WWE face turns

[Guest Special K]

The titles pretty self explanatory. WWE's been doing an OK job with turning guys heel Matt Hardy V.1, Cena, etc, in that they've come up with some decent characters who are pains in the ass. (the 'bully' hoss pushes for DeMott and batista blow though.)

 

However, face turns have been all crappy.

-The Guerroros get busted on by Cena, so suddenly they're faces?

-Booker gets his ass whooped by nWo and he's a face?

-Shawn gets his ass whooped by HGH and he's a face?

-Test gets a shitty catchphrase and he's a face?

-I don't think they ever really turned Benoit face, but just threw him against a popular heel, exactly like they did against Eddie a year or so ago.

-Even The WWE's pet project in Lesnar had a lame face turn. 'I had be a dick because you're good, Taker.' 'That's cool. you're good too Brock.'

 

Used to be, someone turned face by doing something heroic, like breaking off from a heel group on principle, or saving another face from a beatdown. Now apparently you're a face just because you are matched up against a heel, or you get punked out. The Booker turn, which I know, is a little old, is the prime example of this. Booker wanted to be in the nWo, they brought in Shawn, Booker got punked out like a little bitch, not even for having spoken out.

 

Is there any reason why this is such a problem? It seems to not be general ineptitude but a conscious decision, maybe to make heels look stronger, I dunno. Any thoughts?

 

As a corrolary, when's the last time a really great face turn happened?

[Guest Downhome]

This is a simple one actually. WWE has apparently totally forgotten how to create any sort of emotional bond between the performers and the fans. Have it be a hate relationship with the heels, or a love relationship with the faces, it just isn't there as it used to be.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

Shawn has almost always been seen as a face since his Commish role. He turned briefly when he screwed Rock but was face again the next time he was seen.

 

A guy turning face when he gets kicked out of a stable is an idea as old as stables themselves.

 

Angle/Benoit was quickly becoming a face team, then Kurt turned MegaHeel by teaming with Paul.

 

Brock was inevitable to turn face because of his push. When a guy goes an entire half a year without getting pinned, he'll slowly become an odds-on favorite and fans will like him.

[Guest creativename]

I have to disagree on the Brock one, I thought that was pretty well executed--one of the best executed turns in years (he didn't really do anything, but the build up was effective).

 

But yeah, WWE has been pretty bad with the face turns for a while. A Jericho-Michaels double turn would be sweet though.

[Guest Raven_Effect01]

A Jericho-Michaels double turn would be sweet though.

Not if it means Jericho becomes stale again though, unless the face Jericho we get is the one that wrestled The Rock at No Mercy 2001 and not the one that put on an embarassing performance against Rhyno at Summerslam 2001.

[Guest Brian]

Jericho hit a super lull during that time. After he found out he wasn't going anywhere for the five hundredth time, he just went through the motions. I'd like to see tweener Jericho for two months leading to Mania before they finalize the double turn, but Jericho needs to be face if he's ever going to make a serious run at the title.

[Guest FeArHaVoC]

The Fans actually turned HBK, Booker & Brock. They were all getting face pops anyway. Hell, even Nash was getting face Pops in the NWO.

 

I remember reading Brock was getting more Face Pops then Taker, but the Magic of WWE TV, Edit those out and put in the Heel Heat.