Carnival Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 I think as we get older and more entrenched in behind-the-scenes news, the less we appreciate the art of a good swerve. This is probably compounded by the criticism of Russo's 10-swerves-a-show writing in the late 90s. But when I was a kid, there was nothing better than when something really shocking happened. One of my favorites will always be the 4 Horsemen turning on Sting at...Clash 10? Ole Anderson is just tremendous as the heavy in this scene. Ric nails Sting with a right hand out of nowhere and a good beatdown commences. It may not even be that special from an objective standpoint, but it hit me at the right age to make an indelible impact. So, what are your favorite surprises and twists from a lifetime of watching wrestling? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheapshot Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 For me, nothing tops Hogan turning at BATB '96 - I know there were rumblings about it leading up to the show, but as a 14 year old who only got the observer from time to time it was a massive shock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 I'm not sure if it was really a "swerve" since Flair had been a tweener for months, but I think it's in the conversation. Flair vs Nikita in the Omni in a cage. The Russians attack Flair. Dusty and the Andersons make the save. Suddenly, Dusty finds himself alone in the cage with the Andersons and they attack him. Flair gets up and it looks like he's going to leave the cage, but he decides to join in on the attack. Fans are trying to climb the cage to get to the heels. Crazy scene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 Between the evoluation of booking and widespread news & rumors online, I'm not sure we get such huge surprises anymore. There's only so much that is kept under wraps long enough that by the time it happens it feels like a genuine surprise. Rock returning on Raw in '11 fits that bill. Personally, I now look forward to and similarly mark out when a storyline is teased and drawn out over time and then actually pays off the way you want to see it happen. Offhand I'm thinking of things like Batista turning face heading into Mania 21, Bryan winning at Summerslam last year, or Punk taking the title at MITB. If you giveme a reason to care and create some doubt as to whether I'll get that payoff, and then deliver it? I will be one happy paying customer. Perhaps this is because of how rushed most angles and feuds are now, as well as no longer expecting an awesome, blowaway payoff that when it does happen it means that much more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 I really like the Halloween Havoc Flair turn in 1995. It's so inevitable. There's no stopping it. Yes, Sting's an idiot, but he's also aware of the possibility. He knows it's coming and the payoff isn't just a new Horsemen but the idea that Flair's gone too far this time and Sting is going to crush him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 Sting really loathed that angle for how it presented him and I can't say I blame him, even though I too loved it. I think him snapping on Flair afterward was done to placate him, and who can blame the guy for wanting something in return? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 Before reading this my knee-jerk answer was "any time Flair tricks Sting". The ultimate time for me is in 1995. “You swerve me Flair and I’ll leave you for dead.” Sting could SEE it coming. Everyone could see it coming. Flair was like "no, this time, THIS time I'm legit". Then he goes and reforms the Horseman with Arn and Pillman when Sting and Flair were tagging and the 3 of them turn on him. Probably my all time favourite swerve because it's so inevitable and funny. EDIT: And now reading the thread I can see others have picked this one out too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peachchaos Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 Kaufman & Hart swerving Lawler is also similar and great on so many levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dooley Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 I was always a fan of "The Perfect Hoax". Mr. Perfect spends a couple of months stealing HHH's women from ringside, leading to a match between them on Raw. HHH "injures" Perfect in the back beforehand, leading Mero to tke his place and put his IC belt on the line. Perfect turns on Mero, HHH wins the title and the two cackling heels leave together. Loved the execution, Perfect was great especially in the pre-match for Mero-HHH where he's talking up Mero but also volunteering his title to be on the line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goc Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 The angle ended up being what caused Perfect to leave WWF because when WWF promoted a HHH vs. Mr. Perfect match, Lloyds of London decided that was cause to cancel Perfect's disability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Migs Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 The Sandman blinding angle from ECW in '94 still gets me to this day. Just an epic performance by all involved, and the moment where he whips off the bandages gets such an incredible reaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 I wouldn't say it's my favorite, but Cena coming back as #30 in the Rumble was a legit surprise in the internet era. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busterira Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 Ole Anderson turns on Dusty Rhodes in 1980 is my favorite heel turn of all time. Ole was fantastic in the interview with Solie as they were recapping it on GCW. One of the all time great gems of the territory era. I also remember being completely blown away when Nikita came out with Dusty after Magnum TA's crash in late 1986. In the end I think his career was hurt by it. I think Nikita was better as a monster heel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR Ackermann Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 Lawler showing up in ECW at Wrestlepalooza and taking out half the roster with RVD and Sabu. I didn't see it when it happened, but I had the show on dvd when I was a kid and had no idea idea it was going to happen. The whole sequence it set up with Taz fighting Sabu and then Douglas was so exciting and I used to watch it all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peachchaos Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 Yeah, the "suite" from WrestlePalooza '97 is probably the best hour of action ECW ever produced, with the Lawler appearance absolutely being the most exciting moment in company history. ECW also had the return of Raven in NYC on the second episode of TNN, which was pretty awesome. A few months later, The Sandman returned in another fun moment. And though it wasn't a surprise to anyone, Rick Rude's reveal at Barely Legal is just so well-done I mark out every time. And Sid's debut at Guilty as Charged '99. Pillman in '96. Taz going heel at N2R '95 and siding with Fonzie. Rude bringing out Bigelow to take the title from Douglas in '97, which culminated in Bigelow turning on Taz and rejoining the group, ala Horsemen/Sting. The