10 Wrestler Heel Turns That Made No Logical Sense In WWE

Summary

This video script discusses the concept of a 'heel turn' in WWE, where a wrestler switches from a fan-favorite to a villainous character. It highlights the importance of a clear motive for such a transition to be successful. The script then enumerates 10 of the most confusing and nonsensical heel turns in WWE history, including those of Jim Ross, Mick Foley, Kane, Braun Strowman, Michael Cole, The Big Show, Dean Ambrose, Rikishi, The Undertaker, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Each example is critiqued for its lack of logic or fan support, showing how poorly executed heel turns can damage a wrestler's character and the overall wrestling product.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ A compelling heel turn in wrestling requires a clear motive and fan understanding.
• 📉 Some heel turns in WWE history have been nonsensical, leaving fans confused.
• 🎙️ Jim Ross's heel turn in 1999 was baffling and failed to resonate with fans.
• 🤕 Mick Foley's 2006 heel turn was short-sighted and didn't align with his retiring status.
• 😈 Kane's 2011 heel turn was questioned by fans, as it ignored his feud with Mark Henry.
• 🦸‍♂️ Braun Strowman's 2018 heel turn was poorly justified and led to character damage.
• 🎤 Michael Cole's 2010 heel turn as a commentator was random and dominated TV time.
• 🤔 The Big Show's 2014 heel turn was predictable and lacked a fresh explanation.
• 😡 Dean Ambrose's 2018 heel turn was exploitive and failed to engage fans.
• 🚗 Rikishi's 2000 heel turn was puzzling and didn't fit with his popular character.
• ☠️ The Undertaker's 2001 heel turn was a misstep, as he was better suited as a babyface.
• 🍺 Stone Cold Steve Austin's 2001 heel turn was shocking but ultimately damaging to WWE's product.

Q & A

What is a 'heel turn' in professional wrestling?

A 'heel turn' in professional wrestling refers to the transition of a wrestler from a 'face' or good guy character to a 'heel' or bad guy character. It is a significant event that can create new storylines and rivalries.

Why was Jim Ross's heel turn in 1999 considered nonsensical?

Jim Ross's heel turn in 1999 was considered nonsensical because, despite being a beloved commentator, WWE portrayed him as a heel upon his return from health issues. His character complained about being disrespected by the company, which did not resonate with fans who expected a hero's welcome.

What was Mick Foley's role in WWE before his 2006 heel turn?

Before his 2006 heel turn, Mick Foley was widely celebrated as a 'Babyface' in WWE, known for his heroic character and fan-favorite status.

Why did WWE decide to turn Mick Foley heel in 2006?

WWE decided to turn Mick Foley heel in 2006 as part of a storyline where he joined forces with Edge to take down Tommy Dreamer and Terry Funk. However, the turn did not receive a positive reaction from fans.

What was the issue with Kane's heel turn in 2011?

The issue with Kane's heel turn in 2011 was that instead of seeking revenge on Mark Henry, who had taken him out of action, Kane returned as a heel and attacked John Cena. This decision left fans questioning the logic behind the turn.

How did Braun Strowman's character evolve between 2016 and 2018?

Between 2016 and 2018, Braun Strowman was a popular WWE character who was pushed towards a babyface turn due to fan support. However, WWE abruptly turned him heel in 2018, which was short-lived and led to a loss of momentum for his character.

What was the rationale behind Michael Cole's heel turn in 2010?

Michael Cole's heel turn in 2010 was based on his real-life sarcastic personality. WWE capitalized on this trait and turned him into a vocal cheerleader for WWE Champion, The Miz, and entered him into a feud with Jerry Lawler.

Why was The Big Show's heel turn in 2014 considered ridiculous?

The Big Show's heel turn in 2014 was considered ridiculous because he turned on Team Cena by knocking out Cena, which was a move WWE had used many times before, making it feel unoriginal and not special.

What was the controversy surrounding Dean Ambrose's heel turn in 2018?

Dean Ambrose's heel turn in 2018 was controversial because it happened on the same episode of Raw when Roman Reigns announced his leukemia diagnosis and surrendered the Universal title. The timing of the turn was seen as exploitative and the subsequent heel run was a failure.

