10 Wrestling Heel Turns That Never Should Have Happened
Nonsensical switches that flopped spectacularly...
Any good heel turn should reinvigorate the babyface in question, completely refreshing their on screen character and creating opportunities for new feuds and matches. At the same time, a switch to the dark side needs to be handled carefully. Executed clumsily, it can leave any performer fighting an uphill battle against fan apathy and actually hinder that wrestler's inevitable switch back to heroism.
There are also those heel turns that shouldn't have even made it out of creative meetings in the first place. Ideally, whoever came up with these ideas should have been shot a dirty look, before being quietly placed onto gardening leave.
If a wrestler's success as a babyface can't be topped, the best remedy is often just to leave it alone. It's true that any television character requires the refresh button to be hit occasionally, but only when it's clear that they have nothing else to achieve in their current role.
When fan favourites turn prematurely (or suddenly without proper explanation), it can leave them deathly cold. Here are some of the worst offenders in history...
10. AJ Styles (TNA, 2010)
Anybody who believed the 'small' AJ Styles would struggle to make an impact in a WWE traditionally obsessed with size has been proven wrong. 2016 was a banner year for Styles; not only did AJ become WWE Champion, he dragged the likes of Roman Reigns and John Cena to new levels.
Crucially, the man did this all by himself. TNA needed to give AJ that kind of focus back in 2010, rather than crudely trying to make him into their own version of the 'Nature Boy' Ric Flair. Advice and management on screen from Flair would have been fine, but did anybody really need to see Styles hit out with a "woo" or wearing Ric's trademark robes?
Rather than giving fans what they wanted (i.e more phenomenal matches from a true homegrown TNA star), this presentation stripped the once-popular Styles of anything likeable. Suddenly, rather than being a highlight of each show, AJ was a paper-thin parody of Ric Flair.
What a poor decision.