10 Wrestling Swerves That Actually Worked

1. Hulk Hogan Is The Third Man (WCW Bash At The Beach 1996)

"We have seen the end of Hulkamania. Hulk Hogan, you can go to hell..."

Tony Schiavone deserves a medal for that on-the-fly call after Hulk Hogan turned his back on red and yellow to embrace the coming monochrome of the nWo. In a moment that'd make WCW's Bash The Beach 1996 show immortal, Hulk ambled down the aisle to fend off the invading Outsiders, then dropped a leg on Randy Savage to enliven his career.

Garbage came from the stands, fans booed mercilessly and the Hogan/Nash/Hall trio lapped up every bit of it in-ring as they kicked off New World Order domination. It was a swerve from nowhere that changed the industry, and it turned Hogan from fading 80s babyface relic into white hot 90s heel. He doesn't get nearly enough credit for the balls it took to take such a risk.

Despite collapsing under the weight of its own sustained success, 'Hulkamania' still had fans, and it was still making Hogan money when he decided to f*ck his loyal fanbase and go rogue for the first time since the early-80s. As the mysterious "third man", Hulk was in his element.

What other swerves do you recall that actually worked? Let us know down in the comments section below!