Most non-sensical angles/turns/etc.

[Steve J. Rogers]

One I still don't understand is what happened at Survivor Series 2001.  Kurt Angle betrays Team Alliance (the heels) and costs their leader Steve Austin to lose to the Rock who was representing Vince McMahon in Team WWF (the faces).  Somehow this turns Austin face and Angle & Vince heel.

 

That whole period from Survivor Series 2001 to King of the Ring 2002 was absolutely horrible.  The product hasn't been that great (except for a few spurts) since Wrestlemania X-7, but that period really stands out for how bad it was.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Of course its the Austin face turn of that whole mess that really is the stupid one.

 

No story, just "Okay, here is Austin again, hey lets cheer him! Oh he gives Vince a stunner? HELL YEAH he is a face again!" Even the announcers never mentioned a thing

 

I mean if a turn story needed to be told THIS WAS IT!

 

Why is he welcomed back in the locker room with open arms? Shouldn't there have been a promo with Austin telling the locker room his standard DTA promo?

 

"WHAT? You say I'm a traitor? WHAT? That I'm a turncoat? WHAT? What do I keep saying huh? WHAT? DTA! WHAT? DONT WHAT? TRUST WHAT? ANYONE! WHAT? Thats right WHAT? Does it matter why? WHAT? Well my name is Stone Cold Steve Austin WHAT? And I'm still WWF Champion WHAT? I'm still the champ! What? I'm not here to win back anyone's damn trust WHAT? Thats right WHAT? That ain't what I am WHAT? And thats WHAT? the damndest bottom line What? That I ever bottom lined."

[Jericholic82]

Rikishis turn I htink was an attempt by the WWF to finally have a real surprise. To reveal who ran down Austin was a big chance to make a major new heel, usually they go with the obvious choice but I think they wanted to surprise us (plus they wanted Kish to turn for some reason-likely cuz they thought had no room for another top face-as they already had rock and taker- and wanted to push him into the main events). when he was revealed, the fans were like "Ok you know what, we dont want to be surprised?" and they made HHH the mastermind, messing up a possible face turn for Trips as he had been portaying a tweener since the angle feud. then the WWF made as if he was worse than Rikishi-as Austin went to feuding with him and forgetting about the guy who actually drove the car

 

ah this makes my head hurt

[Steve J. Rogers]

Rikishis turn I htink was an attempt by the WWF to finally have a real surprise. To reveal who ran down Austin was a big chance to make a major new heel, usually they go with the obvious choice but I think they wanted to surprise us (plus they wanted Kish to turn for some reason-likely cuz they thought had no room for another top face-as they already had rock and taker- and wanted to push him into the main events). when he was revealed, the fans were like "Ok you know what, we dont want to be surprised?" and they made HHH the mastermind, messing up a possible face turn for Trips as he had been portaying  a tweener since the angle feud.  then the WWF made as if he was worse than Rikishi-as Austin went to feuding with him and forgetting about the guy who actually drove the car

 

ah this makes my head hurt

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

"I did it FOR DA ROCK!"

 

They kind of slapped that detail late in the game there as well.

 

Okay Kish, you ran over Austin, then why couldn't you get someone to prevent Big Show from beating Rocky in the match that night!

[Papacita]

Actually, this heel turn made sense in a way. In the weeks leading up to the heel turn, much was made of his gang roots and how he needed a gang situation to stay focused, and that the Nation certainly was a gang. At CDIH, he fought all three Nation members (Faarooq, Savio, Crush) in a gauntlet match and was unable to win, causing the announcers to speculate he might have a new respect for Faarooq. Okay, so you might not have liked it, but at least WWE tried explaining a heel turn for a change.

They actually built to Ahmed's turn pretty well, IMO. There was a match prior to KOTR (I think a #1 contendership match, but I'm not sure) between he and Faarooq where Taker comes out to save Ahmed from the Nation, but accidentally ends up knocking him into the stairs, causing him to be counted out. There was another Raw where McMahon asked Ahmed whether or not he felt there was racism in the WWF, and Ahmed replied that while he doesn't agree with Faarooq and thinks he's racist, he thinks that he was right on the money about black wrestlers not getting the opportunities they deserved as far as the WWF Title. Finally, at KOTR, Paul Bearer kept ordering Taker to chokeslam Faarooq (this was during the period where Bearer was holding the "secret" over Taker's head) when Ahmed came down to stop him. When Taker didn't listen, Ahmed laid him out with the Pearl River Plunge. They had also been hinting at it a lot in WWF Magazine.

 

While I think Ahmed's joining the Nation actually made a lot of sense, their turn against him was kinda random. Ahmed injured his knee the first Raw after his heel turn and made his return after Summerslam 97. After he wins the match, they all go to do the salute, and suddenly the Nation just starts attacking him out of the blue. They tried turning him face again, but that was basically it for his career in WWF.

[Hoff]

The Rikishi turn didn't work because it was Rikishi. The guy was over in the "fat man dancing" sort of way, not the "charistmatic and talented worker" sort of way. If it had been, say, Jericho revealed as the hummer driver, it might have worked. And he could have even done it "for the Rock" -- two larger-than-life, Hollywood stars, uniting against a redneck piece of trailer park trash. Jericho would have gotten mad heat, then gone to another level after he turned on the Rock. You run the Armageddon six-pack whatever in December, with Jericho in 'Kish's place, then run Rock/Jericho at RR '01, with Rock going over. Rock still wins the title in February, setting our main event table, and Jericho fights....shit, I dunno, Benoit or something. And let H fight Angle. FUCK the Undertaker.

