Worst Turns in Wrestling History

[JaymeFuture]

So, for this weeks podcast, we're looking at the Worst Turns in wrestling history, and we want to get some feedback on which ones you think rank at the bottom.

Which turn from face to heel or vice versa stands out to you as the all-time worst? You can base it on the conception of the idea or the execution itself, but we'd like to know WHY you consider it the all-time worst.

As always, the best contributions will be read on the show and you'll be credited accordingly. So what's your pick? Is it an obvious one like Austin at Mania 17, or is there one that personally bothered you more as a fan?

 

EDIT - The show discussing the Worst Turns in Wrestling History, featuring many of your contributions, is now available at the following link: https://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/download/n2pm9r/SCG_Radio_135_-_The_Worst_Turns_in_Wrestling_History.mp3

[KawadaSmile]

Does Rollins coming back from injury at MitB 2016 to a huge ovation, and still being treated as a heel count? If not, his horrible face turn when Triple H fucked him over at joined sides with Kevin Owens. Months of just him being a bitter asshole to everyone and his motivation being "I'm not being favored anymore so everything sucks".

 

It's a double whammy.

[Mad Dog]

Goldberg in WCW was an epic failure.

[Boss Rock]

I remember one I absolutely hated when I was younger was Matt Hardy turning on Jeff in 2009. Being a huge fan of Jeff, seeing him chase the title for a year, finally get his big win, and then drop it almost immediately to do this feud with Matt while we got another Orton-Triple H match at Mania was infuriating.

[C.S.]

Ahmed Johnson joining the Nation, only for them to turn on him within weeks. Two turns from the same guy in the span of a month or so. Just awful.

 

Miz turning face years after that was a good idea.

 

Alberto turning face.

 

Eddie Guerrero's heel turn on Tajiri sucked and didn't stick.

 

Buff Bagwell turning or remaining heel after coming back from a career-ending injury by aligning or re-aligning with Scot Steiner (I can't remember the details).

 

Austin's heel turn. Other than some memorable Alliance burial segments, it sucked.

[Mrzfn]

Goldberg in WCW was an epic failure.

 

This is the first one that came to mind. Not just turning heel against what everybody wanted to see, but doing so by hugging Russo and Bischoff and offering no discernible reason for his actions.

[Hawkeye12]

Goldberg and Ahmed were the two I thought of immediately, and it's not turning heel that was so bad as much as the quick reversal back to face right back where they started with nothing gained. The Road Warriors brief heel turn in late 1988 probably fits that same role, but at least they finally got their deserved tag title reign out of it The crowd wasn't going to stop cheering the Road Warriors, especially when they killed the Midnight Express and Cornette who'd only barely flipped babyface themselves to win the titles themselves.

 

And since he's in my avatar, Ronnie Garvin turning heel on Dusty could've been so much fun, but went nowhere since he left before they did anything with it. Probably not bad enough to qualify for this category though.

[peachchaos]

Slaughter's face turn after turning on his country and going to war with Hulkamania was pretty pathetic.

[Mrzfn]

Goldberg turning back to a face was almost as bad, it's true, because he did it by giving a shooty shoot promo where he basically just said he didn't like playing a heel. Good god that was a dark time.

[CarpetCrawler]

Slaughter's face turn after turning on his country and going to war with Hulkamania was pretty pathetic.

 

"I WANT MY COUNTRY BACCCCCCKKKKKKKK" is one of the most oft-repeated running gags I have with my friends.

[Mrzfn]

Speaking of guys betraying their country, Jim Duggan joining Team Canada was pretty damn stupid, as was him coming back to America shortly because why not?

[C.S.]

Slaughter's face turn after turning on his country and going to war with Hulkamania was pretty pathetic.

 

"I WANT MY COUNTRY BACCCCCCKKKKKKKK" is one of the most oft-repeated running gags I have with my friends.

 

I liked this. I thought those vignettes were very memorable and effective.

 

But Slaughter being pushed down to the bottom of the card made the whole thing a waste of time.

[Boss Rock]

Orton turning face in 2004. The thumbs-down moment was definitely memorable, but it was all down-hill from there. He was just never believable as a clean-cut good guy.

[C.S.]

Orton turning face in 2004. The thumbs-down moment was definitely memorable, but it was all down-hill from there. He was just never believable as a clean-cut good guy.

 

It didn't help that Orton lost the title a month later to Triple H. That's really what killed it.

[With Coil]

Rikishi.

 

Super over to complete indifference and hearing a rat pissing on cotton. All within a year. Pretty impressive.

 

Somebody mentioned JIm Duggan and Team Canada.. I found Duggan to be quite entertaining in that role for some reason. Could see the turn coming a mile away. I'd add Major Gunn's turn being pretty whatever as well.

