What was the coolest face turn in wrestling history?

[CM Steel]

I posted a thread on here awhile back on "the COLDEST heel turn in wrestling history". So in a remix of that thread. What was the coolest face turn in wrestling history?

I have two...both in the WWE.

1. In 1997 during the USA/Canada feud with the Harts vs Austin & company. Where after a match between Vader and the Patriot Del Wilkes. The Hart's attacked the Patriot in the ring and wanted Vader to Vader-bomb the Patriot on the Canadian flag. But Vader didn't wanna do so he took the pole of the Canadian flag and broke it Bo Jackson-style turning face against the Harts.

2. In 2005 during the Wrestlemania world heavyweight championship contract signing between Batista and Triple H with Ric Flair. Where Batista had over heard Triple'h plot to get Batista to go to Smackdown and go after JBL for the WWE championship. Triple H & Ric Flair both gave Batista the "thumps up" for Batista to sign that contract for that title match and move. But Batista gave it the "thumps down" on the remainder of Evolution, and Batista-bombed Triple H on the table inside the ring. Cool!

So in your own opinion. What was the coolest face turn in wrestling history?

 

[relentless1]

id have to say it was sting at uncensored 1997, finally declaring war against the nWo after months of uncertainty, dropping all four of the primier members of the group just before the ppv went off the air...epic...

 

[DDelaware2009]

It wasn't shocking or anything but The Rock turning face in '99 was monumentous because it opened the floodgates - instead of being a guy we were supposed to boo, he became the most over superstar of his era along w/ Stone Cold...and people today are still chanting The Rock's name, to the tune of him winning Royal Rumble 2013. THAT is impact

 

[Ol'Canucklehead]

id have to say it was sting at uncensored 1997, finally declaring war against the nWo after months of uncertainty, dropping all four of the primier members of the group just before the ppv went off the air...epic...

I wouldn't count that because Sting was never a Heel.

I'd have to say the one that sticks out in my mind is when The Undertaker grabbed the chair from Jake the Snake when he was waiting for Macho and Elizabeth to come through the curtain. It was unpredictable.

Another would be The Big Boss Man turning on The Million Dollar Man for trying to buy him off and steal the Million Dollar belt. Boos Man made a good face.

 

[Midnite Express 2009]

What's with everyone keeping it between the 1990s? Did anyone ever watch wrestling in the 1980s or 1970s? Or was anyone born? The best face turn ever was when Ted DiBiase turned face in Mid-South Wrestling in 1 hour on TV in 1985. If you don't know the story, PLEASE look it up. It involved so many people from Butch Reed to Ric Flair and so on. DiBiase, for all points was a notorious heel in Mid-South and basically went from the most hated man to being cheered in less than an hour all for the opportunity to face Flair for the NWA World Title. CLASSIC way to turn.

 

[FlairFan2003]

Lex Luger, after he, Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, & JJ Dillim were the only guys left in a Bunkhouse Stampede Battle Royal. Tully & Arn ask fellow Horsemen Luger to eliminate himself along w/ themselves leaving JJ to get the win. Instead Luger, who had come under fire after losing the US Title to H-men nemesis Dusty Rhodes, clotheslines and eliminates both Tully & Arn, then dumps a scared to death JJ to get the win, officially turning face and embarrasing the Horsemen. It was fairly well hidden that creative was going there and the audience, at first disgruntled watching the hated Horsemen trump everyone in the battle royal, quickly came alive realizing they were watching something special.

Randy Savage on the final Monday Nitro of the year in 98. Savage had been NWO for over a year, but hadnt been seen since March when he was injured in a heel vs heel match for control of the faction with Hollywood Hogan. Now Bischoff was in a match vs NWO enemy #1 Ric Flair for control of WCW with Flair (maybe Savage's most hated opponent all time) putting his career on the line at the same time. All hell is breaking loose with various NWOers, Horsemen, & WCW guys battling all over ringside (Hogan was MIA kick starting his "presidential campaign"). Big Show makes it to the ring through the chaos and overwhelms Flair with the ref knocked out. Suddenly Savage, complete in NWO T-shirt, makes his surprise return, climbing in the ring proclaiming he's back and NWO for life, asks Big Show for chance to finish Flair off. The crowd is going nuts as it looks like EZ E is going to screw Flair & WCW again. Just then Savage decks Show, clotheslining him over the top rope, rips off his NWO shirt, throws it away, and tells Flair to finish it off with Bischoff. It was a terrific play on history, both with Savage and the NWO and with Flair. It was rooted in history, total surprise, and the crowd went nuts, plus it played a big part in a major storyline.

