Turns which worked

gimmick

This isn't a "best heel/face turn" thread its more asking the question of which wrestler, who was floundering in his role, turned, and things just got better and better for him.

For example, John Cena does not count here, as his work as a heel in 2003/4 was going quite well anyway, and went face and went from strength to strength.

For me, the prime example here is Edge. He returned from injury in 2004 and was immediately installed as an upper mid card face. he was mostly in and around the tag division with Mysterio and the IC division. However, despite this, he was hated as a bland boring face who no one could acre less about. He was not even being booed for the most part, people just did not care for him.

I think it was then at a Summerslam in Canada there was a triple threat where he was booed out of the arena. I think if his heel turn had not already been in motion, this certainly kick started it.

He went from bland babyface to whingey heel who was forever moaning that he is being overlooked for the WWE title. It was a role where he looked a damn sight more comfortable, and got hugely over as a contender heel. This was later cemented by hsi winning of the MITB. His cashing in of this showed his oppurtunism and establish him as a top heel in the company.

We all know what has happened since.

Is there anyone else out there who you feel a turn did similar for their careers, be it in WWE, TNA, ROH or whatever?

I can think of a few more, will try and post later.

Cactus Col

I think JBL is one person who came out very well from a turn. His singles run on Raw was very ... underwhelming, but a quick reunion with farooq, followed by a turn when farooq got fired pushed him into the main event, becoming one of the top heels on the roster.

gimmick

Had not thought of him actually. Another exapmple would eb Randy Orton. He was turned from heel to face far to quickly and it was patently obvious for all to see pretty much immediately that this would be a disaster for him if it lasted too long.

His subsequent (re) heel turn when he RKOd Stacey Kiebler helped re invigorate his character and has him where he is at the moment as one of the top heels in the company at the moment alongside Edge.

rossie1977

jericho heel turn in 2008 for sure, he went from mid-card obscurity since his return to most talked about heel in the company

hogan would be another, his character was so stale in 1995, the heel turn breathed massive new life into him

da ax murderer

does vickie guerro count here, eddies quite nice shy widow brought in after eddie died, now she is so hated it crazy, she has the most heat on smackdown by far, excuse me!!!!!!!!..........

ShawnRaven

gimmick wrote: »

For me, the prime example here is Edge. He returned from injury in 2004 and was immediately installed as an upper mid card face. he was mostly in and around the tag division with Mysterio and the IC division.

IC division yes, but not Tag division, that lasted for about a month and that in 2002. Unless you're counting his tag reign with Christian, which i'm assuming you're not. The man who said he wouldn't BillyGunn his KOTR reign, and that's exactly what he did as he did jack sh*t that year.

However, despite this, he was hated as a bland boring face who no one could acre less about. He was not even being booed for the most part, people just did not care for him.

Can't argue here. In 2002, i had to spend most of that year defending both Edge and Jericho as people I knew felt he was a "waste of space", wonder who's getting the last laugh now?

I think it was then at a Summerslam in Canada there was a triple threat where he was booed out of the arena. I think if his heel turn had not already been in motion, this certainly kick started it.

I don't even think he'd fully turn heel at that stage either, but he and Jericho were more of an alliance and Edge kept losing his cool, He wouldn't fully turn heel until he walked out at Taboo Tuesday the following month.

He went from bland babyface to whingey heel who was forever moaning that he is being overlooked for the WWE title. It was a role where he looked a damn sight more comfortable, and got hugely over as a contender heel. This was later cemented by hsi winning of the MITB. His cashing in of this showed his oppurtunism and establish him as a top heel in the company.

No he went from bland babyface to an angry bastard who became obsessed with the WWE title, the former they had tried with Christian and failed miserably. And it was the perfect setup for a heel run and the transition of midcard joke to main event player.

Is there anyone else out there who you feel a turn did similar for their careers, be it in WWE, TNA, ROH or whatever?

Rossie hit the nail on the head with the ultimate winner of this thread, in Hogan. I would also give a mention to Jake Roberts' heel turn in 1991, sure he had been heel before in the mid 80s, but never so hated by the fans. Sgt Slaughter's heel turn during his 1990 return was also one of the biggest heels of the 90s too.

There are many to choose from.

Endaaaagh

Matt Hardys original heel turn (Mattitude V1) was a great turn and IMO if they went with it then he could have ended up 1 of the top heels in the WWE..Instead they chose to inexplically move him to RAW, turn him into yet another boring face and have him fued with Kane over Lita.

ShawnRaven

Endaaaagh wrote: »

Instead they chose to inexplically move him to RAW, turn him into yet another boring face and have him fued with Kane over Lita.

I'm pretty sure that was Matt's doing. Lita had returned from injury a short while earlier and he wanted to be on the road with her to stop their relationship from crumbling. Too bad for him he got injured after that and... well we know what happened there. But the move was Matt's request from what i remember.

Bubs101

Shane Mcmahon's face turn when he bought WCW was fairly great

ShawnRaven

Also, surprised none of these have been mentioned.

