When pulled off properly, few things bring as much excitement to the world of professional wrestling more than a heel turn. Over the years, wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, The Rock, and Stone Cold Steve Austin have turned around their respective careers (and respective companies) when they decided to finally go bad.
Whether it’s in a game-changing WrestleMania match, at a seemingly normal WCW pay-per-view event that immediately becomes the stuff of legends, or deep in the heart of Texas, a well-timed and pulled-off betrayal can be a sight to see. Here are 32 of the most shocking heel turns in professional wrestling history.
Hulk Hogan Forms The NWO
A decade after “Hulkamania” first ran wild on the then-WWF (now WWE), Hulk Hogan’s peak seemed to have come and gone by the mid ‘90s. That all changed on the night of July 6, 1996, when the Hulkster changed the game and joined the NWO alongside Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. Truly, this is a heel turn and a big-time wrestling moment none will ever forget.
Shawn Michaels Throws Marty Jannetty Through The Barbershop Window
Shawn Michaels super-kicking and then throwing his tag team partner, Marty Jannetty, through the barbershop window turned HBK from a talented mid-carder to a massive superstar. Michaels would go on to have one of the most successful careers of any WWE Hall of Famer, even if he had to get his hands dirty.
Stone Cold Sides With Mr. McMahon
Sometimes you have to make a deal with the devil, and that’s exactly what Stone Cold Steve Austin did in the main event of WrestleMania 17, where he allied with longtime foe Mr. McMahon. The image of a bloody Austin shaking hands with his arch-nemesis is one that is still crazy to think about 20-plus years later.
Seth Rollins Turns On The Shield
The Shield – Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose – arrived on the scene in November 2012 and made an immediate impact as one of the craziest and most dominant factions in WWE. But, that all came crashing down in June 2014 when Rollins was revealed to be Triple H’s “Plan B” to stopping the Shield once and for all.
Andre The Giant Joins The Heenan Family
For years, Andre the Giant was one of the WWF’s top babyfaces as well as one of Hulk Hogan’s closest allies. That all ended in February 1987, when the massive French wrestler turned on the Hulkster and aligned with Bobby Heenan and his family. Andre ripping Hogan’s shirt and cross from his body gave the superstar immediate heat.
Roman Reigns Turns Heel In His 2020 Return
Years after being booed mercilessly by crowds around the world, Roman Reigns finally gave into the temptation in August 2020 and returned as a heel when he viciously attacked The Fiend and Braun Strowman and then aligned with Paul Heyman. The shocking and much-needed change led to Reigns’ historic 1,316-day championship run and the creation of the Bloodline, one of the best stables of all time.
Kevin Owens Turns On Sami Zayn
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, wrestling as Kevin Steen and El Generico, respectively, had one of the craziest histories in the indie scene. That history repeated itself in late 2014, when Owens made his NXT debut, congratulated his longtime friend after his NXT Championship victory, and then viciously beat him outside and inside the ring. Talk about a debut.
The Montreal Screwjob
A prime example of when wrestling got a little too real, the “Montreal Screwjob” is still considered one of the most impactful moments in the sport’s history. Though it’s not a traditional heel turn, Vince McMahon forcing referee Earl Hebner to end the match and give Bret Hart’s WWF Championship to Shawn Michaels via a submission that never happened ushered in the legendary Mr. McMahon character.
The WrestleMania 13 DoubleTurn
Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart went into their WrestleMania 13 submission match as a heel and babyface, respectively. But by the time the grueling, blood-soaked bout ended 22 minutes later, the “Texas Rattlesnake” and the “Hitman” pulled off the rare double-turn. Austin refusing to tap out and Hart refusing to let go of the Sharpshooter is an ending like no other.
Stephanie McMahon Sides With Triple H
Long before she and Triple H dominated the WWE landscape as the Authority in the early-to-mid 2010s, Stephanie McMahon was the young, innocent, and loving daughter of Vince McMahon. But, that all changed in late 1999, when Stephanie sided with the D-Generation X leader and kicked off the McMahon-Hemsley Era.
The Rock Becomes Joins The Corporation
Two years after making his WWF debut, The Rock, an on-the-rise babyface at the time, turned heel and joined The Corporation in November 1998. The shocking turn and alignment with Vince McMahon’s authoritarian regime would lead to some of the greatest moments in the young wrestler’s career up to that point.
Tommaso Ciampa Betrays Johnny Gargano
In May 2017, the DIY exploded when Tommaso Ciampa turned on Johnny Gargano in the final moments of NXT TakeOver: Chicago. Just after the main event and while the WWE trademark information was on the screen, the Sicilian Psychopath laid waste to his longtime friend in a shocking display of violence.
The Fabulous Freebirds Turn On The Von Erichs
In December 1982, Kerry Von Erich was inches away from defeating Ric Flair for the WCCW Championship in a steel cage match. But before the hometown hero could secure the victory, Terry Gordy, of the Fabulous Freebirds, slammed the steel door on his head. Not only did it help the Nature Boy win the match, but it also kicked off the legendary Freebird/Von Erich feud.
The Mega Powers Explode
Macho Man Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan had a legendary match at WrestleMania V, but the heel turn that started the feud was just as epic. Bitterly jealous of his partner in the Mega Powers, Savage viciously attacked Hogan backstage in early 1989, which is still shocking decades later.
Dusty Rhodes Joins The NWO
In the months and years following the formation of the NWO, the group was getting larger by the day and even had its own PPV titled “Souled Out.” During the January 1998 event, Dusty Rhodes, to the shock of everyone, revealed he was with NWO when he turned heel on longtime friend Larry Zbyszko.
