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Heel turns in WWE, or wrestling in general, play a major role in storytelling and enhancing the character of a star. Many major wrestlers over the years have embraced their dark side for either corporate gain or simply out of spite.
Many wrestlers excel at it so well that they become known for their heel personas more than anything. The heel characters of JBL, Mr. McMahon, and Roddy Piper, among a plethora of others, are remembered for their sensational heel work and getting into the minds of not just babyfaces but also fans.
Let's take a look at four of the most shocking heel turns in WWE history.
Cody has no chance against John Cena? Details HERE
#4. Steve Austin turned heel back at WrestleMania 17
Back in the late 90s and early 2000s, Steve Austin had a feud with The Rock, with Austin being a face and The Rock thriving as a heel and becoming the WWF/WWE Champion.
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In 2001, at WrestleMania 17, the two megastars collided for the title in a blockbuster main event, which eventually ended with Vince McMahon costing The Rock and allowing Steve Austin to dethrone The Brahma Bull.
Austin then turned heel and aligned with one of his biggest rivals, then WWE boss Vince McMahon. He remained a heel for quite a while and even teamed up with Triple H to win major titles in singles and tag team action.
#3. Seth Rollins betrayed The Shield in 2014
The Visionary teamed up with Triple H and The Authority and betrayed The Shield, turning heel and assaulting Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose. It happened back in 2014 when The Shield had a feud with Evolution, with the former defeating the latter at Payback.
Then, on Monday Night RAW, Randy Orton and Triple H confronted The Shield, which eventually led to Seth Rollins hitting Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns with a steel chair.
The Shield then split, and Rollins went on to become a megastar and the face of WWE. A few years later, he revealed that he initially didn't want to turn heel as part of the storyline, even though it allowed him to become the top star in WWE.
#2. Roman Reigns started his incredible run as WWE Universal Champion in August 2020
Roman Reigns was out for months amid the COVID-19 pandemic but returned at SummerSlam in early August 2020. He came back as a heel and assaulted the late, great Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman following their title match.
A few weeks later, he went on to beat them and become the Universal Champion. He held that title for 1,316 days as The Tribal Chief of The Bloodline, becoming one of the biggest heels in the history of the company.
The OTC revolutionized WWE storytelling with The Bloodline saga and did so as a heel before losing to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40.
#1. John Cena turned heel in WWE for the first time in nearly 20 years
John Cena has been a babyface for the last 20-plus years in WWE. During that time, he was the face of the company, won 16 world titles, and made a name for himself with his Make-A-Wish Foundation work. The legend turned to the dark side when fans least expected it, during his farewell tour. He did so after becoming the number one contender to Cody Rhodes' Undisputed WWE Championship.
He is now heading to WrestleMania 41 for a blockbuster match against The American Nightmare, who will be out for revenge. Still, his last WrestleMania will be as a heel, in a move that barely any WWE fan was expecting to happen.