Why did Rikishi's heel turn in 2000 not work well with the fans?

Rikishi's heel turn in 2000 did not work well because he was a popular character and fans did not want to see him as a heel. His explanation for turning heel, doing it for The Rock to give him a shot at stardom, was flawed as The Rock was already a big star.

What was the main issue with The Undertaker's heel turn in 2001?

The main issue with The Undertaker's heel turn in 2001 was that it did not align with his character's persona, which worked best as a babyface. Fans were reluctant to boo such a compelling character, and WWE eventually reverted him back to a babyface.

Why is Stone Cold Steve Austin's heel turn in 2001 considered one of the most nonsensical in WWE history?

Stone Cold Steve Austin's heel turn in 2001 is considered nonsensical because it involved him siding with his mortal enemy, Vince McMahon, which defied logic. Fans were not tired of Austin as a babyface, and the turn did severe damage to the WWE product, leading some fans to switch off.

Outlines

00:00

🤼‍♂️ Top 10 Confusing Heel Turns in WWE History

The video script discusses the concept of a 'heel turn' in professional wrestling, where a wrestler switches from a hero (face) to a villain (heel) character. It emphasizes the importance of a clear motive for such a transition to be convincing to the audience. The script then introduces a countdown of the 10 most nonsensical heel turns in WWE history, promising to explore these unexpected and confusing character shifts. It also encourages viewers to subscribe for daily wrestling content and to follow on social media for exclusive lists, while teasing the new channel 'WrestleMania Shorts'.

05:00

😮 A List of Infamous Heel Turns in WWE

This paragraph delves into a detailed recount of 10 specific heel turns that were confusing or poorly executed in WWE history. It starts with Jim Ross's 1999 heel turn, which was not well received by fans, and continues with Mick Foley's 2006 turn that failed due to his retirement and lack of fan support. Kane's 2011 return as a heel without seeking revenge on Mark Henry is also mentioned, along with Braun Strowman's abrupt heel turn in 2018 that was short-lived. Michael Cole's 2010 heel turn as a commentator is highlighted as random and dominating TV time, while The Big Show's 2014 heel turn is criticized for being overused. Dean Ambrose's 2018 heel turn is described as mishandled and exploitive, leading to his character's quick reversal. Rikishi's 2000 heel turn is noted for its puzzling nature, and The Undertaker's 2001 heel turn is mentioned for its lack of necessity. Finally, Stone Cold Steve Austin's 2001 heel turn is discussed as a shocking and nonsensical move that damaged the WWE product. The paragraph concludes by inviting viewers to comment on the list and promising more wrestling content in future videos.

Keywords

💡Heel turn

A 'heel turn' refers to the narrative shift in professional wrestling where a wrestler who was previously a 'babyface' (good guy) becomes a 'heel' (bad guy). This is a pivotal moment in a wrestler's career and storyline, often used to generate heat or controversy. In the video's context, it discusses several instances where heel turns were confusing or nonsensical, such as Jim Ross's 1999 heel turn where he was portrayed as feeling disrespected by the company despite being a beloved commentator.

💡Babyface

A 'babyface' is a term used in professional wrestling to describe a wrestler who is portrayed as a hero or a 'good guy.' They are the characters that the audience is meant to cheer for. The video discusses Mick Foley's 2006 heel turn, which was confusing to fans as Foley had been widely celebrated as a babyface for much of his career.

💡WWE

WWE, or World Wrestling Entertainment, is the largest professional wrestling promotion company globally. It is the primary context for the video, which discusses various heel turns within the WWE. The company's decisions on character turns are a central theme, as seen with Kane's unexpected heel turn in 2011.

💡Jim Ross

Jim Ross, often referred to as 'JR,' is a legendary commentator in professional wrestling, particularly known for his work in WWE. The script mentions his 1999 heel turn, which was confusing to fans as it was a stark contrast to his usual beloved persona.

💡Mick Foley

Mick Foley is a retired professional wrestler and a prominent figure in WWE history. Known for his charisma and in-ring performances, Foley's 2006 heel turn is highlighted in the script as an example of a poorly received character change.