Mark Henry's 'Retirement' Speech
In June 2013, Mark Henry entered the ring in a salmon-colored suit and told the world he was retiring from wrestling. But things weren’t as they seemed, as Henry used the fake retirement speech to get John Cena to come out so he could attack him and challenge the WWE Champion for his belt.
Scott Steiner Betrays His Brother And Becomes 'Big Poppa Pump'
Scott Steiner, one of the most ridiculous wrestling figures of all time (just look up “Steiner Math”), wasn’t always a brash, heelish, genetic freak. Going into WCW’s SuperBrawl VIII in February 1998, Steiner was a successful tag team wrestler with his real-life brother, Rick. That changed later that night when Scott turned heel on his older brother, a decision that would give birth to “Big Poppa Pump.”
Kevin Owens Attacks Chris Jericho At The 'Festival Of Friendship'
Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho had a fun team in late 2016 and early 2017, but that all came to an end when Owens turned on his mentor and friend during the “Festival of Friendship” on Monday Night Raw. Growing tired of Jericho, Owens attacked with his WWE Universal Championship in a manner that was equally hilarious and sad.
Jake 'The Snake' Roberts Turns On Ultimate Warrior
Though Jake “The Snake” Roberts was mostly known for his heel work, his betrayal of Ultimate Warrior in 1991 was still shocking to say the least. In an absurd scene that looked like something out of a B-movie, Roberts locked his one-time friend in a room where he was bitten by a cobra snake. Sadly, Warrior was fired later that year and the feud never really went anywhere.
Bayley Finally Turns Heel
After spending the majority of her career as a beloved babyface, Bayley shocked the world in September 2019 when she turned heel on Becky Lynch in brutal fashion. All that pent-up rage and frustration came out as she attacked “The Man” with a series of chair shots to the back. A new, meaner, Bayley was born.
Prince Devitt Forms The Bullet Club
Prince Devitt, better known as Finn Balor in WWE, kickstarted one of the most popular stables in all of wrestling in May 2013 when he formed Bullet Club in NJPW. Following a losing effort in a high-profile tag match, Devitt turned on partner Ryusuke Taguchi and unleashed a new attitude as the “Real Rock ‘n Rolla” of the company.
Dean Ambrose Turns On Seth Rollins
Though more than four years had passed since Seth Rollins broke up the Shield, and though they were once again on good terms, Dean Ambrose got his revenge on Rollins in October 2018 during a shocking heel turn. After winning the tag team championship (the same night Roman Reigns stepped away because of leukemia), Ambrose viciously attacked his friend in and outside of the ring.
CM Punk Turns Heel At Raw 1000
Raw 1000 was supposed to be a celebration of WWE’s flagship show. And while that was true for the first two-and-a-half hours, the show ended on an intense note when WWE Champion CM Punk turned his back on the fans by viciously attacking The Rock in the middle of the ring.
Owen Hart Turns On Bret
In 1994, Bret and Owen Hart had one of the best WrestleMania opening matches of all time and a five-star classic a few months later. There were some precursors to the epic feud, but it got started proper at that year’s Royal Rumble when Owen brutalized his older brother after they failed to capture the tag titles.
The Miz Attacks Logan Paul
The Miz has turned heel more than anyone not named Big Show, but the betrayal that was the most surprising was his turn on Logan Paul at WrestleMania 38. What made it even more shocking was the fact the “star-crushing finale” attack on Paul came after the pair won their tag team match.
Hacksaw Jim Duggan Betrays America
Few wrestlers used American patriotism more than Hacksaw Jim Duggan, which is what made his 2000 heel turn in WCW so wild. Breaking the hearts of millions of Americans, Duggan joined Team Canada and carried a Canadian flag opposed to Old Glory for a short time.
Larry Zbyszko Betrays Bruno Sammartino
Larry Zbyszko and Bruno Sammartino are two of the most respected men in the history of wrestling, and the pair were longtime friends. However, Zbyszko had enough in 1980 and turned against his friend/mentor, kicking off a killer and legendary feud.
Cactus Jack Turns On ECW Fans
Of all of Mick Foley’s characters, Cactus Jack has always been the most violent, most aggressive, and most hardcore. Well, shortly after joining ECW in the mid ‘90s, Foley turned on the more hardcore audience when he spotted a sign saying “Cane Dewey” which referenced his 3-year-old son. Though shocking, the turn was justified.
Eddie Guerrero Betrays Rey Mysterio
The late Eddie Guerrero had quite the history with Rey Mysterio. The longtime friends came up around the same time, survived WCW’s cruiserweight division together, and put on killer matches in WWE. But in 2005, that all came to an end when Eddie finally turned heel on Rey, a shocking moment to say the least.
Nikki Bella Double-Crosses Brie Bella
After nearly a decade of being by her twin sister’s side in the WWE ring, Nikki Bella turned against Brie and cost her a victory against Stephanie McMahon at SummerSlam 2014. Following the heel turn, Nikki became a quasi-member of the Authority faction for a short time.
The Four Horsemen Turn On Sting
There have been countless members of the Four Horsemen over the years, and that includes Sting. For a short time in the late ‘80s, the group, which predominantly worked as a heel faction, went good with Stinger on the roster. However, it was short-lived and the remaining members would turn on Sting a few months after he joined.
Chris Jericho Snaps On Shawn Michaels
Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels had some great matches over the years, and the pair of in-ring veterans seemed to have mutual respect for one another despite a dust-up following their WrestleMania 19 bout. However, that came crashing down in 2008 when Y2J turned on his idol and kicked off another heated feud.
Some of these 32 shocking heel turns led to some of the greatest moments in wrestling history and continue to resonate years, and decades, later.
