10 Things In WWE That Started Awful But Turned Out Great
5. John Laurinaitis
Sure, John Laurinaitis was always pretty awful, but over time he became a good awful; an effective and comical heel that is somehow remembered fondly.
Laurinaitis may never have appeared on WWE television had he not been called out by CM Punk during his universally-acclaimed "pipe bomb" promo. Nevertheless, he became an on-screen authority figure in 2011. A total charisma vacuum with no discernable acting ability, Laurinaitis sucked the life out of any segment he was a part of. While he did get quite a lot of heat from fans, it was less "you're an effective heel" heat and more "get out of WWE" heat.
Somehow, however, this all changed over time.
Although he never improved on the microphone, he became more aware that he was a punchline, steered directly into the fans' hatred, and started having more fun in the role. The "go away" heat became real heel heat, and today he is remembered not as a legitimately-hated man, but as an authority figure that we loved to hate.
People Power!