💡Kane

Kane is a professional wrestling character and performer in WWE, known for his intimidating persona and storylines. The script discusses his 2011 heel turn, which was confusing as it did not align with the expected revenge storyline against Mark Henry.

💡Braun Strowman

Braun Strowman is a professional wrestler who gained popularity in WWE for his strength and character. The video mentions his abrupt heel turn in 2018, which was seen as a weak explanation and led to a loss of momentum for his character.

💡Michael Cole

Michael Cole is a commentator in WWE, who traditionally holds a babyface role. However, the script discusses his 2010 heel turn, which was a significant departure from the norm and was used to explore Cole's sarcastic on-screen personality.

💡The Big Show

The Big Show, also known as Paul Wight, is a professional wrestler known for his size and in-ring presence. The video mentions his heel turn in 2014, which was seen as nonsensical due to the character's history and frequent changes.

💡Dean Ambrose

Dean Ambrose, whose real name is Jon Moxley, is a professional wrestler who had a notable heel turn in 2018. The script describes this turn as mishandled, as it was perceived as exploitative and led to a character that did not resonate with fans.

💡Rikishi

Rikishi is a retired professional wrestler known for his entertaining character and dance moves. The script discusses his 2000 heel turn, which was confusing to fans as it was a stark contrast to his popular babyface persona.

💡The Undertaker

The Undertaker is a legendary WWE character known for his mysterious and compelling persona. The video mentions his 2001 heel turn, which was a departure from his usual babyface role and was ultimately reversed due to fan preference.

💡Stone Cold Steve Austin

Stone Cold Steve Austin is one of the most iconic wrestlers in WWE history. His 2001 heel turn at WrestleMania 17 is highlighted in the script as a shocking and unexpected moment, despite being a character change that did not resonate well with fans.

Highlights

A strong heel turn in wrestling requires a clear motive and fan understanding.

WWE has had both successful and nonsensical heel turns in its history.

Jim Ross's 1999 heel turn was confusing and failed to resonate with fans.

Mick Foley's 2006 heel turn was short-sighted and didn't make sense for his character.

Kane's 2011 heel turn was questioned by fans due to its lack of connection to his previous storyline.

Braun Strowman's 2018 heel turn was poorly justified and led to a loss of momentum.

Michael Cole's 2010 heel turn as a commentator was random and controversial.

The Big Show's 2014 heel turn was seen as repetitive and unimpressive.

Dean Ambrose's 2018 heel turn was exploitive and failed to engage fans.

Rikishi's 2000 heel turn was puzzling and didn't align with his popularity.

The Undertaker's 2001 heel turn was a misstep that didn't fit his character.

Stone Cold Steve Austin's 2001 heel turn was shocking but ultimately confusing and damaging.

Heel turns can significantly impact a wrestler's character and fan reception.

WWE's decisions on heel turns have varied in logic and success.

Fans' reactions to heel turns are crucial for their success.

Some heel turns have been abandoned after negative fan responses.

WWE has a history of turning commentators and other non-wrestling characters heel.

Transcripts

what makes for a strong captivating heel

turn well the wrestler who is turning

heel should have a clear motive in

reasoning for turning to the dark side

and fan should be able to rationally

understand that heel turn however whilst

there have been some tremendously

executed heel turns in WWE history from

The Rock's 1998 Hilton to Seth Rollins's

2014-10 WWE have also delivered their

fair share of nonsensical turns that

have ultimately left fans scratching

their heads join us now as WrestleMania

looks at 10 of the most confusing

nonsensical heel turns in WWE be sure to

subscribe and hit that notification Bell

for daily wrestling videos and follow us

on Facebook for exclusive lists also

check out our new channel WrestleMania

shorts

[Music]

number 10. Jim Ross in 1999. a Jim Ross

is well established as one of if not the

greatest commentator in pro wrestling

history Jr has always been beloved by

the fans but WWE have attempted to

portray Jr as a heel on two separate

occasions the first turn was in 96 which

was a complete disaster but it was the

heel turned in 1999 that completely

baffled fans in 1999 JL was forced to

take time off due to the Resurgence of

his Bell's palsy and in the meantime he

would be replaced by Michael Cole

instead of giving Jr a hero's welcome

upon his return WWE for whatever reason

would turn him heal he would cut promos

about how nobody cared about him and how

the company had disrespected him but the

fans failed to react positively to this

new version of his character Jr would

even begin to manage Dr Death Steve

Williams set up his own commentary table

at ringside but both of these ideas

bombed WWE eventually decided to abandon

the heel turn and jiah would once again

become the iconic it commentator fans

knew and loved at WrestleMania 15. 9.

