The Greatest Turn in Wrestling History?

[Trill Co$by]

When we talk about the greatest heel or face turns in the history of wrestling, we often think of some of wrestling's best moments. Moments such as the infamous Red & Yellow leg drop in WCW that ushered in the era of the nWo. Moments such as The Rock and Mankind doing a perfect double turn at Survivor Series: Deadly Games. Moments such as Stone Cold aligning himself with Vince McMahon. Moments such as Stone Cold aligning himself with The Alliance. There are plenty of glorious turns in the history of wrestling, not just the WWE, that we could without a doubt all think of a top 10 list. But I'm going to ruin your day and ask for absolutely the greatest turn in your opinion.

For me, there's only really one turn that can be quoted as the greatest because it helped shape the landscape of wrestling today. I speak of course, about the turn of Hulk Hogan... and I don't mean the one in the 1990s.

Confused? Let me explain.

On the January 7, 1984, episode of Championship Wrestling, Hogan confirmed his face status for the WWF fans by saving Bob Backlund from a three-way assault by The Wild Samoans. And on this day, the evolution of Hulk Hogan would begin. Professional wrestling would see its first big launch into the mainstream as Hogan put the WWE on his back and took the industry from a territorial mesh, and began marching from coast to coast as he formed the phenomenon known as Hulkamania. And the rest, as we know, was history.

Now I don't think I need to explain why this was such a great turn, considering the billions WWE has made since then. But I'm going to anyway. You see, Vince McMahon doing what he did in the 80s was exactly what pro-wrestling needed. It was stuck in a rotating door syndrome of being territorial everywhere. And there were so many territories to follow that the casual fan didn't know who was what champion. You had the WWWF, the NWA, and even the AWA. And each of those main three had minor regions that really just made it annoying to watch. Sure, it was great if you didn't care for storylines... but this isn't great when you're wanting to know who the real world champion is. And back then, knowing who the real world champion was was a huge factor in life.

So wrestling needed to become one entity. It needed its grandest champion, one that the entire nation could know about and watch on television every single airing. It needed a face that it could point non-watchers to and say, "This is the hero I follow". And Hulk Hogan, being the giant of a man that he was, was the person that the wrestling world needed as that poster boy. Now some would say that Ric Flair could've been that guy, others say Vince had who he needed with Bruno Sammartino and/or Bob Backlund, but really he didn't. He had great talented in-ring workers, no doubt about it, but he didn't have a megastar that could lore you in. That wasn't until Hogan came along.

But there was a problem. Hogan was a heel. He had wrestled in the WWF as a heel, people knew he was one and they needed him to be face. So they turn him face, and the rest was history. Imagine what wrestling would've been had Hogan not turned face that night. Imagine how life would be. It would be a whole different life that, personally, I'm not willing to accept.

So there you have it. My pick as the single greatest turn in wrestling history. What's yours? Do you agree with mine?

 

[Makaveli31]

Well technically he was already an EXTREMELY popular baby face in the AWA. In fact , if Verne Gagne had ANY sense he would've put the AWA belt on Hogan (which people were clamoring for) and made him what Vince McMahon eventually did.

He was also not that well-known as a heel pre-'84. He had a match with Andre at Shea in '80 and despite what he says it was NOT the Main Event at Showdown in Shea and wasn't even that big of a draw around the northeast. It was Rocky III that made Hogan a household name and face. Vince just simply capitalized on it.

As far as your question, it will always be Hogan turning heel in '96. No if, and's, or but's about it. The greatest, most successful, most popular baby face of all time turning heel and becoming the most successful heel of that era? There is no comparison. Austin's turn didn't work. It was a disaster, Rock switched sides so much in the Attitude Era it was hard to keep up, Hogan's turn was iconic.

 

[dsotm5150]

For me, the turn heard around the world will always be that leg drop coming down on Macho Man at Bash At The Beach '96. At 10 years old, Hogan had always been the good guy, and I just knew the Outsiders were in for a beating, so you could imagine how shocking it was for a kid who grew up knowing Hulk was always a hero to turn his back on all that was good and just. In my opinion nothing has topped it since. It will mostly go down in history as the most shocking heel turn of all time.

 

[relentless1]

Hogans turn to Hollywood was the greatest by far, these guys here have said why but beyond all that Hollywood was just a perfect heel; he not only did dastardly heel things but he took it a step further: while Hall and Nash came off as cool with their gang gimmick, Hogan copying it made him seem like a dad trying to be hip and it made his character all the more unlikeable. Brilliant, Hulk was brilliant at bringing that heel version of himself to life.

 

[willross]

Hulk Hogan turning on Savage at Bash at the Beach is hands down. Hulk was already a babyface when he jumped from AWA to WWF.

A will also give honorable mention to the double turn at WM13 with Bret and Austin.

