Character development that made perfect sense

[Mr. Nerfect]

Just for fun, let's talk about some wrestling character development that just made perfect sense. We often see guys turn face and heel for the hell of it, and their style in the ring suddenly changes for no other reason at all other than formula. To me, it doesn't make sense how a guy like Big Show can go from being a monster who dominates all his matches when he is booed, to being beaten up and needing to make comebacks when he is cheered.

Some character development I have really liked recently in the WWE:

Brian Kendrick from loveable high-flyer to egocentric sneaky heel made perfect sense to me. Kendrick held the WWE Tag Team Championship longer than anybody else in history. When he and Paul London didn't find the same success on RAW, he retreated a little bit, and even walked out on his partner. But then when he was drafted to SmackDown!, he used the opportunity to work a smarter style, and reach for the WWE Championship.

While I miss mega-uber-cocky heel MVP, I do love how his losing streak humbled him a little bit, if just the tiniest. He was a guy who didn't consider losing a possibility, now he knows that he is, and he's a more whole person because of it.

[jony lions]

xero thinkin he knows it all and then turnin around and thinkin he knows it all
great character change biatch

[Krimzon7]

Whoa, Kimosabe...Don't Stick your dick in the beehive so quickly!

[Gertner]

Santino Marella. Kinda like the Rock on a smaller scale. Went from being a babyface who the crowd didn't like to gradually becoming incredibly over as a heel.

[Xero]

xero thinkin he knows it all and then turnin around and thinkin he knows it all
great character change biatch

rofl

[Hanso Amore]

lol

[Nark Order]

Miz turning on Morrison was something we all should've seen coming. Pretty great IMO.

[Anybody Thrilla]

Batista's face turn was executed brilliantly.

[Jeritron]

HHH's heel turn in 1999 was amazing from a character standpoint

[Mr. Nerfect]

I have to agree with Batista and Triple H's turns. Very good.

Paul Burchill's current character is very similar to the core of his original heel character in the WWE. When Burchill first came in as William Regal's student, he said that "he liked hurting people," and now he's calling himself "The Ripper."

[Lock Jaw]

Chris Jericho's abandoning of his Y2J persona. Snazzy suits, trunks instead of pants, no joking around...

[Chavo Classic]

All of the above are examples of pure co-incidence, as the WWE clearly doesn't have the intelligence or commitment to plan and execute long-term character development.

[Jeritron]

All of the above are examples of pure co-incidence, as the WWE clearly doesn't have the intelligence or commitment to plan and execute long-term character development.

The HHH turn was planned almost month for month dating back to the fall of 1998. It was one of the best things Russo ever did.

[Mr. Nerfect]

All of the above are examples of pure co-incidence, as the WWE clearly doesn't have the intelligence or commitment to plan and execute long-term character development.

Well, I actually had the thread originally typed up as instances that made sense in kayfabe, but weren't intended as so, but I thought why narrow the scope of the thread?

I know for certain that my bringing up The Brian Kendrick and Paul Burchill were certainly not thought about by the writing team too heavily. The best even Mick Foley got fed for TBK was "he's always been a jerk."

[#1-norm-fan]

Yeah, while it is pure coincidence and not really any genius booking by WWE, MVP, Santino and Chris Jericho's turns were all amazing in the aspect of just a flawless, unforced character development.

[Krimzon7]

Miz turning on Morrison was something we all should've seen coming. Pretty great IMO.

Do you remember the promo they did right before they teamed up? Miz hit Morrison with a solid Potato fight before a #1 Contender Match. I was thinking that the Shaaman would miss a tooth

[Chavo Classic]

All of the above are examples of pure co-incidence, as the WWE clearly doesn't have the intelligence or commitment to plan and execute long-term character development.

It was an insincere and ironic reflection of the general smark opinion.

I mean, who could find fault with a writing team that has previously boasted the talents of one Freddie Prinze Jnr?

[Mr. Nerfect]

Not even Scooby-Doo let Freddie write.

[Anybody Thrilla]

I just remembered...Jonathan Coachman was perfect development. Think about it.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I just remembered...Jonathan Coachman was perfect development. Think about it.

That was great. He was just a backstage announcer that didn't do much of anything, but was so sicked of being picked on by people like The Rock that he decided to actually do something about it.

Coach then became a real character. Whether it was just being a suck-up to Eric Bischoff, Vince McMahon, or actually being the guy who called the shots, Coach was never a regular member of the broadcast team again.

It's sad that they made him the color commentator of SmackDown! long before he was ready. Yeah, he did Heat, but that was sort of a joke. They were always talking about the angles on RAW and SmackDown!, and didn't have to add anything real to the action going on. Plus, he didn't have any real wrestling knowledge. Why should we trust The Coach -- a guy in a suit who used to hold a microphone to guys who did know the business -- on why what Guy A is doing to Guy B is smart wrestling?

I admire Coach for trying to grow his character even further by the end of things -- no longer playing the heel character that rose him to moderate importance in the WWE -- and trying to actually be a smart, unbiased commentator, but that's not what brought Coach to the dance. Vince liked the guy, and put him in a position that ruined his self-esteem within the company.

[Jeritron]

Did anyone say Matt Hardy yet?

[Lock Jaw]

Sting.

He was "betrayed" by his friends so he spent a year being emo in the rafters. GENIUS.

[#1-norm-fan]

Did anyone say Matt Hardy yet?

Matt Hardy's heel turn seemed more forced to me. That's not really a knock on the turn as most turns are forced and it's not a bad thing.

I just don't think it fits the topic.

[Nark Order]

I just remembered...Jonathan Coachman was perfect development. Think about it.

Yeah, that was really great. He was probably the most developed character they had when he was there. He started as an interviewer, moved on to commentate Heat, then moved on the commentate the big shows, then got promoted to GMs assistant, then eventually full blown GM I believe. And he was great the whole way.

[Nark Order]

Matt Hardy's heel turn seemed more forced to me. That's not really a knock on the turn as most turns are forced and it's not a bad thing.

I just don't think it fits the topic.

I could see how you could think so but I think it was done at the right time tbh. There would have been no better time than when his brother achieved the World Championship before he did. The jealously thing really took off.

[Jeritron]

He spoke about how he was the more consistent one, and the more responsible one. He spoke about no matter how much more reliable he was, he was always overshadowed by Jeff and the fans and company never got behind him the same way.
He said he was sick of being the other brother, and at the time he was struggling to hold onto the ECW championship while Jeff was riding high as WWE champion.

I think the best and most sensible heel turns are the ones that are based in some kind of reality. This entire storyline was based in reality, and took off at the right time in both of their careers.
If they had better mic skills and could inject more emotion/storytelling into their matches, it would be one of the more memorable storylines of the decade.

Matt's heel turn works, and connects with the fans, because in a way what he says is true. Fans like to suspend belief, and play along with kayfabe, but the best storylines are based in some reality. They connect more with those.

[DrA]

John Bradshaw Layfield

[Jeritron]

Edge too

[Nark Order]

Yeah, JBL was really great because you saw the beginnings of it before he made the complete transformation. He was writing books on stock and giving financial advice on TV programs and then subtlely he began to change more and more. First it was the way he talked, then the way he carried himself, then his hair, then the way he dressed. It was perfect. He went from rough tough tooth and nail cowboy to corporate sellout and financial guru.

[Lock Jaw]

Yeah, then he kinda turned on Farooq when he just stood by and let him get fired and then the next week or something he had the suit and cowboy hat and talked about how he was going to make an impact. From that night on, I loved JBL. I miss him on my TV.