Welcome to part 2 of our series(you can read the first part here), as we look back at the top 10 heel turns in the modern era of professional wrestling. We’ll pick up from where we left off, looking back at the top 5 heel turns. Without further ado, let us get down to business.
5. The Rock turns on the people
The Rock was a firm crowd favourite in 1998, but he wanted to become the WWF champion. With Vince McMahon having a problem with “the people”, he said he’d target the people’s champion, The Rock. Rock faced Mankind at the Survivor Series in 1998, during which Rock turned heel, defeating Mankind with the help of the Corporation while Mankind turned face, and the match resembled the infamous Montreal Screwjob due to the screwy finish.
Rock aligned himself with the Corporation, thus becoming the Corporate champion, turning his back on the people. This led to the Rock being a full blown heel for more than a year in the WWF.
4. CM Punk turns on Ring of Honor
Before CM Punk came to the WWE and started the Summer of Punk angle, he was in Ring of Honor. Punk was offered a contract by the WWE, and Punk said he’d sign it, but before that, he was scheduled for a match for the RoH world title. Punk won the bout, and as it looked like he would give an emotional farewell, Punk turned on the fans and the company, saying he’d take the RoH world title to the WWE.
Punk proceeded to sign the WWE contract on the Ring of Honor world title, and followed it up with the original Summer of Punk angle in Ring of Honor. 6 years later, the same was repeated in the WWE, and Punk has since become the number 2 face of the company!
3. Stone Cold makes a deal with the devil
The Austin – McMahon rivalry is arguably the greatest feud in professional wrestling history. Vince tried to do everything within his power to get rid of Austin, and Austin did everything he could to make Vince’s life miserable. After all the beer baths and pointing guns, Austin faced The Rock for the WWF title at WrestleMania in 2001, and that was when Austin shocked the world.
As Jim Ross voiced his utter shock and disgust, Austin defeated The Rock with the help of Vince McMahon and won the WWF championship. As J.R said that Austin had made a deal with the devil himself, Austin shook Vince’s hand, and the fans couldn’t believe what they were witnessing. Austin’s heel turn wasn’t successful, however, as the crowd cheered him on no matter what he did.
2. Bret Hart turns on the WWF
WrestleMania, Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin; no matter how much you hated the WWF, you just had to witness the great spectacle. Not only was it arguably the greatest WrestleMania match of all time, but it also saw the birth of the blue collared redneck who went on to become a firm crowd favourite. Going into the match, Austin was the bad guy while Bret was loved by all the fans. By the end of the bout however, all that changed.
The match is known for the now famous double turn, as Bret and Austin traded their roles during the course of the bout. While Austin was locked in the Sharpshooter, he refused to give up, passing out due to the pain while Bret Hart was unrelenting, refusing to break the hold. The scene of Austin covered in his own blood refusing to give up has been etched into the minds of all the fans who were fortunate enough to witness the bout, and this resulted in Bret Hart turning against the fans and the United States.
1. Hulk Hogan shocks the world!
Hulk Hogan is probably the biggest babyface in the history of professional wrestling. While the American hero told the kids to take their vitamins and say their prayers, the wrestling fans were getting bored of the monotonous act of Hogan. At the 1996 Bash at the Beach PPV, Hulk Hogan came out to help the WCW wrestlers beat The Outsiders, or at least that was what everyone thought.
Hogan turned his back on the fans and the wrestling world by joining Nash and Hall, giving birth to the New World Order in WCW. The turn was so successful that the ring was filled with trash and litter, as the fans were outraged with the result. In the end, the Hogan heel turn will go down in history books as the best heel turn in professional wrestling history.
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