted their chickens before they'd hatched, as some fans felt the use of Ambrose as a heel on screen was less than stellar. Some even felt the execution of the heel turn was so underwhelming, it made Ambrose consider a move away from the company.
#3 The Miz
The Miz was born to play a heel, and making him act like anything else is, in my opinion, a mistake waiting to happen. Yet the WWE Universe wanted to see Miz play the fan favourite once again when he teamed with Shane McMahon in 2018. After Miz and Shane won the WWE World Cup at the Crown Jewel pay-per-view, WWE had the unlikely duo team up for the next few months.
However, after Shane ironically grew tired of Miz being unable to deliver in matches, the McMahon family's 'Prodigal Son' destroyed Miz, and his father, at Fastlane 2019. This set the scene for a Miz face turn that the WWE Universe wanted to see play out for a long time, but this was a move that only hurt The Miz in the long run.
Soon after The Miz finished his programme with Shane on SmackDown, 'The A-Lister' found himself wandering on Raw with no real direction until WWE sent him back to SmackDown. Miz's directionless stint in 2019 could have been avoided if WWE kept the best heel in their company as a heel, and that is a mistake they are currently rectifying by teasing a possible heel turn.
#4 Randy Orton
Randy Orton is the most experienced heel on the WWE roster today, as no other superstar knows more about being hated than 'The Apex Predator'. However, there have been a few instances in Orton's career where WWE turned him into something I don't think he is, and that is a babyface.
Now, some of the babyface turns in his career have worked out according to plan, but others have not. One of the most famous cases of Orton's highly-demanded babyface turn's that failed to live up to the hype was the former WWE Champion's feud with Seth Rollins in 2015.
However, after Orton's programme with Rollins wrapped up, 'The Viper' had little direction, as he wandered from feud to feud until he found a stable, but short programme with Bray Wyatt. Whether it was a sparring session with Sheamus, a mid-card bout with Bobby Roode or a battle with Jinder Mahal, Orton's babyface persona remained uninteresting throughout this entire time.
Thankfully, WWE managed to turn Orton into a heel once again, and we got to see the former WWE Champion work his magic with the likes of Jeff Hardy, Kofi Kingston and Rey Mysterio in great feuds. However, WWE chose to switch Orton's allegiance once again when he became a babyface at the expense of AJ Styles. Nonetheless, this time Orton's babyface run seems promising.
#5 Elias
Elias was one of the lesser-known talents in NXT. However, when Elias debuted on Raw a few years ago, things started to get better for the man who had been known as 'The Drifter'. Fans began to see the entertainment value Elias offered, and the appreciation for the guitar playing villain was pouring in.
WWE reconsigned this newly found popularity Elias had obtained and decided to give everyone what they wanted, and turned him into a crowd-pleasing babyface. Things went until his character had started to feel a bit dull, and the WWE Universe changed their opinions of wanting a babyface Elias.
Even after reverting to his original heel form in 2019, things didn't go as well as the former NXT superstar expected. Nevertheless, it seems like WWE is giving a babyface Elias one more shot, and for his sake, let's hope things work out this time.
