Most Honorable Babyface Acts

[milliondollarchamp]

Briefcase created a thread called "Most Dastardly Heel Acts" so I thought this thread might be appropriate as well. Sorry for the blatant rip-off, Briefcase.

 

It's been said that it's easier to generate heat than to get over as a baby face. I don't know if I buy that or not, but that's a discussion for another time.

 

Tell me what acts you've seen a baby face perform that really rallied you to his/her cause. Whether it was Hulk Hogan defeating that Iraqi sympathizer or Ausin speaking truth to power, I want to see it.

 

One that pops out in my mind is Perry Saturn in WCW. At the time, Raven's flock was pretty strong and Billy Kidman was a part of it. Saturn had been trying to talk Kidman into leaving the flock, saying he was wasting his talents with them.

 

In his attempt to protect Kidman from the flock, he let a member of the flock break his fingers. That, among other things, influenced Kidman to leave the flock. Later on, he won the Cruiserweight Championship on an episode of Nitro, and Saturn came out and congratulated him.

[Brett Favre]

William Regal protecting Eugene and standing up for him.

 

I'm not sure if it's an honorable babyface act, but Sting beating the shit out of the nWo by himself was awesome.

[foleyfanforever88]

Brock Lesnar pushing Zach Gowen down the stairs in a wheelchair always stood out as an honorable act to me.

[Lil' Bitch]

The Ultimate Warrior coming back to help Hulk Hogan from being beatdown by Sid and Papa Shango.

 

Mr. Perfect turning on Bobby Heenan to join the Macho Man.

 

Stone Cold helping Mankind win the WWF Championship.

 

Stone Cold saving Stephanie McMahon from being sacrificed by the Undertaker.

 

 

 

 

[...]

Sting backing up Ric Flair against Terry Funk, Gary Hart, and Muta.

[Kahran Ramsus]

The Undertaker turning on his partner Jake Roberts because he was going to hit Miss Elizabeth with a chair.

[haws bah gawd]

Eddy Guerrero "taking a bullet" for Lita back in 2001. Eddy had been teasing a face turn for weeks, and was trying to form an alliance with Lita and the Hardys. Rhyno had run into the ring one week and was going to Gore Lita. Eddy dived in front of Rhino and took the Gore, thus earning the trust of Lita and the Hardys.

 

Stone Cold saving Stephanie McMahon from being sacrificed by the Undertaker.

 

What made this moment all the better was Vince giving Austin a heartfelt Thank You after Austin's rescue was over. God I miss Undertaker as the Lord of Darkness.

[PILLS! PILLS! PILLS!]

Avoiding the guy-saves-girl stuff:

 

- Big Bossman refusing to accept the Million Dollar Man's bribe.

 

- Diesel chasing off Sid after he blindsided HBK the night after WrestleMania XI.

 

- Vince fighting for his daughter at Armageddon '99.

 

- Linda McMahon pulled quite the babyface maneuver (one of many, on her behalf, actually) in granting Mick Foley a chance at main eventing a WrestleMania.

 

- Shawn Michaels sticking his neck out to prolong Austin's stay at Survivor Series 2003 is a good example.

 

- Foley kissing McMahon's ass to save Melina's job is another one (and, unfortunately, nothing came of this).

[Ravenbomb]

I dunno if it qualifies as "honorable" but Punk's face turn at the end of the Ricky Steamboat feud was all kinds of awesome.

[PILLS! PILLS! PILLS!]

I dunno if it qualifies as "honorable" but Punk's face turn at the end of the Ricky Steamboat feud was all kinds of awesome.

 

Didn't he turn face after the first hour draw with Joe?

 

"Fuck anybody who tries to stop us!"

[CanadianChris]

I just got done watching this...post-parasailing accident Brutus Beefcake running in to save Hogan from a 2-on-1 beatdown at the hands of Ric Flair and the Undertaker on SNME, after Sid Justice walked out on Hogan, was pretty honourable. Added points for Bobby Heenan's line as it happened ("It's gonna be like a hockey game, we're gonna have a faceoff!"). Points taken away for Hogan and Beefcake's disturbing homoerotic interview afterward, with Beefcake saying Hogan was laying in the hospital bed with him after the accident, infusing him with the power of Hulkamania.

[Ravenbomb]

I dunno if it qualifies as "honorable" but Punk's face turn at the end of the Ricky Steamboat feud was all kinds of awesome.

 

Didn't he turn face after the first hour draw with Joe?

 

"Fuck anybody who tries to stop us!"

 

I only saw the Steamboat feud on the second Best of Punk DVD so maybe it was short lived, but they fought, Steamboat gave a speech, Generation Next attacked Steamboat and Punk helped fight them off.

[Diamonddust]

All time favorite:

 

Liz coming to Savage's aid at Wrestlemania VII.

[Bigelow34]

Jimmy Hart trying to protect Brutus Beefcake's face from Money Inc and their briefcase on Raw in February 93.

