The Last 10 WWE Face Turns, Ranked Worst To Best
A heel/face turn can completely change a wrestler's career. We already saw, for example, how Roman Reigns' heel turn changed the game, or when Batista turned face and became a megastar, or when Daniel Bryan turned babyface to have one of the best underdog stories of all time.
Knowing the importance of a face turn and what it can mean for the future, it is worth reviewing the last 10 face turns in WWE. Some face turns went under the table and seem like they will mean nothing to the careers of these wrestlers, but there were other face turns that were undoubtedly great and are leading the characters to something good.
10 Nikki Cross
Nikki Cross turned babyface recently, so it is too early to tell if this change turns out well or not. For now, it looks like Nikki turned babyface for the simple reason that she is lonely and wants friends.
Cross helped Candice LeRae defeat Piper Niven to make her face turn official. Frankly, Cross was working well as a heel, but we'll have to wait and see if Triple H has any babyface plans for her.
9 Natalya
Natalya turned babyface in October 2022. The change was almost unnoticeable, but she changed her attitude when she faced off against Shayna Baszler in a singles match. Baszler broke Natalya’s nose, which somehow helped the face turn.
Natalya participated in the women’s Elimination Chamber match, which took place in Canada, so she enjoyed a warm welcome and had a good performance in front of her fans. Beyond that, it looks like this face turn won’t go anywhere.
8 Shotzi
Shotzi's babyface turn was the right decision, no doubt. Shotzi doesn't excel in the ring or on the mic, because his greatest strength is her charisma, but as a heel, she couldn't exploit it to the fullest.
Now as a babyface, Shotzi can use her charisma and energy to endear herself to the fans. The highlight of Shotzi as a babyface was a promo for her match against Rousey at Survivor Series, which unfortunately was mediocre.
7 Santos Escobar & Legado Del Fantasma
Santos Escobar turned babyface recently when he showed his respect for Rey Mysterio. Consequently, the rest of Legado del Fantasma (Zelina Vega, Joaquin Wilde and Cruz del Toro) turned face as well.
It looked like Legado del Fantasma was fine as a heel team, but the babyface run could be interesting. Besides, there aren't many babyface factions out there. As of this writing, Santos Escobar is winless as a babyface, and has lost three matches.
6 Charlotte Flair
Charlotte Flair returned on the December 30, 2022, episode of Friday Night SmackDown. She challenged Ronda Rousey to a SmackDown Women's Title match and defeated her to win the title. The Queen celebrated the victory with the fans, making her face turn official.
Frankly, Charlotte Flair has never been a standout babyface, but so far, the fans are treating her well and rooting for her in her matches, although she most likely won't last long as a babyface. Flair will probably be a heel again by the end of the year.
5 Seth Rollins
People were waiting for Seth Rollins' face turn for a long time, as he had been one of the most beloved heels out there for months. Seth finally turned babyface in November 2022, although he didn't do any acts to make it clear right away, other than some high-fives with the fans.
It should also be mentioned that when Rollins hit the Stomp on The Miz three times it wasn't exactly an honorable act. So, Rollins' babyface run has potential, but he needs to give his character a clear direction.
4 Sheamus & The Brawling Brutes
Sheamus (and consequently Ridge Holland and Butch) turned babyface during his feud with Gunther and Imperium. Sheamus turned face at the right time because fans were loving his matches and his “banger after banger” thing.
The face turn helped Sheamus get over once again, he put body and soul into his matches against Gunther, which reminded fans how good Sheamus can be.
3 Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch had an excellent heel run as Big Time Becks, but at SummerSlam 2022, after losing to Bianca Belair, Lynch turned face. The Man got injured, but she returned to be the game-changing factor in the women’s WarGames match at Survivor Series 2022.
Since then, Becky is feuding with Damage CTRL, and she won the Women’s Tag Team Championship alongside none other than Lita. It was fun to watch Becky Lynch as a heel, but fans wanted to root for her, so Triple H gave them what they wanted.
2 Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens always excels, whether as a heel or babyface. He was doing a great job as a heel, which led him to headline the first night of WrestleMania 38 in a match against the legendary Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Owens turned babyface in August and went back to his prizefighter persona, and fans absolutely loved it. Since then, he has cut excellent promos, put on great performances, and he has been a protagonist in one of the best storylines in WWE history.
1 Sami Zayn
Among the last 10 face turns in WWE, the one of Sami Zayn is the best, hands down. Sami turned face at Royal Rumble 2023, when he hit Roman Reigns with a chair in order to protect his friend Kevin Owens. The crowd erupted and we had a memorable moment.
At Elimination Chamber 2023, Sami Zayn was the hottest babyface out there, seemingly surpassing Cody Rhodes, and fans really wanted Sami to defeat Roman Reigns, despite not being a credible challenger. Now, Zayn and Owens are back together, and they are the ideal team to dethrone the Usos.
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