12 WWE Face & Heel Turns That IMMEDIATELY Backfired
8. Rikishi Did It For The Rock (2000)
WWF boss Vince McMahon was hoping that dancing midcard comedy act (who could wrestle) Rikishi could make a difference to the top line mix in 2000. 'New Generation' faithful will see what we did there. Make a difference, Fatu! Here's the story: Rikishi might've worked as an occasional main-eventer had he stayed true to the babyface persona people had come to know and love, but that wasn't McMahon's plan.
No, he thought outing Kish as the guy who had run over Steve Austin back at Survivor Series 1999 was the best course of action. Worse, Vince installed one of the crummiest/laziest race-related storylines of all time by having Rikishi claim that he "did it for The Rock". Acting Commish and would-be detective Mick Foley was so shocked that his other ear fell off.
OK, not really, but the bottom certainly fell out of federation plans for the big chap from Too Cool.
He bizarrely kept wearing the comedic thong that had captured fan hearts on the undercard, but spliced in some leathers as commentators assured everybody that the big powerhouse was definitely a "Bad Man". It felt half-hearted, and Rikishi never once looked on the level of somebody like 'Stone Cold'. Austin seemed to agree - he battered Kish, then Triple H replaced him in the rivalry as the true genius behind Austin's gritty Survivor Series fate.
Rudderless, Rikishi trundled along as a heel for a while longer before quietly returning to his old dancing gimmick. In truth, and despite being cut short, the heel run had gone on too long anyway. Bloodline-esque "cinema" this was not.