[The Thread Killer]

I came into this topic to mention three turns, Goldberg, Ahmed Johnson and Rikishi and I see that all three have already been mentioned.

 

Can we add a subcategory for those who have turned so often that it has pretty much killed their career and made the fans lose all interest in them for the most part? We're looking at you, Big Show. Heel/face turns are only effective if you're emotionally invested in the character - if they redeem themselves by doing something heroic or hurt the fans by turning their back and doing something selfish. If the character has flip-flopped so many times that nobody cares about the person anymore, just expecting them to turn again...what's the point?

 

Then again, the heel/face distinction seems to be dying thanks to VKM which is one of the things that is really hurting the business right now, in my opinion.

[Richeyedwards]

There are a bunch from 1999, The Hogan vs flair double turn after which WCW fell off a cliff ratings wise not after the finger poke of doom like wwe put across in their 'documentaries'

 

The Hogan and sting turn from late summer 1999, after fall brawl sting was supposed to be lead heel but within a month and a half he was babyface again because nobody wanted to boo him, also during this run he beat Hogan in 3 seconds at Halloween Havoc after Hogan laid down for him and he then lost to Goldberg in 3 minutes at the end of the show.

 

JR turning heel for a few weeks in early 1999.

 

The Goldberg 2000 one is obvious as others have said.

 

And finally edge from 2010, He got a huge pop at the rumble but then his build to mania to face jericho was just the repetition of the word "spear" ad nauseam, he was always a pretty poor babyface but this was awful.

[Mrzfn]

And finally edge from 2010, He got a huge pop at the rumble but then his build to mania to face jericho was just the repetition of the word "spear" ad nauseam, he was always a pretty poor babyface but this was awful.

 

Really glad you mentioned that one. There are times I like Edge quite a bit but that turn was seriously, deeply painful on every level.

[Boss Rock]

A.J's heel turn in 2010 that led him to becoming the new "Nature Boy". Just a really bad fit for him. I've actually hated all of A.J's heel runs with the exception of Bullet Club and his turn in WWE. Seemed like he had a much better idea of who he wanted to be and how to convey that on the mic.

[Matt D]

I thought Miz was more or less ready for the face turn when it happened. The crowd was ready for it too. The issue was the execution. If you go back and watch that Survivor Series, he's super over but then just gets eliminated. If they had let him carry his side, he would have had a lot more momentum out of the gate. Obviously, what they did later with Flair was outright bad, but it could have had a much better start.

[El-P]

A.J's heel turn in 2010 that led him to becoming the new "Nature Boy". Just a really bad fit for him.

 

As soon as Russo got back in TNA in 2006, he turned AJ Styles from a super over babyface main eventer into a stupid tag-along heel. It's amazing that AJ managed to actually make it work, it's a testament to his talent, really. But the turn really sucked when it happened and made no sense whatsoever.

 

I always thought Tatanka (yeah, old-school), once the turn was done (which was excellent in build in execution) went from hot babyface to just totally blah in a matter of weeks.

[The Man in Blak]

Does Rollins coming back from injury at MitB 2016 to a huge ovation, and still being treated as a heel count? If not, his horrible face turn when Triple H fucked him over at joined sides with Kevin Owens. Months of just him being a bitter asshole to everyone and his motivation being "I'm not being favored anymore so everything sucks".

 

It's a double whammy.

 

I'd actually say it's a triple whammy because I feel like his original heel turn that broke up the Shield is a candidate for this discussion as well.

[Boss Rock]

 

A.J's heel turn in 2010 that led him to becoming the new "Nature Boy". Just a really bad fit for him.

 

As soon as Russo got back in TNA in 2006, he turned AJ Styles from a super over babyface main eventer into a stupid tag-along heel. It's amazing that AJ managed to actually make it work, it's a testament to his talent, really. But the turn really sucked when it happened and made no sense whatsoever.

 

I always thought Tatanka (yeah, old-school), once the turn was done (which was excellent in build in execution) went from hot babyface to just totally blah in a matter of weeks.

 

 

Lackey A.J. is literally one of my least favorite runs in all of wrestling.

[KawadaSmile]

 

Does Rollins coming back from injury at MitB 2016 to a huge ovation, and still being treated as a heel count? If not, his horrible face turn when Triple H fucked him over at joined sides with Kevin Owens. Months of just him being a bitter asshole to everyone and his motivation being "I'm not being favored anymore so everything sucks".

 

It's a double whammy.

 

I'd actually say it's a triple whammy because I feel like his original heel turn that broke up the Shield is a candidate for this discussion as well.

 

Possible too. It's even worse because it had no reason to happen, since they beat Evolution twice in two gigantic matches, so what reason Seth had to turn on them? It led to an awful title reign, too.

[iamthedoctor]

Goldberg in WCW was an epic failure.

 

Yes because no one wanted to see it happen.