Mick Foley in 2006 for much of his

career in WWE Mick Foley was a widely

celebrated Babyface but in 2006 WWE

decided to turn Foley heal shortly after

Foley's Acclaim match with Edge at

WrestleMania 22 WWE would decide to join

Foley and Edge together and the two

would put aside their bad blood in favor

of attempting to take down Tommy Dreamer

and Terry Funk this heel turned failed

to receive a positive reaction as fans

just didn't want to boo Foley especially

because he was virtually retired and

this was a short-term appearance WWE

evidently believed that the heel turn

was going well as he decided to keep

Foley as a villain during his Infamous

Feud with Ric Flair which took place in

the summer of that year Foley's 2006

heel turn was short-sighted and it's

unclear what WWE's logic was behind the

turn number 8 Kane in 2011 when Kane was

taken out of action by Mark Henry in the

summer 2011 fans expected Kane to come

back with avenge and seek revenge on the

World's Strongest Man when Kane

eventually returned in late 2011 during

a match between Henry and John Cena Kane

returned with his classic look of

bringing his iconic mask back into the

process however there was one issue with

Kane's return Kane returned as a heel

and decided to attack Cena instead of

Henry Kane returning with his classic

look was tremendous and was a welcome

change to Kane's still character but

fans were quick to question why Kane

simply wasn't bothering with his revenge

he would then embark on an extended Feud

with Cena and the perceived issue

between Kane and Henry was never

mentioned again number 7 Braun strowman

in 2018 between 2016 and 2018 WWE truly

struck gold with Braun strowman strowman

was a WWE created character and there

was a clear push from fans to see him

win the world title due to strowman's

immense popularity he eventually turned

Babyface but just a few short months

following his face turn WWE would

abruptly turned Stroman back into a heel

this took place in 2018 this strowman

would join forces with Drew McIntyre and

Dolph Ziggler with the aim of taking

down the shield faction strowman

Justified his heel turn by saying that

he wanted the universal title and that

he wasn't bothered about the fans

ultimately this was a weak explanation

and this heal term was a major factor in

strowman losing a ton of momentum in the

company this heal time would barely last

two months before WWE managed to see the

error of their ways and would turn

stroma back into a baby face the issue

was that the damage was already done and

WWE had done irreversible damage to

strowman's character number six Michael

Cole in 2010 in WWE traditionally the

lead play-by-play commentator is a baby

face however in 2010 they decided to

turn long time commentator Michael Cole

Hill Cole would turn into a vocal

cheerleader for WWE Champion them is and

eventually he would enter into a feud

with Jerry Lawler this heel turn was

insanely random and what was strange

about it was that Cole became a focal

point of the show in his Feud with Lola

dominated TV time specifically around

WrestleMania season are the reason they

tend Coal Hill was that Vince McMahon

realized that coal was incredibly

sarcastic and wanted to explore this

side of coal on television Cole himself

would discuss the heel turn on an

episode of after the bell and he

revealed over the years I would move

into raw where I did take Jr's job on

the flagship show I really became a

major heel Vince McMahon decided Michael

Cohen real life is a sarcastic prick

anyway why not capitalize on this

backlash and make him a bad guy Vince

McMahon used to hold a class at TV about

10 years ago called promo class one day

he threw me up there with our truth

truth and I stole their show at that

point in time Vince was like this guy is

a prick he's a heel it led to about a

two-year run where there was no in

between people either really love the

character or really thought it was this

travesty against everything that was

ever done a play-by-play Guy cannot be a

bad guy he has to be the voice of reason

this is the worst decision that WWE has

ever made number five The Big Show in

2014. the Big Show has had so many Hill

turns in WWE that has become an ongoing

joke however this 10 at the Survivor

Series pay-per-view in 2014 was perhaps

the most ridiculous show was a part of

Team Cena in the acclaimed Cena versus

