5 failed WWE heel turns that nobody bought
It is often easier to be hated than loved in the WWE.
To be a face, you need to toe that line between endearing and pandering, making sure to give the crowd what they want without making it too obvious.
For a heel though, being an effective bad guy may be as simple as attacking whomever the fans cheer, and refusing to explain yourself.
Despite this, there have been attempts to turn some Superstars heel, that for one reason or another, didn't pan out.
Though the company had the best of intentions, fans just couldn't get behind these WWE Superstars embracing their darker side.
Here are five WWE heel turns that completely failed with the crowd and what exactly went wrong.
#5: Shawn Michaels
When Shawn Michaels returned to WWE in the Summer of 2002, he came back as one of wrestling's most beloved stars.
Not only a burst of nostalgia for older fans, the Showstopper's antics in the ring helped gain a new, younger fanbase who would always cheer HBK.
That all changed in 2005, when Michaels attacked Hulk Hogan, who had recently returned to the company with the crowd on his side.
Explaining himself, Michaels said how Hogan was working off a legacy he'd made decades ago, whilst Shawn himself was out entertaining for fans every night.
And to be fair, he was right.
Everything Michaels was saying was true, and fans came to recognise it.
By the time their Summerslam match came around, many fans were aligned with HBK, and though WWE tried their best with this heel turn, fans couldn't help but cheer the Showstopper.