5 Best Heel Turns of 2017

It is well established that the one element that differentiates sports from sports entertainment, is the element of drama that is inherent to wrestling. Friendships hang on by a thread, as loyalties change quite often in the WWE world.

As we look back at 2017, we've handpicked 5 heel turns that we found particularly exciting and intriguing. They were well executed, and they all had the audience gasping with utter shock. Feel free to disagree and please mention your thoughts in the comments below.

Razor Ramon once said- 'Bad times don't last, but bad guys do'. As we wait patiently for Jason Jordan to turn heel, let's look at some heel turns that did take place this year, much to our amazement.

On to our list...

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#5 Cesaro & Sheamus attack the Hardy Boyz

This was a moment that left everyone in shock

We do not blame you if you've forgotten WWE Payback 2017, the post WrestleMania 33 pay-per-view event. We would too, considering the 'House of Horrors' match was on that show. However, not everything about the show was a dud. Do you guys remember the clash between The Hardy Boyz and Sheamus/Cesaro?

The returning Hardy Boyz and Cesaro/Sheamus put on an impressive showcase, that ended with The Hardy Boyz going over the babyface team of Cesaro and Sheamus. The two teams would stand in the middle of the ring, in a show of respect. And then out of nowhere, Sheamus and Cesaro would turn heel.

As they attacked the Hardyz, Sheamus and Cesaro would effectively push themselves into main event status as the top heel team. Little did they know that The Shield would reunite a few months down the line, and they would be The Shield's primary antagonists.

Unfortunately, in the next case, an injury would stunt the following heel's run...

#4 Big Cass fakes his attack

This heel turn would have scored higher up on our list, if Big Cass' injury did not derail his run. One look at him and it is easy to see that WWE had big plans for him. He's great on the microphone, and also looks like a star. Sadly, he never reached his potential, as he sustained an injury during a match with his former friend.

How did Enzo Amore, Big Cass' best friend, become his arch nemesis? The story was told masterfully over weeks on end, with someone in the back attacking both Enzo Amore and Big Cass (at different times) and laying them out. The WWE Universe would point fingers towards several potential assailants.

However, announcer Corey Graves would find footage of Big Cass faking his own injury in the backstage area. Big Cass would go heel at that point and begin a feud with Enzo Amore thereafter.

Speaking of which, Enzo Amore's heel turn was also a very welcome development...

#3 Enzo Amore's ego knows no bounds

You know what's ironic? The reason that Big Cass mentioned for turning heel on Enzo Amore, was the same reason that Amore used to go heel In other words, after he won the Cruiserweight Championship, Enzo Amore's mouth got the better of him. A heel was born!

During his Championship Celebration, Enzo Amore would bury the whole Cruiserweight Division. Men who've far more athletic ability than him. And Neville would arrive for retribution.

This was a great Double Turn segment, where Neville turned face as well. Enzo's heel character got over huge since, and he's the man that the Cruiserweight Division is currently built around.

Enzo and Cass are together no more and neither are these two other best friends.

#2 Tommaso Ciampa destroys Johnny Gargano

#DIY were, by far, the most popular tag team in NXT. Gargano and Ciampa were inseparable, and they always put on great matches. And so they did at NXT Takeover: Chicago as well. What happened next left everyone in shock!

Tommaso Ciampa turned on his longtime friend, Johnny Gargano. The feud is yet to transpire because of an injury that Ciampa sustained. However, the impact of this heel turn was felt across the NXT landscape.

What this turn did is elevate Johnny Gargano as a solo performer, beloved by the NXT Universe. We know that when Ciampa returns, the wars the two men will have will be breathtaking to the utmost degree! While these friends split apart, the next two names came together...

#1 Sami Zayn aligns himself with Kevin Owens

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens were almost always at odds in WWE. They'd waged incredible battles, and no one could believe that they'd ever be aligned. Sami Zayn did the unexpected at Hell in a Cell. He came to the aid of his arch nemesis.

This has yielded great dividends for Sami Zayn. He's phenomenal on the microphone and is faring far better as one of the top heels on SmackDown Live right now. His babyface run was really going nowhere.

This was the very same reason that he'd provided for turning heel. Therefore, when it happened, his heel turn seemed logical and convincing.

These are our picks for top heel turns of the year 2017. Do you agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments section below.