Something I've never understood.

[Guest Down In Albion]

As the title says, something i've never understood in pro wrestling is the fact that a wrestlers hardly ever turns heel or babyface when holding a championship belt.

 

Is there a reason for this. :?

 

I can't think of anyone, off the top of my head, who has ever turned while holding a belt, in the major companys anyway.

 

I mean i hear people say on various wrestling forums "Obviously 'wrestler X' will have to drop the belt then turn heel".

 

Can you guys think of a wrestler who has turned while holding a championship belt, and do you know why this seems to be 'the way of doing things'?

 

Cheers.

[Guest Craig]

Brock Lesnar turned during his first reign, didn't he?

[Fidel Cashflow 130]

Brock Lesnar turned during his first reign' date=' didn't he?[/quote']

Kinda, but he didn't really turn until Heyman and Big Show teamed up against him causing him to lose the title.

[Ryan 188]

Yes he did, he came off a fued with Taker as a heel then turned Face to fued with The Big Show whilst holding the WWE Championship.

[Guest CoTT]

Brock turned face when Heyman screwed him by having Big Show take his title. He didn't turn while keeping the title.

[Guest Breakdown]

Austin and Angle have both turned while holding a world title.

[Guest Ed_666]

Probably the reason for this is that a lot of wrestlers are turned to freshen up their characters, or get them some extra heat by turning on someone or saving someone, and if you're the champ, you should already be super over to begin with.

 

Although they could easily turn Cena now, and could have done for a while, so maybe we'll see that happen.

 

Ed

[The Icon 152]

HBK turned heel and formed DX while he was champion.

[Guest DOB]

HBK turned heel and formed DX while he was champion.

 

HBK formed D-X when he was in the lead up to his match with Bret Hart at Survivor Series '97,not while he was world champion(although he was European champ).

[The Icon 152]

I knew he had a belt, wrong one though.

[Guest DOB]

I knew he had a belt' date=' wrong one though.[/quote']

Meh it doesn't matter.

 

Anymore "Do you like the match?" threads?

[Evil Gringo 279]

Off the top of my head wrestlers who have turned as champions...

 

Austin

Angle

Lesnar (second reign)

 

Why?

 

Because Austin couldn't be the Rattlesnake character anymore, he needed freshening up... Kurt was just so damn over as a face they had to turn him and with Lesnar they worked out that he worked better as a kick ass heel with a cowardly streak then a face due to his lack of vocal skill...

 

Apart from that is a character wins the belt on one side of the divide then he's done that as a reason and unless there is a good reason (like those above) then the bookers are loath to prehaps damage a run that the wrestler is having with a botched turn, espically if there performance in a particular role got them the title run in the first place.

[Guest Craig Van Dam]

I don't know if this counts because it occured seconds after winning the belt when Ric Flair as a heel beat Rick Steamboat for the NWA World title in 1989 and then turned face when Terry Funk attacked him

[Guest craignwo4life]

Maybe it's old age playing tricks but didn't Savage turn heel in 1989 as champ and Diesel turn face in 1994?

 

And I am sure Flair must have turned a few times during some of his reigns!!

[Guest Craig Van Dam]

You are right about Savage turning heel against Hogan in 1989. Can't believe I forgot that

[Guest craignwo4life]

I suppose you could add Bret Hart in 1997.

 

In the US he was a heel but when they went to Canada and the UK he was a face so technically he "turned" several times in one reign!!!

[Guest horsemansmiler]

Nash turned in wwe when he picked up strap.

 

 

He also technically turned when he let hogan pin him

[Guest Down In Albion]

I guess they're have been a few then. :lol

[Guest Brad]

When did Austin turn heel, if you are talking about WM17 then you can't really count that can you as he turned heel in the match and won the title from that match, or are you talking about another time?

 

Edit - Sorry I guess you're meaning the Invasion angle

[Guest Da Showstoppa]

I suppose the best way to turn someone face is to have an injustice happen to them - the biggest injustice in wrestling is to rob someone of a title or title shot (or their girl) For the crowd to get behind a wrestler, they have to be wronged in order to get sympathy. Fans have to connect and identify with a wrestler in order to like and want to see them prevail. Look at Triple H who instantly became a babyface after tearing his quad - people wanted to see him beat the odds. Look at how he turned heel again (he smashed HBK through a car window) and cemented the turn at Summerslam 2002 ("crippling" HBK with the sledgehammer) Again look at The Rock, who turned heel by joining the corporation and turning his back on them (the fans). Austin who became face by showing his grit and determination at WM13 and the (largely failed) heel turn at WMX7.

 

I guess the point is, you can't really truly expect the fans to feel sorry for someone who still has a world title! Turning someone heel however is easier, because anyone can suddenly do something bad and cause an impact.

 

 

Mike