The spear that was heard around the world. On Monday Night Raw in Perth, Australia, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed eliminated World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins in shocking fashion.
The closed captioning was done and the show was ready to end, but Breakker had other plans. He speared Rollins out of nowhere, then Reed unleashed a tsunami. This marked the end of Vision, and fans must now be wondering what’s next for Rollins. With that being said, let’s take a look at times when WWE Superstars have undergone a character transformation.
“There’s always a plan B.”
Before Seth Rollins was the leader of Vision, he was a member of SHIELD. They debuted on TLC in 2012 and were supposed to be CM Punk’s bodyguards. Time passed and soon the faction took on a life of its own. Comprised of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, aka Jon Moxley, SHIELD is one of the most dominant factions in WWE history. They were feuding with the Wyatt Family, Rhodes’ brothers and Evolution.
One day after defeating Evolution at Payback, Batista quit and left the stage because he did not get a title opportunity. At the end of the night, SHIELD stood in the ring as Triple H and Randy Orton walked down the ramp. Triple H claimed there was always a plan B, and Seth Rollins turned on his stablemates with a chair. Chants of “You Sold Out” rained down on Rollins as he sold himself to The Authority. Watching live, I remember being in disbelief and unable to comprehend what had just happened. Since the split, all three members have been certified stars in their respective companies, but the timing of this betrayal caught WWE fans off-guard.
The turn of the century
Dubbed “The Turn of the Century” by Inside the Ropes, John Cena delivered one of the most iconic moments in professional wrestling history. As a reminder, fans have always wanted John Cena to turn heel for decades. He has always been a babyface accused of burying talent like the Nexus. Fans have given up hope on a character change, but Cena confirmed he was supposed to turn heel during this feud with The Rock. Although it never happened, it was almost WWE’s biggest “What if.”
Well, everything changed at the Elimination Chamber. John Cena won the main event and became the #1 contender against Cody Rhodes. The Rock seemed to want an answer from Cody Rhodes about his soul. Little did fans know it was John Cena who would sell out. After the WWE Champion told The Rock to “fuck you,” he and Cena kissed. Then it happened. The Rock made a throat move to John Cena, whose face visibly changed, and before you knew it, Cena was beating down Rhodes.
As revealed on WWE Unreal, very few people were informed of the twist. Triple H, The Rock, Cody Rhodes, Travis Scott and John Cena among a select few. What happened during his heel run left fans perplexed as they wanted to cheer him on on his farewell tour. Cena admitted during a Q&A that his first heel promo was “bombed.” Whether the heel turn was great or not, fans had the chance to witness arguably the greatest heel turn of all time.
A son’s betrayal
Dominik Mysterio has always been a part of this company, being the son of Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio. He was involved in the legal dispute storyline between Eddie Guerrero and Mysterio. During a match at SummerSlam, Dominik interfered to give his father the victory and custody. When he debuted in WWE, he was under his father’s wing. The two won the titles together at WrestleMania Backlash, marking Dom’s first title shot in the company. However, one has to wonder how much potential Dom has on his own.
During Clash at the Castle, Dirty Dom turned against his father and joined forces with Judgment Day. Since then, the two have faced off at WrestleMania 39, where Dom interestingly entered the ring. Dom beat his father on the biggest stage of them all. After parting ways with Rey, Dom became the Intercontinental Champion and could enter a babyface run. He is rumored to face John Cena for the title at Survivor Series, so his reign could be in jeopardy.
The fall of evolution
It is very rare for teams to expel their members, but Evolution opposes this. The faction included Triple H, Ric Flair, Randy Orton and Batista. At Judgment Day, Randy Orton defeated Chris Benoit to become the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history. Fast forward to Monday Night Raw, and something seemed a little suspicious. During Evolution’s celebration, Batista hoisted Orton onto his shoulders. Triple H gave the thumbs down, resulting in a betrayal. Flair, Triple H and Batista powerbombed Randy Orton and left him in the dust.
Their breakup led to a match at WrestleMania 25 between Triple H and Orton. The two would be the main event of the show, and H emerged victorious. Evolution has since reunited and are on good terms.
The punch that changed everything
Becky Lynch boasts that she is the greatest female wrestler of all time, as declared by Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. She is definitely one of the biggest stars in WWE today. However, this was not the case. She stumbled out of the door with an Irish Dancing gadget that fell flat. Coming to the main roster, she wasn’t considered the face yet.
Everything changed during a fight during an episode of Monday Night Raw in 2018. Nia Jax accidentally punched Lynch in the face, causing her a broken nose. The iconic scene was when Lynch stood among the crowd with blood streaming down his face to close the show. She would later become “The Man” and become one of the focal points of the WWE program.
Looking at the current landscape, it seems like a superstar might be on the verge of a face change. Kaire Sane has been bullied by Asuka for weeks, and fans are waiting on the edge of their seats to see when it will happen. Another superstar in the works for a face turn is Dominik Mysterio. As previously mentioned, he has flourished on television and may soon part ways with Judgment Day. All of these turns were unexpected, and it shows that WWE can deliver when it matters most.