[Ed Wood Caulfield]

The only good thing to come out of Rikishi's heel turn was his entrance song.

 

"I'm a bad man..."

[Vampiro69]

Honestly, I thought the Angle mole thing was done very well for the most part. However, JR was his usual annoying self, as mentioned earlier in this topic.

[CanadianChick]

I was just thinking who the new Sting of WWE was, and while it may not be 100% true, RVD came to mind. And really, out of the people who turned on him, I only really got one.

 

First, the Dudleys turns on him during a match right after Surivivor Series '01. Is it just because they were bad people? Didn't get that one too much.

 

After a while, Kane turns on him. This is the one that made sense to me, as it was RVD's idea to put his mask on the line I think.

 

And then, when he goes to Smackdown, Booker turns on him because, uh, RVD represents Smackdown? Yeah, didn't get that one too much either.

 

And then, Dudleys turn on poor Rob again because, uh, he's not representing ECW well enough?

[Guest *KNK*]

I wonder why Rey would have turned on RVD for, had RVD not gotten hurt before it could happen.

[Placebo Effect]

Here's a great WCW 2000 one.

 

Kronic vs. Big Vito/Reno at Starrcade - Reno had spent the last month getting the shit beat out of him by Kronic. At the PPV he turns on Vito and reveals that he had been paying Kronic to attack him, just so he could get revenge on Vito.

[Epic Reine]

Also in that match, didn't Reno pin Vito to win the match? How can you pin your own tag partner to win a tag match?

[fisticuffs]

Duggan joining Team Canada. Why!?!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

He said it was because of the fans chanting "Goldberg" while he was being taken out on a stretcher after Goldberg beat his ass in their match.

[Si82]

Also in that match, didn't Reno pin Vito to win the match? How can you pin your own tag partner to win a tag match?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That reminds of the main event of Bash at the Beach '99.

 

It was Kevin Nash & Sting vs. Macho Man & Sid. The thing being that if anyone pinned Nash they would become champion...including Sting! How he would have went about this I don't know.

[MillenniumMan831]

Would it have been so bad to book a 4-Corners match? Granted, it still would have stunk but at least it would have made sense logistically.

[cabbageboy]

Stuff like the Dudleys turning on RVD just blurs together...as an old ECW fan them being on the same side is more bizarre than the Dudleys attacking him.

 

As far as Rey/RVD goes, I think the progression would have actually been RVD to turn on Rey, or just break up amicably. Can't imagine Rey as the asshole heel going against RVD, when RVD is easily better in the cocky heel dickhead role.

[Black Lushus]

Rey Mysterio could never be a heel...there's just no way to spin it...it just can't happen unless he was exclusively in cruiserweight matches...

[Dobbs 3K]

Yeah, I really couldn't see Misterio being a heel. Maybe if he totally changed his wrestling style, saying he wouldn't do his high flying moves anymore because the fans don't respect him or something. But, with his voice, cutting heel promos would just sound weird.

[Black Lushus]

in fact, didn't they try to get him to do some heelish things when he was unmasked andbecame a member of the filthy animals back in WCW? Heel Rey just doesn't work...reminds me too much of "A Christmas Story", the little toadie...

[MillenniumMan831]

Yeah, I think they were all heels in the summer of 2000 as they feuded w/ MIA.

[King Cucaracha]

Duggan joining Team Canada. Why!?!

 

He said it was because of the fans chanting "Goldberg" while he was being taken out on a stretcher after Goldberg beat his ass in their match.

 

Didn't know about that bit.

 

Well still, 1) Goldberg's never been Mr Americana and 2) They stole it from Foley.

[tommytomlin]

I think the Duggan/Team Canada turn actually made sense. Duggan was pissed at the American fans for disrespecting him, so he turned. I think it was a good way to utilise a one-note worker in a fun way. He wasn't exactly main-eventing or anything.

 

And it has nothing on the most non-sensical turn of all. KANYON turning on DDP in 2000 after Kanyon was thrown off the triple decker cage by Mike Awesome.

 

...

 

He turned on the guy who DIDN'T throw him fifteen feet to the ground. Nothing tops that.

[Dobbs 3K]

But it was a SWERVE~! As Vince Russo can tell you, wrestling fans love swerves, even if they don't make any sense. They're the best way to build a successful wrestling promotion.

[Cheex Incarnate]

I know most people weren't a fan of heel Rey, but I really dug it when the Filthy Animals "mugged" Flair in the ring and were trying on his watches and rings and things. I thought it was funny and could've gotten over if they did it more often (like a funnier, classier version of the Brood's bloodbaths).

 

-Cheex

[Jericholic82]

Here's a great WCW 2000 one.

 

Kronic vs. Big Vito/Reno at Starrcade - Reno had spent the last month getting the shit beat out of him by Kronic.  At the PPV he turns on Vito and reveals that he had been paying Kronic to attack him, just so he could get revenge on Vito.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not only that but before that match they had revealed that Reno was Vitos brother