The Rock & 3 other WWE stars nobody thought would turn heel

WWE and professional wrestling are arguably the most entertaining forms of media out there. The way the industry combines athleticism, live music, a light show, comedy, drama, and storytelling is not comparable to any other field.

One of the key fundamentals of a pro wrestler is their alignment. Typically, a performer is either a babyface, which is a good guy, or a heel, which is a villain. Naturally, the audience generally cheers for a babyface and boos the villain.

A wrestling talent normally bounces back and forth between the roles a few times in their careers. There are a few exceptions who never do. Beyond that, there are a few performers who are pushed so strongly as babyfaces that the idea of them turning heel sounds impossible.

There are some talents, however, who did the impossible. This article will take a look at four mega stars who nobody expected to ever turn heel, but they eventually did. This includes a recent shocking turn and some of the biggest legends of all time.

Below are four WWE Superstars nobody thought would turn heel.

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#4. The Rock turning heel this year was shocking

The Rock on RAW

The Rock is one of the most successful performers in WWE history. Not only is he a multi-time WrestleMania headliner who has won numerous world titles, but he has found success away from the ring as well. He is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and has been for many years now.

While The People's Champion has been semi-retired for around two decades, he has been appearing on television more often lately. It is believed that The Rock will even compete at WrestleMania 40, although it won't necessarily be against Roman Reigns like some people had anticipated. Still, he is a massive star, which is a big positive for WWE.

Given how big of a deal he is, it remains absolutely shocking that he recently turned heel. The Brahma Bull aligned himself with Roman Reigns, and the pair are currently feuding with Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes.

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#3. Nobody thought Roman Reigns would turn heel in WWE

The Bloodline

Speaking of Roman Reigns, he is another tremendously successful WWE Superstar. He first joined the main roster as part of The Shield alongside Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, now known as Jon Moxley. The Tribal Chief went on to headline WrestleMania on numerous occasions.

Currently, Roman is the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. He first won the title back in 2020 and unified both world titles at WrestleMania 38. Now, Roman is breaking records with the title by being one of the Stamford-based company's biggest villains.

The Tribal Chief, however, was not always a heel. For around six years, he was one of the most pushed babyfaces. While fans did not all buy into it and often begged for him to become a villain, it seemed impossible. Thankfully, the Stamford-based company finally went with the idea in 2020, and The Tribal Chief has been a massive star ever since.

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#2. Stone Cold Steve Austin joining Vince McMahon was a major surprise

In 1996, Stone Cold Steve Austin began his trajectory to the top of WWE. He eventually turned babyface and became one of the most iconic babyfaces of all time despite not actually wrestling as a babyface typically would.

The smash-mouth rugged brawler became a hero by acting like a villain. The twist was he did it to people the WWE fans despised. His most notable rival was Vince McMahon, and the two feuded for years.

That is what made his heel turn in 2001 all the more shocking. At WrestleMania 17, Vince McMahon surprisingly helped Stone Cold Steve Austin defeat The Rock in a WWF Championship match. The two even shook hands and formed an alliance, something nobody saw coming.

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#1. Hulk Hogan broke his fans' hearts

While Stone Cold Steve Austin became the biggest babyface in the late 1990s WWE, it was Hulk Hogan who reigned in the prior decade. Throughout most of the 1980s and the early part of the 1990s, Hogan was the biggest hero the Stamford-based company had.

In a surprise move, The Hulkster had a falling out with then-WWF and moved to World Championship Wrestling. While Hogan was a massive babyface in WWE, his shine was beginning to dim prior to his exit. Throughout the pushback, Hogan refused to entertain the idea of taking a villainous path.

It seemed as if a heel turn would never come, but then, in 1996, things changed. Hulk Hogan shockingly turned heel and formed the New World Order alongside Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. This narrative revitalized his career.

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Which WWE Superstar's heel turn was the most shocking for you? Sound off in the comments section below!