The spear that was heard around the world. On Monday Night Raw in Perth, Australia, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed took out World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins in shocking fashion.
The closed captions were up, and the show was ready to close, but Breakker had other plans. He speared Rollins out of nowhere, and then Reed delivered a tsunami. This signaled the end of the Vision, and fans are now left to wonder what’s next for Rollins. With that being said, let’s examine times when WWE superstars underwent a character transformation.
“There’s always a plan B.”
Before Seth Rollins was the leader of the Vision, he was a member of the SHIELD. They debuted at TLC in 2012 and were meant to be CM Punk’s bodyguards. Time passed, and soon the faction took on a life of its own. Composed of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose, aka Jon Moxley, the SHIELD is one of the most dominant factions in WWE history. They feuded with the likes of the Wyatt family, Rhodes’s brothers, and Evolution.
A day after defeating Evolution at Payback, Batista quit and walked off the stage because he wasn’t given a title opportunity. At the end of the night, the SHIELD stood in the ring as Triple H and Randy Orton made it down the ramp. Triple H claimed there is always a plan B, and Seth Rollins proceeded to turn on his stablemates with a chair. Chants of ‘You Sold Out’ rained down on Rollins as he sold out to the Authority. Watching live, I remember being in disbelief and unable to comprehend what just happened. Since the split, all three members are certified stars in their respective companies, but the timing of this betrayal caught WWE fans off guard.
The Heel Turn of the Century
Coined ‘The Heel Turn of the Century’ by Inside the Ropes, John Cena delivered one of the most iconic moments in pro wrestling history. For some background, fans have always wanted John Cena to turn heel for decades. He was always a babyface who was accused of burying talent like the Nexus. Fans lost hope in a character change, but Cena confirmed he was supposed to turn heel during this feud with the Rock. Although it never happened, this was almost the biggest “What if” in the WWE.
Well, that all changed at the Elimination Chamber. John Cena won the main event and became the #1 contender to Cody Rhodes. The Rock appeared wanting an answer from Cody Rhodes about his soul. Little did fans know, it was John Cena who would sell out. After the WWE champion told the Rock to ‘go f*** yourself,’ Cena and him embraced. Then, it happened. The Rock gave a throat gesture to John Cena, whose face visibly changed, and before you knew it, Cena was beating the hell out of Rhodes.
As revealed on WWE Unreal, very few people were made aware of the turn. Triple H, The Rock, Cody Rhodes, Travis Scott, and John Cena among a select few. What happened during his heel run left fans puzzled as they wanted to cheer him on during his Farewell Tour. Cena confessed in a Q & A that his first heel promo ‘bombed’. Whether or not the heel run was great, fans got a chance to witness arguably the greatest heel turn of all time.
A Son’s Betrayal
Dominik Mysterio has always been a part of this business, being the son of the Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio. He was involved in the storyline of the legal dispute between Eddie Guerrero and Mysterio. During a match at SummerSlam, Dominik intervened to give his father the victory and custody. When he debuted in the WWE, he was under the wing of his father. The two won the tag titles together at WrestleMania Backlash, marking Dom’s first title in the company. However, one has to wonder what potential Dom has on his own.
During Clash at the Castle, Dirty Dom turned on his father and joined forces with the Judgement Day. Since then, the two have faced off at WrestleMania 39, where Dom interestingly entered the ring. Dom defeated his dad on the grandest stage of them all. After breaking away from Rey, Dom became the Intercontinental Champion and could be in for a babyface run. He’s rumored to face John Cena for the title at Survivor Series, so his reign could be in jeopardy.
The Fall Of Evolution
Very rarely do stables kick out their members, but Evolution took exception to that. The faction included Triple H, Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Batista. At Judgement Day, Randy Orton beat Chris Benoit to become the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history. Fast forward to Monday Night Raw, and something seemed a bit suspicious. During Evolution’s celebration, Batista hoisted Orton on his shoulders. Triple H put his thumb down, resulting in a betrayal. Flair, Triple H, and Batista bombarded Randy Orton and left him in the dust.
Their breakup led to a match at WrestleMania 25 between Triple H and Orton. The two would main event the show, and H came out victorious. Evolution has since reunited and is on good terms.
The Punch that Changed It All
Becky Lynch brags that she is the greatest female wrestler of all time because both Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report stated as such. She is definitely one of the biggest stars in WWE today. However, that wasn’t the case. She stumbled out of the gate with an Irish Dancing gimmick that fell flat. Upon arriving on the main roster, she wasn’t seen as the face just yet.
That all changed during a brawl that happened during a 2018 episode of Monday Night Raw. Nia Jax had accidentally hit Lynch in the face, resulting in a broken nose. The iconic scene was when Lynch stood among the crowd with blood pouring down her face to close out the show. She would later become ‘The Man’ and become one of the focal points of the WWE program.
Looking at today’s landscape, it seems like one superstar could be due for a face turn. Kaire Sane has been bullied by Asuka for weeks, and fans are waiting on the edge of their seats to see when it happens. Another superstar in the works for a face turn is Dominik Mysterio. As mentioned earlier, he has flourished on television and could soon separate from the Judgment Day. All of these turns were unexpected, and it just goes to show the WWE can deliver when it matters most.