10 WWE Wrestlers Who Benefited Most From Turning Heel

It's easy to look back at Shawn Michaels' early days with the belief that a wrestler of his talent was always destined for the main event.

But with a slew of burly body-builder-types standing between him and the brass ring - this is pre-steroid scandal WWF, don't forget - it could have been different had HBK not seized the opportunity after parting ways with erstwhile tag team partner Marty Jannetty in the early '90s.

While Shawn was in equal parts effective as a face and a heel, it was his character's brash attitude - coupled with one of the most memorable heel turns in wrestling history - that set him apart from others of his size, and ultimately gave him the impetus to punch above his weight in his pursuit of the WWE Championship.