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Professional Wrestling has seen a string of Superstars come and go, with a select few having etched their names in the annals of wrestling history. The primary aspect of pro-wrestling is the age-old battle between a good and bad.
These rivalries between babyfaces and heels is responsible for selling tickets and intriguing fans if done correctly.
There have also been occasions when Superstars didn't get the desired reactions from the crowd. In these cases, the company either turns their character around or gives them a much-needed break and brings them back somewhere down the line, with a new persona. In the list below, we will take a look at five WWE Superstars who left WWE as babyfaces and came back to the company as heels.
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#5 Sasha Banks, 2019
Let's first discuss the moment that inspired this article. At WrestleMania 35, the babyface duo of Bayley and Sasha Banks lost their Women's Tag Team titles to The IIconics in a Fatal Four-Way match. Banks took a hiatus from WWE immediately and wasn't seen on TV for months.
This was coupled with tons of speculation regarding Banks joining AEW, and leaving WWE for good. Banks' cryptic tweets acted as fuel to the fire. The rumors were laid to rest tonight, as Banks finally made her long-awaited return to WWE on Monday Night Raw.
She came out and hugged her friend Natalya, but immediately turned heel and launched a dastardly attack on her.
The helpless and injured Natalya couldn't do much to fend her off. Becky Lynch came out to confront Banks, and the two kicked off a brawl on the outside of the ring. It ended with The Boss hitting The Man with a series of chair shots.
#4 Mickie James, 2017
Mickie James made waves when she turned on her idol Trish Stratus during her rookie year, which culminated in a match at WrestleMania 22 for the Women's title.
James won the match and went on to become a mainstay on the Women's division. James kicked off a feud with Michelle McCool and Layla on the Blue Brand in 2009. She teamed up with Beth Phoenix in a losing effort against the villainous duo of LayCool, in what was her final WWE match during her initial run with the company.
In January 2017, Mickie James made her WWE main roster return by assisting Alexa Bliss against Becky Lynch. James interfered in a Steel Cage Match, helping Bliss in the process, following which the two villains launched a beatdown on Lynch.
#3 Kane, 2011
On the road to WrestleMania 27, Kane turned face and aligned with The Big Show, to take on The Corre. The duo went on to win the WWE Tag Team titles by defeating Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater, but soon lost the same to Michael McGillicutty and David Otunga on RAW. Big Show soon suffered an injury and the team was disbanded. On an episode of SmackDown, Mark Henry attacked Kane with a steel chair, following which The Big Red Machine was sidelined for five months.
WWE began airing vignettes for Kane's return in November 2011. He attacked John Cena upon his return, this time donning a mask. The feud ended when Cena defeated Kane in an Ambulance Match at Elimination Chamber.
#2 Hulk Hogan, 2002
After what was possibly the greatest run of any WWE Superstar, Hulk Hogan left the company in 1993.
By that time, he had become arguably the biggest Superstar in the business. In WCW, Hogan remained a babyface for a while, before turning heel at Bash at the Beach 1996, a moment that changed the course of wrestling history and gave birth to the nWo.
After WCW folded, Vince McMahon brought back the nWo, consisting of Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall. The villainous trio ran rampant on two of WWE's top Superstars, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
This resulted in The Rock defeating Hogan at WrestleMania 18 in one of the biggest dream matches in WWE history, while Austin put down Hall in another match on the same card.
#1 The Rock, 2003
SummerSlam 2002 saw Brock Lesnar dethrone The Rock and win his first WWE title. During the match, the crowd turned on The Brahma Bull and began booing him for leaving WWE for Hollywood.
In early 2003, The Rock came back to WWE. This time though, he was donning a completely different persona. The People's Champ had now become a Hollywood sellout, who looked down upon the fans and bragged about his movie career. He instantly became a genuinely hated villain, after delivering legendary heel promos in Toronto and Indianapolis.