 

[agentmichaelscarn]

Definitely Hogan's heel turn. Some younger fans that either weren't alive then or too young to remember just don't realize how big of deal this was. I vividly remember where I was at when it happened, I was on a family vacation to California. Anyway I turned on the local news before I went to bed and that was one of the top stories! Me and my brothers were shocked that Hogan would turn "bad". A freaking news station talked about it, that's how big of a deal it was.

 

[JJohns]

See, I'm stuck between three of them...the already mentioned countless times Hogan turning and joining the Outsiders to create the nWo in 96 and of course the great double turn of Austin and Bret. One the last one that really sticks out for me, the one that I will always remember because of how organic it really was, but the CM Punk face turn to start the Summer of Punk.

 

[agentmichaelscarn]

Another good one is Andre's heel turn in 87. It led to the biggest draw WWE ever did up until this past Mania, and it led to the rematch that drew the highest TV rating in the history of wrestling. It also was a big draw for the following Mania as well.

 

[Makaveli31]

I'm sorry but Bret and Andre NEVER reached the heights popularity Hogan had. We're talking serious financial implications here. Hogan had built is brand outside of wrestling. He was known worldwide and the "Immortal" Hulk Hogan, the red and yellow, the "say your prayers" etc.....turning heel would destroy all of that. We're talking Make-A-Wish, public appearances, potential movie roles. It was nit surprising to hear Bischoff, Hogan, and Sullivan say Hogan was unsure even on the day of the PPV.

I remember watching it as a "smart" fan by that time knowing pro wrestling was all about the "dramatics". Nothing shocked me at that point. Even when Hogan was coming, knowing what MIGHT happen, it was still shocking and surreal nonetheless. It was one of those memories.

 

[FromGlasgow]

I agree with most on here about the Hogan turn in 1996 nothing comes close to that one, A lot of turns are predictable and can see them coming but the Hogan one was a shock I don't think we will ever see a turn so unexpectedly like that again, 2nd and 3rd for me would be the Hitman and Austin double turn at Wrestlemania 1997 and surprised nobody mentioned the Vince Mcmahon heel turn around 1996.

 

[rmp0012002]

The Hogan turn no one saw coming and jump started wrestling when it wasn't doing well. The NWO just caught fire and brought in a whole new era of fans. I never liked Hogan but his turn was perfect for the sport.

 

[S.J. Maximus]

Hulk Hogan turning on Savage at Bash at the Beach is hands down. Hulk was already a babyface when he jumped from AWA to WWF.

A will also give honorable mention to the double turn at WM13 with Bret and Austin.

These are my two picks. Hogan's heel turn is the only one that was actually covered by news outlets at the time and is still widely remembered by casual fans. The WM13 double turn was also iconic for even more reasons, but no one has ever been bigger than Hulk so he gets the nod.

Some other big ones for me:

-HHH turning on HBK on RAW 2002 was unforgettable. Sparked one of the most intense rivalries in the history of the company.

-HBK turning on Marty Janetty happened sooooo many years ago but it is still sooo fresh in all of our brains. Easily among the biggest tag team breakups of all-time.

- There are so many McMahon turns to choose from. Vince's original heel turn that turned him into the tyrant we know and love today. The heel turn he made at WrestleMania 2000 to screw the Rock out of a chance to leave as champion. The face turn during the Invasion angle. What about Stephanie turning at Armageddon 1999 to join DX and start the McMahon-Helmsely era? Shane starting the corporate Ministry? God damn these McMahons have turned a lot!!

 

[Jonyboyuk2]

I think Hulk Hogans heel turn in 1996 was the biggest thing to ever happen in wrestling. It kick started the Monday Night Wars (even though it had been ongoing for a year almost already) and this is the moment things changed. WCW had the NWO being born from that whilst WWF had HBK v Vader at summerslam (which flopped).

There are some other memorable turns - HBK on Janetty, Undertakers face turn against Jake Roberts, Bret Hart and Steve Austin double turn (the match, the story telling, the crowd, the drama - this is my 2nd favourite match after Bret v Bulldog in 92), the Stephanie McMahon heel turn in 1999 to team with HHH against Vince was also a great storyline to begin with and is great. Mankinds face turn to become Dude Love was pretty awesome and fun - 1997 was the summer of love. DUDELOVE. Owen Harts turn on Bret at the 1994 Royal Rumble was a shocker for the younger fans at the time.

But nothing has touched Hogans heel turn in 96. The only thing that will is Cenas heel turn should it ever happen.

 

[Bruno's Sanctimony]

Ernie Ladd...
His turns were so good, he did them in almost every territory he hit back in the 70s.

 

[OYDK]

Let's not forget Hogan's other turn. His face turn in the midst of his Mania 18 match with The Rock was one of the most incredible moments in history. The moment he Hulk'd up, he left Hollywood behind and fully became the red and yellow clad Hulk Hogan again to the thunderous ovation of the crowd in the Skydome.

 

[Goldie]

Yeah Hogans heel turn in 1996 was gigantic.... even if he was getting stale as a babyface- he had been the face of the wrestling industry for 12 years, and a babyface for 15 years straight.