Team Authority match and show turned

heel by knocking out Cena with a KO

punch this heel turn received an audible

groan from the fans as it was something

that WWE had done so many times which

Show's character that it just didn't

feel special shows explanation for his

heel turn was that he was just looking

out for himself Michelle had spent the

past year feuding with Triple H in the

authority so this explanation left a lot

to be desired number 4 Dean Ambrose one

of the most mishandled heal turns in

recent memory was a 2018 heel turn of

Dean Ambrose on the October 22nd 2018

edition of raw Roman Reigns will reveal

the return of zelukemia and would

surrender the universal title on the

exact same episode of Raw The Shield

would disintegrate as Ambrose would turn

on Seth Rollins fans were quick to raise

questions surrounding why WWE picked

this exact episode of Raw for the heel

turn it came across his exploitive and

the heel run that followed was a total

failure Ambrose would justify the heel

down by stating that the shield made him

weak and Rollins was an illness now fans

had no interest in booing Ambrose and

his new character which involved Ambrose

becoming a moral compass made no sense

and wasn't remotely linked to any of his

prior character traits or quirks the

heel turn went so badly that the WWE

reverted Ambrose back to a baby face

before his final few months in the

company which was a smart move as fans

didn't want to see the former WWE

Champion as a villain it later surface

that this hill run was a major factor in

Ambrose leaving the company as the Hokey

material Ambrose was given made him load

his character and he simply wanted out

number three Rikishi in 2000 the who ran

down Stone Cold Steve Austin's storyline

was one of the most compelling stories

of The Attitude Era however when it was

revealed in 2000 that it was Rikishi who

drove the vehicle fans were left puzzled

Rikishi was one of the most popular

characters on the show at the time so it

wasn't the smartest decision in the

world to turn him heel Rikishi explained

his healed him by stating that he did it

for the rock I wanted to give him a shot

at super stardom by taking out Austin

the explanation was flawed as The Rock

was already a huge star in WWE by the

time Austin was hit by the car rukishi's

Hill Turn flopped hard as fans didn't

want to see Rikishi as a healing by the

end of 2001 he would revert back to The

Lovable Babyface everyone wanted to see

number two The Undertaker in 2001. a WWE

had been reserved in turning the

Undertaker heel the dead man Persona

works best as a baby face and fans have

always been reluctant to boost such a

fascinating and compelling character

however shortly after the invasion

storyline in 2001 came to an end they

decided to experiment with the

Undertaker's Persona and turn him heal

during an Infamous segment The

Undertaker would attack Jim Ross and

force him to kiss the backside of Vince

McMahon Tikka would now have a new

moniker a big evil and the rationale

behind his heel term was that he was

simply looking for respect whilst his

heel turn would produce some outstanding

matches they would realize that taker

was better suited as a baby face and by

the summer of 2002 Tega would once again

be one of the top baby faces in the

company and number one Stone Cold Steve

Austin in 2001. WrestleMania 17 going

off there with Stone Cold Steve Austin

turning heel and siding when Vince

McMahon is one of the most well-known

segments in WWE history this heel turns

stunned fans as nobody saw it coming but

the main problem with this heel term was

that it didn't need to happen fans

weren't tired of Austin as a baby face

and for him to side with his mortal

enemy just defied old sense of logic

Austin has spoken extensively regarding

his regrets with the heel 10 stating

that he wishes it never went down

Austin's heel run that followed was a

confusing mess as Austin would then join

forces with his other arch nemesis in

Triple H and would become a paranoid

lunatic this nonsensical Hilton did

severe damage to the WWE product there's

a lot of fans like Austin's Hilton as

the point that they switched the WWE

product off forever but they have it

folks 10 of the most nonsensical heel

turns ever in WWE be sure to leave your

comments down below and I'll see you

next time with some more wrestling

content

foreign