10 Most Shocking Wrestling Heel Turns

He's sold his soul to the devil.

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WWE.com

We were promised something big at last week's Hell in a Cell, and - apart from Shane McMahon nearly dying after an insane leap off the structure's roof (which was written in the stars) - we got it.

Sami Zayn, long-time friend and latterly, adversary, of Kevin Owens, made the shocking decision to turn his back on the fans who supported him through thick and thin, shocking the world* by pulling KO out of harm's way and towards victory instead.

While today's shock-jock booking means wrestling fans must prepare themselves to watch just about anyone (John Cena excepted) make a deal with the devil, heel turns still have the ability to shock like nothing else.

There's just something innately disturbing about seeing a former warrior of the light, who once spoke of their kinship with the fans and disdain for anyone who defied the rule book, laughing maniacally as they finally snap.

*Except, obviously, for the part of the world who were actually in Detroit's Little Caesars Arena, most of whom presumably saw Zayn, without a disguise, lurking at the foot of the announce table the whole time.

10. R-Truth Bums A Smoke

Communal sing-alongs aside, R-Truth has always been better (read: less annoying) as a heel than a face - evidence of which was found during his run with TNA, in between the two WWE stints for which he is better known.

His 2011 turn still came as a surprise, though. Having been on a hard-luck losing streak, the erstwhile US Champion had neither the momentum nor, seemingly - having shown few signs of frustration in the build-up - much of a motive to go rogue.

But this actually made sense. When you've got nothing, as Bob Dylan famously noted, you've got nothing to lose - and it was only after seeing the chance to make real his main event dreams slip agonisingly through his fingers, with defeat to John Morrison in a number one contender's match on Raw, that he snapped.

After laying waste to his former tag team partner in an unprovoked assault (and this is one of the rare instances where the word assault - with Morrison getting his skull drilled into the barriccade - really is apt), Truth bummed a cigarette from a member of the UK crowd, and lit up whilst kneeling over The Shaman of Sexy's mangled carcas.

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