The heel turn added years to Hogans career as a top liner- plus he played it off brilliantly- considering his heel skills had been untested for a decade and a half!

Andres heel turn in 1987 to become the evil giant was also a big big deal.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

No way...

Without question the best three executed turns in history are:-

3) Hogan turns Hell - The only thing that stopped it being perfect was Heenan "botching" the commentary and giving the game away... The reactions at the time were completely legit in terms of shock and awe at what had been witnessed.

2) Rick Martel turns on Tito Santana - People forget this or often dismiss it because it didn't have a traditional PPV "blow off" in the one on one sense. This was before people flipflopped every five seconds between heel and face and it was used to totally change someone's path, almost permanently. Martel had ALWAYS been vanilla babyface type, even as far back as the AWA World title and Tito was perennially one of the most popular guys on the roster. Their team was short-lived but was very well executed and was the template for the modern "singles superstar team" that rules the WWE today. When Martel left to care for his ailing wife, it gave them a unique chance turn him when he returned and he did at Mania 5 in still one of the most shockingly simple turns... Tito botched, Rick walked and with one promo Rick Martel was not only a heel, but the Model character was almost 100% in place. His vitriol around Tito "riding his coattail one more time" launched him... Unfortunately the issues with his wife's health didn't improve and it stifled what could have been a stellar and World title level career with the changes that came just a couple of years later. BUT the biggest reason this turn was so successful? Every year the feud would reignite in the Rumble... the two would go right back into it and it became a traditional spot to see Rick and Tito tear into each other... This was when feuds were for life... not just a month.


1)The Barber Shop...

Someone else mentioned it but not quite covered why this is STILL, nearly 25 years later the definitive and best turn ever managed on TV.

First off, while some forshadowing had been done, it wasn't done during a big match, like Martel and Tito, it wasn't given any major promotion - it was a relatively standard Prime Time Wrestling/Wrestling Challenge interview segment. There was no real expectation the Rockers were actually going to go their seperate ways and everything pointed to them not only mending their issues but going on to replace The Hart Foundation as the top "worker" tag team.

The segment itself played out perfectly, with Marty being the one who carried it. Many point to Shawn's actions as being career making, but so were Marty's... he came across well and was not too disimilar to a John Cena type today. Indeed the feud that followed saw him as that "never say die" face until personal demons and Shawn's legit underhandedness cost him his career in reality.

The turn is better than anything put out since by WWE because in essence, it was the right thing to happen even if the fans didn't really WANT to see it, they were kinda hoping to. The violence involved was shocking for the time, even with Jannetty's blatant blading - the nearest to that point had been Ron Bass attacking Brutus the week before Summerslam 88 and even that got "censored"... This didn't, the blood flowed and a classic heel template was born. We'd all seen cocky heels before, but they had been guys like Flair who flaunted wealth or preeners like Rude and Martel... Shawn's HBK persona was born in that turn, with a simple adjusting of his jacket and smug grin.. the only thing missing was the trademark split leg pose... This turn one that gave birth to so many heel characters like Chris Jericho, The Miz, Seth Rollins and Edge and like with Tito and Rick, the feud was kept going....every Rumble... until the Rocker's Reunion match... if Shawn and Marty were in a ring together, they were fighting. HBK was cocky, but he was THAT good, we all knew it... we knew the women wanted him and he was the richest guy in the room, but he was also the smartest, having played everyone and come out of it not only a singles star... but on the fast track to the top!

The other reason it was perhaps the most important is it saved the "interview segment" as a way to further angles... The Barbershop was one of a long line of failed attempts to recreate the magic of Piper's Pit without using Roddy. We'd had The Brother Love Show, The Funeral Parlour, The Snake Pit, The Flower Shop with Adrian Adonis and The Body Shop with Jesse Ventura... none of them had worked and the idea of segments was very much at risk. The reaction to Shawn's turn on Marty happening at such a usually innocuous point on a TV show proved the idea could still work - they just had to work harder to find the right guys to host them... and soon we had The Kings Court, then Shawn himself had his Heartbreak Hotel... let's not forget the career Shawn then had but also that nearly every segment since has been hosted by a Shawn-type heel... MizTV/The Dirt Sheet, The Highlight Reel, The Cutting Edge, Carlito's Cabana... there were no more Brutus types running them...

That's a lot of influence from one turn on TV rather than a PPV, done before live RAW's were even a thing!

 

[SharpShootingCrossface]

Just can't argue with Hogan (and back vs rock), hart/austin and the barber shop sweet chin music as a top 3. If only they still did it like that...

 

[Just Do It]

For me it will always be the double turn with Austin and Bret at WM13. But to shake up debate a little bit, I'd say a good underrated one was Crush turning on Macho Man. Didn't see that coming, Crush played a loveable lower card wrestler, and suddenly he turned heel on a big player like Randy and completely shook his gimmick up, coming out with facepaint and then aligning himself with Fuji. It was good stuff at the time.