 

[RayRay5]

Lex Lugar on the USS Intrepid after Macho Man couldn't bodyslam Yoko then a Helicopter lands with Lex Luger stepping out wearing the Red,White and Blue pushing the Brain out of the way climbs in the ring throw Fuji out the bodyslams Yoko all on the 4th of July it was awesome

 

[Ol'Canucklehead]

To stay in the 90's I'd like to add when Mr.Perfect teamed with the Macho Man to replace the Ultimate Warrior. It was also not predictable and it worked. Perfect was a pretty good face.

 

[xavyer]

One of my favorite faceturns is when the Big Bossman recover the bag wher the million dollar belt was guarded by the snake, and as soon as he found out that diBiase bought him, he turned on him and gave the bag back to Jake the snake Roberts and unkuffed him, and also another unexpected face turn, it was back in the early 90's when there was a match between Hogan and Sid against the Undertaker and Ric Flair, this one doesn't exactly had to do with the match, but in that moment i remember there were 2 turns, the first one was when Sid turned on Hogan, but i'll go to my point, the second turn was when the Undertaker turned face for the very first time, after the Jake the Snake/ Macho Man match, Jake left the ring, as the Macho Man and Elizabeth were walking backstage, i remember that the camera showed Jake the Snake about to surprise Macho with a chair shot, and out of nowere, the Undertaker took the chair out of Jake's hands ans saved the Macho Man and Elizabeth, that was cool because definitly no one saw that one coming.......

 

[2Sweet_4Life]

The rock beating up Shane O'mac in 99' to turn on the corporation. We all wanted a face turn we got it.

 

[ShinobiMusashi]

Taz in ECW 1997.

Taz was a nasty heel that criticized hardcore wrestling, and ECW in general, but he was so bad ass, and unstoppable the crowd wanted to cheer for him.

They got their reason when he and Sabu double switched at Barely Legal. Taz ended up defending ECW against a WWF invasion, and he was the most over guy in the ECW(yes, even over RVD) up until it leaked that he was gone for WWF in late 99.

 

[OldSkoolFan]

I wouldn't count that because Sting was never a Heel.

I'd have to say the one that sticks out in my mind is when The Undertaker grabbed the chair from Jake the Snake when he was waiting for Macho and Elizabeth to come through the curtain. It was unpredictable.

Another would be The Big Boss Man turning on The Million Dollar Man for trying to buy him off and steal the Million Dollar belt. Boos Man made a good face.

actually Sting was a heel in UWF when he tagged with "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert. they were billed Sting from Every man's worst nightmare and Eddie was from Every woman's dream. I rememeber his face turn like it was yesterday. Terry Taylor and Eddie Gilbert were beating the crap out of him after Gilbert turned on him then "Gentleman" Chris Adams comes out to the rescue then asks if Sting is with him or against him.

The Reason being Sting was heading for a major push and was supposed to beat Gilbert for the TV title but NWA bought out UWF before it could happen.

 

[AmerikanWolves619]

I am surprised that no one has mentioned the Undertaker as one of the coolest face turns in wrestling history. He started of as a major heel, then alignign himself with Jake the Snake Roberts in his fued with Randy Macho Man Savage. I think it was Saturday Nights Main Event where Jake was waiting for Randy/Elizabeth by the entrace area with a steel chair waiting the smack him as he came in; the episode ended right before Randy walked in. The follow show, they showed that the Undertaker grabbed the steel chair from Jake, stopping him from hitting Randy, and then proceeded to attack Jake leading up to their famous match at Wrestlemania VIII. Since then, no matter how hard WWE(F) creative tried to turn him heel, the fans have always loved him and viewed him as the "Face" of WWE.

 

[Ol'Canucklehead]

actually Sting was a heel in UWF ...

I didn't mean he was NEVER a heel I meant at the time of the NWO story line. Sure he was on the fence and people didn't know what side he would take but by no means was he a heel.

 

[OldSkoolFan]

I agree with a previous post, Randy Savage turning on the NWO was pretty epic, I was there in Baltimore when it happened.

