11 WWE Heels That Were So Good They Became Babyfaces

2. Kurt Angle

Debuting as the epitome of a white meat babyface, Kurt Angle was the all-American Olympian who kissed babies and hugged grandmas. The problem was, at that point in time the audience was past the whiter-than-white act, and as such Angle was roundly booed out of every arena he performed in. Before long, Kurt was on the reaches of the top of the card as one of the best heels in the company. By sticking with his Integrity, Intelligence and Intensity, he would capture the WWF Championship less than a year after his in-ring debut. Even though he was now regarded as a top guy, it was Angle€™s face turn during the Invasion angle that highlighted how good he could be in that lead babyface role. Kurt would become the milk-drinking, ass-kicking American hero in the aftermath of 9/11 and defeat Steve Austin for the WWF Championship at Unforgiven 2001. It was a genuine feel good moment during a tough time. Angle was the perfect choice for the gig. The face act wouldn€™t last, but he€™d go on to become even more popular during his time on the Smackdown brand. By this stage, his popularity was based as much on how amazing his in-ring work was as much as it was because of his character. After more fantastic Angle/Benoit matches, Kurt€™s 2003 feud with Brock Lesnar was one that wowed many, with the pair putting on wrestling clinics and Angle€™s character becoming a true wrestling machine as he even made the mighty Lesnar tap out at SummerSlam that year.
Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.