All Time Greatest Heel Turns in Pro Wrestling
What’s the most exciting move in professional wrestling!? No, it’s not the Moonsault or the Sharpshooter or even the Steiner Recliner. It’s the Heel Turn. That time when a good guy wrestler who the fans adore gets to break little kids’ hearts and disgust grandmothers by turning bad. This wrestler who everybody loved and loved everybody right back clobbers another good guy over the head out of nowhere. The boos start. And this former hero tells you what you don’t want to hear. That he never liked the fans in the first place. Not only doesn’t he like the fans anymore, they disgust him. And this once brave fighter is now a coward. These are the Greatest Heel Turns in Professional Wrestling.
1. The Student Versus The Teacher. Larry Zbyszko Turns On Bruno Sammartino.
This was the classic heel turn story. Mentor trains student. Student becomes jealous of mentor. Student cracks mentor over the head with a chair. This is back when a heel turn angle took a year to develop. Larry Zbyszko had enough of living in the shadow of the man who trained him, Bruno Sammartino. He challenged his teacher to a gentleman’s wrestling match. The problem was the match was too gentlemanly. Bruno would hold the ropes open for Zbyszko, release his patented bear hug and treated Zbyszko like he was Bruno’s bitch. Zbyszko snaps and give’s his former mentor a chair shot. The fans went so nuts for this turn that over 36,000 of them packed Shea Stadium to watch these two go at in a steel cage. The Mets may want to figure out how to work a steel cage into a game to try to match this kind of attendance.
Go to the 5:45 mark to see Larry Zbyszko turn on Bruno Sammartino.
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2. All American Hero Turns Traitor. Sgt. Slaughter Turns On America.
The Gulf War had begun and Operation Desert Storm was underway in Kuwait. Whitney Houston was singing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl and Americans were filled with patriotism, except for one person, Sgt. Slaughter. He decided during the Gulf War, of all times, that America was soft and he aligned himself with Saddam Hussein. He even got an Iraqi manager, General Adnan. Wrestling fans really took this treason seriously. After all, Sgt. Slaughter was a supposed decorated member of the military and their favorite character on the GI Joe cartoon show. The Sarge started getting death threats and traveled to arenas wearing a bullet proof jacket. The word was that Sgt. Slaughter wanted the angle to end quickly. He eventually came around and said “I want my country back”. He was welcomed back at mid card status and was a troop we forgot.
Sgt. Slaughter cuts a promo in full Saddam Hussein wardrobe.
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3. Through The Barber Shop Window. Shawn Michaels Turns On Marty Jannetty.
Everyone saw this one coming, but it was the best heel turn between members of a tag team. Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty were known as The Rockers. At this point, their timing was off, they were losing matches and Shawn Michaels was letting his chest hair grow in. Never a good sign. They went on the Barber Shop hosted by Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake to work things out. This ranks as one of the greatest heel turns of all time just for the commentary being offered by Bobby “The Brain” Heenan. In classic heel turn style, we think The Rockers are together and then it happens. Sweet Chin Music and then Shawn puts Marty’s head through the barber shop window. The team would never reunite. Shawn Michaels would go on to become the Heartbreak Kid, the Showstopper, the Icon and Mr. Wrestlemania. And Marty Jannetty would go on to be, well Marty Jannetty.
Watch Marty’s trip through the barber shop window at 5:05
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4. From Hulk To Hollywood. Hulk Hogan Turns On The Fans And Joins The NWO
The Outsiders, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, had invaded WCW. There had never been such build up and anticipation for an angle in wrestling history. WWF wrestlers were showing up on WCW and it was headed to the pay-per-view “Bash at the Beach” in Daytona Beach, FL. The Outsiders promised a third partner to take on the WCW favorites Sting, Lex Luger and Macho Man Randy Savage. No one knew who the mystery partner would be and speculation ran wild. The match started with just Hall and Nash. But their partner would be revealed. During the brawl, Hulk Hogan came down the aisle with everyone thinking he’s here to beat up the bad guys like he always has before. Hogan drops the big leg on Macho Man and the crowd goes ape shit. The New World Order is born and the Hulkster is pelted with garbage from the fans.
Watch Hulk Hogan turn and the fans return the favor.
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5. One Giant Heel Turn. Andre the Giant Turns On Hulk Hogan.
Andre the Giant was undefeated for 15 straight years and had never had a world title shot. Because why would you give someone with a perfect record a title shot? That would be ridiculous. Andre the Giant was the most beloved icon in pro wrestling and now the giant who couldn’t be corrupted was turning on popular champ Hulk Hogan. Andre confronted Hogan on Piper’s Pit and made the ultimate heel turn. To seal his turning bad, he even ripped the cross and chain off of Hulk Hogan’s neck. Andre, it seemed had turned on Christianity too. The two met in the epic Wrestlemania 3 main event with Andre’s winning streak finally coming to an end and after 15 years more heat than he’s ever gotten.
Watch Andre the Giant turn on Hulk Hogan and his jewelry on Piper’s Pit.
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6. The Battle For Texas. The Fabulous Freebirds Turn On The Von Erichs.
This turn had to happen. After all the Freebirds were no good whiskey drinkers and the Von Erich brothers were a wholesome family. If only they had stuck to whiskey. This turn began when the Freebirds tried to cheat to help Kerry Von Erich win the world title from Ric Flair. Being a Von Erich, Kerry wanted nothing to do with that and refused. The insulted Freebirds smashed Kerry’s head in with a steel cage door. And that heel turn was the defining moment in pro wrestling in Texas. The feud is legendary between these two groups and put the Von Erichs on a national stage. Unfortunately the feud couldn’t last because sadly the wrestling world kept running out of Von Erichs.
Watch the Fabulous Freebirds versus the Von Erich Family in a streetfight in Texas Stadium that drew nearly 50,000 fans.
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7. And You’re No Longer A Horseman. The Four Horsemen Turn On Sting.
The Four Horsemen in the NWA ended up having a revolving door of members, but at one point fan favorite Sting was part of this group. That didn’t last long and the other Horsemen led by Ric Flair kicked Sting out like it was a high school cliche. Sting took a beating from the Horsemen with his ex-best friend Ric Flair cutting a great promo on him. He told Sting to “Smarten Up and get out of this business”. Sting for some reason didn’t take that advice.
Watch Ole, Arn and Flair kicked Sting out of the Four Horsemen. (With added feature, Terry Funk doing the interview)
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8. I Now Pronounce You Mrs. Triple H. Stephanie McMahon Turns On Vince McMahon.
The first family of wrestling, The McMahons have turned heel on each other in every possible combination. Shane McMahon has turned on Vince McMahon. Vince McMahon has turned on Linda McMahon. And so on. But the greatest incestuous McMahon family heel turn was Stephanie McMahon on her father Vince. It started when Triple H kidnapped Stephanie, drugged her and tricked her into marrying him at a Vegas drive-thru chapel. Little did we know it wasn’t against Stephanie’s will. She came out, turned heel and laid a kiss on Triple H and daddy’s little girl became a bad girl. A very bad girl who to the chants of “slut”, broke her father’s heart.
Watch Vince McMahon confront Mr. & Mrs. Triple H and even accuse Triple H of rape.
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