But I think Savages first face turn after King of the Ring in 87 when he started a fued with The Honky Tonk Man over who was the greatest IC champion of all time, he was such a huge heel for so long up until that time I find that to be the coolest in my opinion.

Second place going to Brutus Beefcake becoming the Barber.

 

[OldSkoolFan]

I didn't mean he was NEVER a heel I meant at the time of the NWO story line. Sure he was on the fence and people didn't know what side he would take but by no means was he a heel.

Oh, sorry about that.

I can agree with that, even though he was not on any side, there would be no way they would ever turn him heel when he was the top face of the company.

 

[Vampirewolf]

There have been a lot of changes, not sure when Jimmy Valiant changed. The freebirds, when it was only Micheal Hayes came back to wccw and buddy was manag8ing the sst. I think the biggest came in the early 70s was when Dusty Rhodes who was a=managed by Gary hart, changed because Hart and Pak Song attacked him after losing a tag team match to the Grahams (Mike and Eddie).

Sgt Slaughter because of a haoinstance where he came out when the iron shiek was just leaving the ring. Bret Harts change in wcw when sting was wrestling Hogan for the belt as well as his and the anvil dropping Jimmy Hart.

 

[WCW_Sting]

Randy Savage on the final Monday Nitro of the year in 98. Savage had been NWO for over a year, but hadnt been seen since March when he was injured in a heel vs heel match for control of the faction with Hollywood Hogan. Now Bischoff was in a match vs NWO enemy #1 Ric Flair for control of WCW with Flair (maybe Savage's most hated opponent all time) putting his career on the line at the same time. All hell is breaking loose with various NWOers, Horsemen, & WCW guys battling all over ringside (Hogan was MIA kick starting his "presidential campaign"). Big Show makes it to the ring through the chaos and overwhelms Flair with the ref knocked out. Suddenly Savage, complete in NWO T-shirt, makes his surprise return, climbing in the ring proclaiming he's back and NWO for life, asks Big Show for chance to finish Flair off. The crowd is going nuts as it looks like EZ E is going to screw Flair & WCW again. Just then Savage decks Show, clotheslining him over the top rope, rips off his NWO shirt, throws it away, and tells Flair to finish it off with Bischoff. It was a terrific play on history, both with Savage and the NWO and with Flair. It was rooted in history, total surprise, and the crowd went nuts, plus it played a big part in a major storyline.

You've totally erased 8 months from your memory. Yes, Savage turned face after losing the World Title to Hogan on that Nitro in April, but it was with Kevin Nash. Soon, Konnan joined them, then Curt Hennig and Rick Rude. Sound familiar? You've disobeyed the Wolfpac's theme music and turned your back on them. Savage was injured in June, and wasn't seen again until that Flair/Bischoff match in December. Since we last saw him as a face, I wouldn't count that as a turn. Nonetheless, it was a very cool moment.

There's more that were better than this, but it's the only specific one that comes to mind. In the early 90s, I never thought much of Diamond Dallas Page. Not many did. But his friends Scott Hall and Kevin Nash did, as they gave him a rub that drastically changed his career. They offered him a spot in the nWo, and Page put on the shirt. But after shaking hands with Hall, he gave him the Diamond Cutter, then sent Nash over the top rope. Afterward, he escaped through the crowd, and a new star was born.

 

[rage72]

I say it was the return of Hulkamania after Hogan was Hollywood Hogan for so long. What made it great was you didn't see it coming and Bobby The Brain Heenan sold it perfectly. Hogan was coming out for a match and his old music (American Made) hits and both Heenan and Tony we acting all surprised and saying "Do you hear that?" "It can't be" and freaking all out. The momment was captured on the WCW The Mayhem CD. I can't Hogan but I marked out for it that night.

 

[Ol'Canucklehead]

I say it was the return of Hulkamania after Hogan was Hollywood Hogan for so long. What made it great was you didn't see it coming and Bobby The Brain Heenan sold it perfectly. Hogan was coming out for a match and his old music (American Made) hits and both Heenan and Tony we acting all surprised and saying "Do you hear that?" "It can't be" and freaking all out. The momment was captured on the WCW The Mayhem CD. I can't Hogan but I marked out for it that night.

I could be wrong but didn't they show Hogans son bring him his bag in the dressing room with the red and yellow sticking out as a "mistake"? I don't think it was that BIG a surprise.

