10 Signs Your Favourite Wrestler Was Turning Heel

1. Questions Of The Hart

Cody heel
WWE.com

Truth time.

WWE is a billion dollar entity because Bret Hart made it so, and though it might have taken a number of butterfly effect transitions between ‘The Hitman’s stunningly crafted switch and an era that financially secured Vince McMahon’s company forever, none of it goes down without the masterful arrangement, presentation and performance of Hart’s epic 1997 turn.

WrestleMania 13 is understandably and deservedly lauded as the night absolutely everything changed, but this was far than just a one night job. For months, Hart had tweaked his character to reflect the constant obstacles placed in his way, going from grafter to whinger, and all in the face of an insurgent Stone Cold Steve Austin.

The Royal Rumble captured the thinking magnificently. Austin cheated to win, Hart got mugged off, but fans, announcers and officials just mostly accepted it. He was calling out an administrative sh*tshow and hitting nothing but brick walls for it. 'The Rattlesnake' got what he had coming at the 'Show Of Shows', but, coached by Bret's meticulous detail, the fans had made their choice.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett