11 Weird Heel Turns WWE Icons Would Like You To Forget
3. Jim Ross Turns To The Dark Side
Without doubt one of the most beloved figures in wrestling history, 'Good Ol' J.R.' has largely found himself in babyface territory throughout much of his legendary time in the business.
However, on a number of occasions during his WWE run, the company did actually try to get the cowboy hat-wearing icon over as a figure to be booed.
The first attempt went down in 1996, with Jim Ross announcing that he'd found a way to bring a recently departed Razor Ramon and Diesel back to the promotion and expressing his anger over being sacked by Vince McMahon a few years earlier just after his first attack of Bell's Palsy.
He'd also suggest that he was the person responsible for many of the fans' favourites leaving McMahon's company around that time. But fans weren't into the bitter J.R. character - actually cheering him on during his September 23 worked-shoot promo aimed at McMahon - or odd fake Diesel and Razor storyline at all.
So, the heel character was dropped soon enough. But WWE once again stupidly opted to give a villainous J.R. another try in 1999.
After returning to the company after another bout of Bell's Palsy, a once again incredibly resentful Ross this time took his frustrations out on Michael Cole, feeling the young commentator had taken his job.
The sound of cheers as J.R. smacked Cole in-between the legs was a sign of things to come, though, as folks simply would not turn their backs on the voice of wrestling, now managing 'Dr. Death' Steve Williams, in the weeks that followed.
This peculiar heel character was once again scrapped in no time at all.