V1mark Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 Given Punk's current long WWE title reign and his turn on RAW 1000 it got me thinking. Â How many times have guys 'turned' while holding the WWE or World Title? Hell, throw in WCW, ECW and where ever else as well. Â I'm sure there are loads of examples but I can only remember Austin in 2001 after the demise of WCW. He went from WWF Champ leader of the alliance to face Austin. He was briefly face at the start of the Invasion storyline but only for a week or two before turning back again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoistVaj Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 This was answered in the questions thread several weeks back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Pitcos Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 Kane in 2010, CM Punk in 2009, Randy Orton in 2004, Kurt Angle in 2002. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted September 16, 2012 Paid Members Share Posted September 16, 2012 The most famous heel turn while holding the belt was Randy Savage. He was literally holding the belt when he whacked it off the side of Hulk Hogan's face on a Main Event NBC Special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members air_raid Posted September 16, 2012 Paid Members Share Posted September 16, 2012 I'm not sure it counts as a turn as such, but The Undertaker won the WWE title in 2002 from Hogan as a bona fide 100% heel, but over the course of his reign people had gradually just started cheering for him again anyway because, well, it's The Undertaker isn't it? Respect for his legendary status etc, and his shaking of Jeff Hardys hand after their ladder match on Raw had started people going "see, he's not so bad after all." I think by the time he lost the title at Vengence he was tweener, and was being programmed against heels again virtually the next night. It probably doesn't really qualify as there was no distinct "turn" as such. Â Similarly after his pair of matches with said same Undertaker, Brock Lesnar had earned plenty of fan respect and cheers, and was pitted up against big monster heel Big Show in the final month of his reign and was drawing plenty of sympathy with the injury angle. If anything I'd say by virtue of Paul Heyman turning on him, Lesnar was officially turned baby about fifteen seconds before he lost the belt. As Pity has mentioned, Kurt Angle who took the belt from Big Show was adored the night he won it, then turned the very next night. 2002 was a strange year for the SmackDown roster, few men actually seemed capable of staying heel. Angle himself as well as Chris Benoit gradually transformed from full blown heels to respectfully cheered to actual babyfaces over the autumn months. Â The most famous heel turn while holding the belt was Randy Savage. He was literally holding the belt when he whacked it off the side of Hulk Hogan's face on a Main Event NBC Special. Â This was the undisputed king of this type of turn really, wasn't it? Savage was absolutely beloved for most of his title reign, then the jealousy storyline and eventual turn made him the most hated man in the company, a role in which Savage excelled. His performance at Mania V is extraordinary, both in terms of the actual wrestling performance but also in behaving like a complete cunt to Liz. I thought Savage was the best heel they had for donkeys years, and what makes it more amazing was just how effective he was at drawing sympathy as a face too. You really believed he was on his last legs in a lot of his babyface matches, whether being belly splashed repeatedly by the Twin Towers or doing the one-legged routine against Ric Flair in 1992. What a brilliant wrestler he was. Go watch the main events of Survivors '88 and Mania V back to back this afternoon, it will be the best hour or so of your life. Â Better than sitting through Reading v Spurs, anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Mayhem Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 The most famous heel turn while holding the belt was Randy Savage. He was literally holding the belt when he whacked it off the side of Hulk Hogan's face on a Main Event NBC Special. Â Punk v Cena, is pretty much Savage V Hogan in the modern age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted September 16, 2012 Paid Members Share Posted September 16, 2012 Punk v Cena, is pretty much Savage V Hogan in the modern age. Says more about the modern age than it does Hogan and Savage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Mayhem Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 This was the undisputed king of this type of turn really, wasn't it? Savage was absolutely beloved for most of his title reign, then the jealousy storyline and eventual turn made him the most hated man in the company, a role in which Savage excelled. His performance at Mania V is extraordinary, both in terms of the actual wrestling performance but also in behaving like a complete cunt to Liz. I thought Savage was the best heel they had for donkeys years, and what makes it more amazing was just how effective he was at drawing sympathy as a face too. You really believed he was on his last legs in a lot of his babyface matches, whether being belly splashed repeatedly by the Twin Towers or doing the one-legged routine against Ric Flair in 1992. What a brilliant wrestler he was. Go watch the main events of Survivors '88 and Mania V back to back this afternoon, it will be the best hour or so of your life. Better than sitting through Reading v Spurs, anyway.  Put me on the list of lads who absolutely loved savaged work. His matches as a heel where distinctly different from those as a face. Absolutely amazing worker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Brooker Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 Bret Hart turned while he was WCW champ in the winter of 1999, reforming the NWO with Hall, Nash & Jarrett. Â All things considered, it probably wasn't the high point he wanted to go out on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted September 16, 2012 Moderators Share Posted September 16, 2012 DDP in the Spring of 1999 as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted September 16, 2012 Paid Members Share Posted September 16, 2012 The Giant in 1996, as well. He was a heel who beat Flair, and dropped the belt to Hollywood Hogan as a face. I bet there are loads of WCW ones if you have a good think. Didn't Flair win the WCW title from Vader as a face and drop it to Hulk Hogan as a heel, as well? Flair won the WCW title from Hogan in 99, and turned heel soon afterwards, as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Fox Piss Posted September 16, 2012 Paid Members Share Posted September 16, 2012 Diesel in 95? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members WWFChilli Posted September 16, 2012 Paid Members Share Posted September 16, 2012 Diesel in 95? Â I don't know if that would count. He sort of turned AFTER he lost the belt am I right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted September 16, 2012 Paid Members Share Posted September 16, 2012 Diesel turned face before he won the title and turned heel after he lost the title. He was technically still a babyface for a while after Survivor Series 95. He didn't fully turn til later on. Â Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Fox Piss Posted September 16, 2012 Paid Members Share Posted September 16, 2012 Argh right i thought he was Heel when he won the belt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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