 

[Owen 3:16 says I just stole your Slammy!!]

Wrestlemania 18, Hollywood Hogan got cheered and booing The Rock. After the match, Hogan and Rock shaked hands, Hogan was doing his old '80s gimmick in the ring. Then Hogan came back to the Red and Yellow, then became the WWF/E Champion. As a kid, I loved it because i was a big Hulk Hogan fan at the time.

 

[WCW_Sting]

I say it was the return of Hulkamania after Hogan was Hollywood Hogan for so long. What made it great was you didn't see it coming and Bobby The Brain Heenan sold it perfectly. Hogan was coming out for a match and his old music (American Made) hits and both Heenan and Tony we acting all surprised and saying "Do you hear that?" "It can't be" and freaking all out. The momment was captured on the WCW The Mayhem CD. I can't Hogan but I marked out for it that night.

Classic Hulkster returning was definitely a great moment, and I've never been a huge Hogan fan. I'll never forget Tony Schiavone exlaiming, "Ladies and gentlemen, August 9th, Hulkamania walks back into your living room!" I felt I was witnessing history. It wasn't, however, a face turn. Hollywood Hogan had been a face since March of that year, when he and Ric Flair did a "double turn" in their First Blood Cage Match at Uncensored.

 

[AmerikanWolves619]

Another face turn I totally POPPED for was DDP when the NWO tried to recruite him. For months after the NWO were recruiting wrestlers into their stable, DDP would harp on a weekly basis as to how they have kept overlooking him, and just when they finally decided to bring him in at '97 Souled Out, he gave Scott Hall an unexpected Diamond Cutter and pulled the ropes down as Kevin Nash charged after him. Just seeing the crowd reacation was HUGE for his turn.

 

[ShinobiMusashi]

Another face turn I totally POPPED for was DDP when the NWO tried to recruite him. For months after the NWO were recruiting wrestlers into their stable, DDP would harp on a weekly basis as to how they have kept overlooking him, and just when they finally decided to bring him in at '97 Souled Out, he gave Scott Hall an unexpected Diamond Cutter and pulled the ropes down as Kevin Nash charged after him. Just seeing the crowd reacation was HUGE for his turn.

Oh man, totally forgot about this. This is the thread winner. That was such a huge pop, and not only did he turn face, he turned into THE PEOPLES FREAKING CHAMPION!

 

[FlairFan2003]

Another cool face turn was in Oct 1986, Nikita Kolloff, the hated Russian Nightmare who slammed America and vowed to win all the NWA titles and take them back to Russia, joining forces with Dusty Rhodes against The Horsemen. Maybe the biggest never saw it coming swerve of all time, up there with Andre's heel turn, Hogan joins the NWO, or Luger slamming Yokozuna.

14 mths earlier, Kolloff had failed to win the title from Flair, who turned heel, breaking Dusty's leg when Rhodes tried to save him from post match steel cage beatdown by Kolloff and The Russians. In the following months the detested Nikita would try to end Magnum TAs career, cheating him out of the US Title, which he planned to take back to Russia. Behind the scenes Jim Crockett Jr wanted to move TA into a full on feud vs Flair, culminating in a Starrcade Match where TA was seriously being considered as winning the belt. Plans were scrapped after Magnum was crippled in a car accident.

The NWA needed a change fast. On TV Dusty was booked in a tag match vs Andersons with TA as his partner. Refusing to call off the bout Dusty vowed he would find a partner or wrestle alone. The night of the match Dusty came out alone at first, then Kolloff followed, with everyone assuming the Russian Nightmare was coming down to help the Horsemen pile on TAs best friend. When Kolloff instead joined with Dusty (totally scaring the #*@Ø out of The H-man) the crowd went ecstatic. The classic last scene where Flair comes down to the ring (he rarely came down during Horsemen bouts though various members routinely assisted him) and Kolloff, inside the cage celebrating their win and taunting the Horsemen, turns. points at Flair and makes the Aarron Rodgers belt sign as Flair looks on in total shock was absolutely priceless. There were various wrestlers, good and bad, that could have been chosen to help Dusty but Kolloff was by far the least expected outside of Flair himself. Immediately the NWA had a new legit No. 1 contender for Flair's belt and The Horsemen had a fearsome enemy.