5 Great WWE Heel Turns Nobody Talks About

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A truly great wrestling “heel turn” – when a fan favorite becomes a villain – is hard to define, but you instantly recognize it when it happens. It’s either a complete shock, or something you suspected but secretly hoped wouldn’t occur, and sometimes, it’s both! WWE has seen many memorable heel turns, and while moments like Hulk Hogan joining the nWo or Seth Rollins betraying The Shield are often celebrated, plenty of other fantastic turns are surprisingly forgotten. That’s why we’re highlighting 5 underrated WWE heel turns that deserve more recognition.

5. Adam Cole

Adam Cole is known for surprising fans with his shifts to the ‘bad guy’ role, and his most impactful one happened during his time in WWE NXT. In 2021, he unexpectedly turned on both Finn Balor and his long-time teammate Kyle O’Reilly, effectively breaking up their established group – but that was just the beginning of his villainous turn.

During the February 24th episode of NXT, Roderick Strong confronted Cole about his actions. When Finn Balor appeared seeking retribution against Cole, Strong surprisingly sided with his friend and attacked Balor. Cole pleaded with Strong for forgiveness, expressing regret for his mistakes. Strong embraced him and helped him to his feet, only to be unexpectedly struck with a low blow by Cole.

Cole made things even worse for Strong by not only attacking him with a super kick to the face and ripping off his necklace, but also by repeatedly calling him names. This act effectively ended NXT’s top group and firmly established Cole as the show’s biggest villain.

4. JBL

Cole’s shift to villain status was about general deception, but JBL’s heel turn felt much more personal, effectively ending a genuine friendship in WWE. Faarooq and Bradshaw, known as the popular APA duo, were very close, but their bond was broken when Paul Heyman, as General Manager, added a high-stakes clause to a match: if they lost, both men would be fired.

The team did lose the match, and when they confronted Heyman, he admitted his plan was only to fire Faarooq as part of a larger agreement. Heyman explained he believed Bradshaw had potential, and when Faarooq realized he was being manipulated and announced they were leaving, Bradshaw remained silent and looked away. It quickly became clear to Faarooq that Bradshaw was prioritizing a job with WWE over their friendship.

This scene didn’t rely on much conversation; the characters communicated volumes through their actions and expressions. While Bradshaw attempted to course-correct later in the series, he ultimately solidified his choices, completely siding against Faarooq and pursuing Heyman and WWE. This led to a now-iconic promo where Bradshaw transformed into the dominant, corporate JBL, launching a significant villainous run filled with championship victories.

3. Bayley

Bayley, similar to Adam Cole, has switched between being a ‘good guy’ and a ‘bad guy’ throughout her career, but her most memorable turn happened on the September 2nd, 2019 episode of WWE Raw. For some time, Bayley had been clashing with her close friend Sasha Banks, particularly disagreeing with Banks’ increasingly aggressive behavior. This tension finally exploded after a match where Bayley teamed up with Becky Lynch. Instead of letting the match play out, Sasha Banks interfered and attacked Becky Lynch, causing the match to end without a clear winner.

Sasha Banks tried to attack the authority figure with a steel chair, but Bayley intervened and took the chair. After a moment of tension between the two, Bayley surprisingly turned on Becky Lynch, hitting her with seven chair shots. This act established Bayley as a villain and launched what would become one of the most successful periods of her career.

The shift in Bayley’s character, known as the ‘Role Model’ era, truly began on the October 11th episode of SmackDown. That’s when she debuted a new look with a different hairstyle and outfit, and famously ‘cut ties’ with her Bayley Buddies on the entrance ramp. However, the initial change in attitude actually happened earlier, and it was a surprisingly effective heel turn that ultimately led to significant storylines.

2. Finn Balor

Finn Balor is currently known as a villain, especially after his time with the Judgement Day. However, in 2019, he was a very popular hero, particularly in NXT. He was one of NXT’s most well-liked champions, and you could see how much love he still gets when he recently returned to Full Sail – he couldn’t help but smile, even though he’s been playing a villain for years.

Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano were in a heated rivalry with The Undisputed Era. Finn Balor unexpectedly joined forces with Gargano and Ciampa to even the odds, promising a massive showdown. However, Balor suddenly attacked Gargano with a powerful kick, leaving the crowd shocked. Taking advantage of the chaos, The Undisputed Era then attacked Ciampa while Balor watched.

The crowd went wild as Ciampa was repeatedly beaten down, and Balor’s cold reaction in the corner showed he was completely focused on winning and didn’t care about anyone else. Balor then ran across the ring and delivered a powerful dropkick, sending Gargano crashing through the guardrail. But he wasn’t finished. Balor continued his attack, slamming Gargano onto the entrance ramp, decisively defeating Johnny Wrestling and signaling a new, more aggressive chapter in his career.

1. Dakota Kai

2019 saw a lot of wrestlers become ‘villains,’ but one of the most impactful and surprisingly harsh transitions happened during the November 2019 NXT Takeover WarGames match. Before becoming a villain for much of her time on the main roster and later in NXT, Io Shirai (Kai) had been consistently portrayed as a fan favorite, a contrast often highlighted in her rivalries with wrestlers like Shayna Baszler.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing at WarGames. It was supposed to be her turn to fight, but instead, she just ran back to our team’s cage and attacked Tegan Nox – her best friend! Rhea Ripley was stuck watching, completely helpless, and Baszler was just laughing as Kai kicked Tegan right in the face and then repeatedly slammed her against the cage. It was awful.

Kai didn’t stop there, and this marked the start of a particularly ruthless period for her. She forcefully pulled Nox through the cell bars, repeatedly slamming her against the wall and then trapping her arm and injured knee in the door. Kai even removed Nox’s knee brace, keeping it as a reminder of the incident, which fueled their intense and long-lasting rivalry for months to come.

This wasn’t just a surprising change in character; it sparked a captivating rivalry and allowed Kai to showcase a previously unseen intensity, which later became a key part of her persona in Damage CTRL.

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2025-10-19 04:11