The two most famous double turns in history.

Demolition/Powers Of Pain, although Demolition were pretty over in 1988 and fans had been screaming for a face turn since Wrestlemania that year, it didn't do much for POP as they were always seen as a cheap version of the Road Warriors. So were Demolition, but they didn't make it as obvious.

And of course, Bret/Austin in 1997, both of which came out of that Wrestlemania match the complete opposite of what they were when they went in, Austin was more loved than anything, and Bret couldn't have been more hated than he was that night, and believe me, he tried for the rest of the year.

gimmick

I don't even think he'd fully turn heel at that stage either, but he and Jericho were more of an alliance and Edge kept losing his cool, He wouldn't fully turn heel until he walked out at Taboo Tuesday the following month.

Thats what I meant. The turn could be traced back to starting after this match IMO.

IC division yes, but not Tag division, that lasted for about a month and that in 2002. Unless you're counting his tag reign with Christian, which i'm assuming you're not.

Ya, i got my years mixed up there.

ShawnRaven

gimmick wrote: »

Ya, i got my years mixed up there.

More your team mates, had you sad upon his return, and replaced Mysterio with Benoit, you'd have made a lot more sense

brick tamland

Andre's heel turn before WM3 springs to mind.

KrazeeEyezKilla

Owen Hart turning on Bret at the 94 Royal Rumble. Before that he was going nowhere but then became one of the top wrestlers in the WWF.

orestes

How has this thread gone so far without someone mentioning The Rock?

That "die Rocky die" turn was the beginning of a superstar

gimmick

Ya, that was one of the most obvious. Never thought of it. His career flourished once he Dropped the "Y Maivia" from his name.

Rjd2

Most of my favorite have being mentoned, I dunno if this is a popular choice or not but Batista's slow and gradual turn to face coming up to Mania 2005 was very well written.
Santinos turn from dull face to comic heel worked a treat as well.

Diabhal Beag

Eddie Guererro's turn in 05 was awesome. That was my favourite and the most effective turn ever IMO

Evolution Enter

Maybe if eberyone on the internet didn't hate him so much...

HHH, hugely popular mid carder, European champ, IC champ with DX, was gonna stay being a really popular midcarder for as long as he wanted but his heel turn was brilliant and created the character we have today

Even before that, his turn from Hunter Hearst Helmsley to HHH was another masterstroke from the gimmicky era to the attitude era

Trips, Rock and Austin's turns all made the attitude era

ShawnRaven

Evolution Enter wrote: »

Trips, Rock and Austin's turns all made the attitude era

Undertaker's heel turn played it's part too.
(see, look? I'm saying something positive about Mark Calaway!)

TOPDAWG

orestes wrote: »

How has this thread gone so far without someone mentioning The Rock?

That "die Rocky die" turn was the beginning of a superstar

How has it gone so far without someone mentioning the "Austin 3:16" promo also?

ShawnRaven

TOPDAWG wrote: »

How has it gone so far without someone mentioning the "Austin 3:16" promo also?

Because it has nothing to do with a turn. He was heel before he cut it, and he was heel after he cut it.
The "Die Rocky Die" promo was the first one Rock had cut as a heel.

That simple.

TOPDAWG

Austin was a black and white stone wall heel before The Austin 3:16 promo.

He was a relative midcarder, following his stint as the Ringmaster, going into the King Of The Ring.

He cuts his victory promo where he drops "Austin 3:16" line, fans go nuts for it and in the next week arena's are filled with 3:16 signs and shirts and sets the wheels in motion for the Texas Rattlesnake,the guy we should be booing but cant help but cheer.

I'm not saying he wouldnt have been as succesful or popular without it but theres no denying it definitely gave him a push in the right direction.

ShawnRaven

TOPDAWG wrote: »

Austin was a black and white stone wall heel before The Austin 3:16 promo.

He was still a heel, which is why nobody mentioned it.

He was a relative midcarder, following his stint as the Ringmaster, going into the King Of The Ring.

He cuts his victory promo where he drops "Austin 3:16" line, fans go nuts for it and in the next week arena's are filled with 3:16 signs and shirts and sets the wheels in motion for the Texas Rattlesnake,the guy we should be booing but cant help but cheer.

He was still pretty much a midcard heel for months after that. It wouldn't be until his first program with Bret at the 1996 Survivor Series that he was thrown into the main event picture. That's when he was given the cheat win at the Royal Rumble the following year to propel him for Wrestlemania against Bret for the rematch.

I'm not saying he wouldnt have been as succesful or popular without it but theres no denying it definitely gave him a push in the right direction.

Which nobody ever denied though. The subject is about turns that worked.
The 3:16 promo set up an avenue for revenue, but that was about it. It had nothing to do with his heel turn as he came into WWE as a heel to begin with.

RAMPAGE1

Mickie James and Trish Stratus worked really well and elevated Mickie before Trish left