Return of the Funker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Death From Above Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 WWE working the internet that one year about Cena being injured and unable to go, only for him to be a surprise Royal Rumble entrant and winner, was pretty damn great. They had mainstream media, all the boards, everyone fooled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dooley Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 The angle ended up being what caused Perfect to leave WWF because when WWF promoted a HHH vs. Mr. Perfect match, Lloyds of London decided that was cause to cancel Perfect's disability. Is that true? He didn't really do anything physical that would disprove a disability claim. Even if it was true, why would that make him leave WWF? He was in WCW six months later & wrestling, one has to think he could have done that in WWF had he so desired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 If you're a WON subscriber, the full story is in one of the most recently posted classic WONs. There's a little more to it than that. It wasn't specifically promotion of the match, but rather that I think the WWF may have tipped off Lloyds that Hennig was preparing for an in-ring comeback. I don't remember exact details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alucard Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 Yeah, the "suite" from WrestlePalooza '97 is probably the best hour of action ECW ever produced, with the Lawler appearance absolutely being the most exciting moment in company history. ECW also had the return of Raven in NYC on the second episode of TNN, which was pretty awesome. A few months later, The Sandman returned in another fun moment. And though it wasn't a surprise to anyone, Rick Rude's reveal at Barely Legal is just so well-done I mark out every time. And Sid's debut at Guilty as Charged '99. Pillman in '96. Taz going heel at N2R '95 and siding with Fonzie. Rude bringing out Bigelow to take the title from Douglas in '97, which culminated in Bigelow turning on Taz and rejoining the group, ala Horsemen/Sting. The Return of the Funker. Along the same lines, Scott Hall showing up in ECW is an all time favorite of mine. Agreed on the mentions of Cena at Rumble '08 for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 Shawn Michaels turning on Marty Jannetty on the Barbershop always comes to mind. Also when Randy Savage snapped & turned on Hogan & his "lustful eyes" that he had for Elizabeth...pretty much the angle that turned me into a fan. The Mega-Powers EXPLODE~! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stiva Posted February 11, 2014 Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 For a more modern one along the lines of the Cena return, the Batista heel turn on Rey in 09 (I think) is one that springs to mind as an underrated but well executed one. They lose a tag match, Josh Matthews interviews them and Batista delivers his best mic work ever, slowly turning on Rey in the same way a heavily jacked dude with a hair trigger would. Rey is great as well, begging for his friend to stop but Batista throws him into the barricade (which Rey bumps great for, as you'd expect) and that's that. As is typical with latter 00s WWE, I can't remember a damn thing that came from it (aside from Batista's hugging fat girls promo) but the initial turn is really well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMJ Posted February 11, 2014 Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 All the ones mentioned were fantastic. Here are a few others I thought of... * Jeff Hardy and Ric Flair debuting the same night on the Impact that was live and head-to-head against RAW. We all know how that ended up, but talk about bringing in the "big guns." At the time, Hardy was arguably the number two (or number one) babyface in the US. * Buff Bagwell returning to Nitro, wearing a neckbrace, only to stay heel by (I believe) attacking Rick Steiner (?). I don't recall the exact details, but I remember watching the show with my friends and one of my friends' dad, who lectured us about how Bagwell was a hero and that the neck injury he suffered was super, super serious. When Bagwell ended up ripping off the brace and staying with the nWo, he was pissed. It was awkward. * Paul Bearer turning on The Undertaker at SummerSlam 96'. I was actually there for this event and, at age 12, a big Taker fan. The final minute of this match was something I never expected. It also makes me wonder - did ANYONE predict this finish? I didn't know anything about dirtsheets or the nascent RSPW board (?) at the time, but was there a "buzz" about splitting Bearer and Taker at the time? In retrospect, turning Bearer heel was probably the best thing that ever happened to Taker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steenalized Posted February 11, 2014 Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 * Paul Bearer turning on The Undertaker at SummerSlam 96'. I was actually there for this event and, at age 12, a big Taker fan. The final minute of this match was something I never expected. It also makes me wonder - did ANYONE predict this finish? I didn't know anything about dirtsheets or the nascent RSPW board (?) at the time, but was there a "buzz" about splitting Bearer and Taker at the time? In retrospect, turning Bearer heel was probably the best thing that ever happened to Taker. That one was a huge deal to me as a kid and probably the best one I can think of for myself. Mankind scared me (it was the screeching) and Taker was one of my favorites. That turn was big. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.S. Posted February 11, 2014 Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 Some others that I don't think have been mentioned yet: - Bob Backlund "snapping" on Bret Hart was one of my favorite heel turns as a kid. - Jake turning on Ultimate Warrior after a series of bizarre vignettes that seemed like Satanic rituals to me at the time. This turn is obviously notable less for Warrior and more for the incredible Jake/Macho feud that followed. - Crush turning on Macho Man. Great feud but disappointing WrestleMania match (supposedly because HBK and Razor took up more time than they were supposed to - not that anyone is crying over that today, because the Ladder Match was an all-time classic) - The Natural Disasters' face turn that saw Jimmy Hart side with Money Inc. was weird and convoluted, but I liked it. - Jimmy Hart turning face by protecting Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake from Money Inc. - Ahmed Johnson turning heel to join the Nation only to be attacked by them a few weeks later were both equally shocking. Ultimately pointless, but shocking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peachchaos Posted February 11, 2014 Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 Hard to believe Hennig was mentioned with no reference to his face turn in '92. Great stuff. Warrior's return at WMVIII is the feel-good hit of the summer, and something they've never really attempted since. Until Punk returns this year, obviously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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