[Jingus]

A puro example: one of the many great moments from the masterpiece 6/9/95 match of Misawa and Kobashi vs. Kawada and Taue. About twenty minutes into the match, the heels have both completely destroyed Kobashi's knee, and he's basically crying in pain on the floor as he's trying to tape it back together. Meanwhile in the ring, Kobashi and Taue are using the handicap situation to beat the everliving shit out of top champion Misawa in a manner they'd never done before, practically beating him unconscious. At one point, Misawa is just laying there not moving while the other two are endlessly stomping him, and Kobashi crawls into the ring and actually lays on top of his partner, making them stomp on him instead. In print it sounds kinda gay, but watching the match it's pretty powerful.

[bob_barron]

I dunno if it qualifies as "honorable" but Punk's face turn at the end of the Ricky Steamboat feud was all kinds of awesome.

 

Didn't he turn face after the first hour draw with Joe?

 

"Fuck anybody who tries to stop us!"

 

Punk officially turned face at DBD when he saved Steamboat.

[PILLS! PILLS! PILLS!]

I dunno if it qualifies as "honorable" but Punk's face turn at the end of the Ricky Steamboat feud was all kinds of awesome.

 

Didn't he turn face after the first hour draw with Joe?

 

"Fuck anybody who tries to stop us!"

 

Punk officially turned face at DBD when he saved Steamboat.

 

I didn't know that there was an "officially" when it came to heel/face turns in ROH. His behavior after WTC was that of a babyface, though.

[bob_barron]

He was still a heel, but saving Steamboat was his face turn. He wouldn't be confronting Steamboat if he was still face

[CanadianGuitarist]

All time favorite:

 

Liz coming to Savage's aid at Wrestlemania VII.

 

My first thought. The second was also mentioned, Austin helping Mankind win the title.

 

[King Cucaracha]

Spike Dudley standing up to Kurt Angle because he insulted Molly Holly. And tearing up Austin's petition for the same reason.

[Chazz]

Hulk Hogan turning down The Million Dollar Man's offer to buy The WWF Championship from him.

[The Truthiness]

Tommy Dreamer giving up his World title shot at Barely Legal (ECW 1st PPV), so Terry Funk can have chance to win one last World Championship.

 

Elizabeth saving Macho.

 

Dreamer taking a cane beating from Sandman and asking for more, after he lost a loser gets caned match.

 

Dreamer protecting a blind Sandman from Woman, only to get whacked in the back of the head with a cane by Sandman. Dreamer thought he had blinded Sandman and ended his career, so he was going to dedicate the rest of his career to Sandman.

 

Taz standing up to Austin, a week after Austin beat the shit out of Cole. Taz was telling Austin to apologize to Cole, but Austin beat the shit out of him, just like he did Cole the week before.

 

Dusty saving Flair from the Russians, only for Flair and The Anderson's to beat the shit out of Big Dust and break his ankle. This was the orgins of The Horsemen.

 

 

The end of WMXX, would've been an easy choice, but now that moment is kind of depressing.

[CanadianGuitarist]

Tommy Dreamer giving up his World title shot at Barely Legal (ECW 1st PPV), so Terry Funk can have chance to win one last World Championship.

 

Dreamer protecting a blind Sandman from Woman, only to get whacked in the back of the head with a cane by Sandman. Dreamer thought he had blinded Sandman and ended his career, so he was going to dedicate the rest of his career to Sandman.

 

This probably doesn't (or shouldn't) qualify as 'honourable' per se, but I always thought it was cool when Lori Fullington would get involved in Sandman's matches with Rhino in 2000. Invariably, she'd wind up being nearly gored, and two examples are what predicate my post: Sandman pushing her out of the way, and Sandman lifting her up over a charging Rhino.

 

I was a huge mark for 2000 Rhino.

 

[Promoter]

Elizabeth saving Macho at WM 7 comes to mind. Austin helping Mankind win the title too. One that hasn't been mentioned is Hogan coming down to the ring because of Elizabeth to stop the Hart Foundation from finishing off Macho after Honky Tonk Man hit him with the guitar(not the gimmicked one either like later years). The birth of the Mega-Powers!

[BruiserKC]

"Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin, for years a hated heel, turning face and coming to the aid of his "brother" (real life stepfather) Ronnie Garvin after Ron was burned with a fireball by Jim Cornette. And later, Ronnie dressed as Miss Atlanta Lively so that Flair couldn't put his hands all over Garvin's valet Precious after Flair won the right to a date with her. Watching Garvin knock Flair out was just hilarious.

 

Another one that stands out for me...during the UWF tag team title tournament in early '87. A semifinal match with "Dr. Death" Steve Williams and Ted DiBiase vs. Iceman King Parsons and Gentleman Chris Adams interrupted when Skandor Akbar comes down with Devastation Inc. During the brawl, Williams and DiBiase are counted out. Adams helps fight off Akbar and company while Parsons was in the ring getting the win for his team. After the match, Adams wanted the match to resume and didn't want the win, but Parsons wanted the win. Back in those kayfabe days I actually was impressed by Adams' actions.

[BruteSquad_BRODY]

Hogan saving the man who had spent 2 1/2 years calling him a bitch and cheap shotting him. (Macho Man from the Honky and the Harts on SNME) Of course, we all know Hogan just wanted to impress Liz so he can get his freak on with her.