Wrestlers you've changed opinion on
 

I'm sure it's been done before, but yeah. Good, bad, or multiple flips back and forth - who are some of the wrestlers you've found yourself changing your opinion on over the years?

Dolph Ziggler has to be my biggest one. He was one of my favorites from 2009 and on. While I did always feel like his ring name would hold him back (try as I might, I just could never imagine a WrestleMania ad promoting a guy named Dolph Ziggler in the main event), I felt he was underutilized for so long and I was really happy when he won the World Heavyweight title in 2013.

Then they somehow failed to follow up on Sting helping him vanquish the Authority at Survivor Series 2014, and try as I might to care about him, I just started feeling apathetic. Then by mid-2015 he was in that awful storyline with Rusev and Lana and I started to actively dislike him.

I guess I had a similar thing happen with John Morrison. I loved him but the last year or so he was with the company I had soured on him, and after a few years when he resurfaced in Lucha Underground I remembered why I liked him. But with Dolph, I've never had a chance to miss him because he won't go away.

Despised CJ Parker. I thoroughly enjoy his work as Juice Robinson.

CM Punk. Loved what he represented and stood for, but it was all bs to get himself over. As soon as he realized he would never get to Cena's level, was surpassed in popularity by Daniel Bryan, and his chance to be the guy was about over with Roman Reigns clearly the future, he became a whiny Punk. The fact that he bailed on all the fans that still to this day chant for him says it all.

I used to hate Finn Balor and didnt get the love for him coming into the WWE from NxT. I didnt like the demon character at all. This last year I honestly think he's been the best in ring worker in the WWE. I am genuinely entertained by his matches. I dont flip the channel when he's on. Everyone else is subject to a channel flip, but no Finn.

Braun Strowman

Thought at first he was just going to be another typical boring Big Man/Monster type that Vince loves to over-push but up until his heel turn last year, ended up enjoying him a lot as a wrestler.

Daniel Bryan

When the Shield first came to the main roster I really liked Ambrose and thought he was their leader. Now I think he is awful.

Yeah, I really started getting into NJPW during the G1 in 2017 and I found myself shocked by how much I enjoyed him. He’s only gotten better since.

Ambrose is a good one. I've basically stopped caring about everyone in WWE. The most noticeable drop-offs have been with Dolph Ziggler and Cesaro -- Cesaro's not really being his fault.

I turned around pretty big on Rusev. I'm cooling on his potential now, since I fear the time for him to be a star is passing, but I don't think he's a shitty foreign heel gimmick anymore.

This is a good one.... I used to hate him... especially for how much people here fawned over him....

It took until his first heel turn for me to really get on board the D-Bry train...

I still don't like him but I guess I'm not supposed to now. The gimmick reminds me if what Austin Aries was doing in Impact over the summer except Bryan is a bit more intense about it.

I always wanted to love Bryan as a little smark, but I did feel like he performances "lacked something" right up until the end of 2011. I wouldn't say I changed my opinion on him, but I felt validated in believing in him.

I gave zero fucks about Sheamus for the longest time. Even in 2012 when he was getting a main event run, looking like he could be one of the faces of the company and putting on great matches, he just really didn't do anything for me.

But I've come to really appreciate his work in The Bar. Yes being a Cesaro fan helps, but they have a really fun dynamic. He's on the wrong side of 40 and has spinal stenosis, so I'm inclined to just enjoy him while I can.

I've got a few though, never really cared for Zach Sabre Jr but I liked what I seen from him in NJPW last year.

Scorpio Sky, I wasn't big on him when I first seen him in ROH because my first thought was Too Cold Scorpio rip off and then he got teamed up with SCU and has been great.

Adam Page is another one, really came into the Hangman gimmick. Before that he'd just floated around factions looking like a bigger Adam Cole. Working Japan has been great for him in the ring as well.

The tag team of Falla Bah and KM I thought I would hate at first but they became one of the most entertaining teams in Impact.

The Bar should be presented as a much bigger deal than they have been.

Yes, i totally agree

Bob Backlund

Until about 4 years ago I had only seen his second WWF run and heard guys like Superstar Graham and Larry Zbyszko shit on him constantly. Since getting into that era, I've discovered that Backlund had tremendous matches and was really exciting in the ring.

Conversely, I used to be really into Rick Rude as a kid, but going back and watching his 80's stuff, he was pretty dull in the ring until the early 90's and might be the most over-rated wrestler of all time. His feud with Jake Roberts in ring was awful

Rude and Steamboat also had shit matches. How do you have shit matches with Steamboat?

He was just so friggen dull in the ring for such a long time.

Mark Henry. I used to change the channel when he was on, but his Hall of Pain gimmick was fantastic.

Kind of a mild one as I wasn't a huge fan to begin with, but Jinder Mahal. When came back super jacked and won the title, I was interested. He was a different guy in one of the featured spots. I tried to get behind him. Then I realized he's actually not very good. I'm enjoying this new meditation gimmick though, and him having lackeys is a good thing.

So I guess I've come all the way around on Jinder? Seems weird.

I used to HATE Test. Instant channel changer. Started loving him when he started using the Big Boot as a finisher and left T&A. He used to kill people with that boot.

I used to be a Kane mark. Not anymore.

Chinlocks and the worst top rope jumping fist I've ever seen.

I fucking hated Heath Slater during his first couple of years on the main roster. He was getting pushed as a babyface during the first season of NXT, but it just felt so forced and he seemed really awkward and uncomfortable. Then he looked ridiculous trying to portray a serious heel in the Nexus and Corre days.

Once all that ended and he started doing those legends segments leading up to Raw 1000, he became immensely entertaining as a comedy foil, especially since he can sell his ass off. I wasn't surprised he got the crowd way into him after the most recent brand split.

Heath Slater keeps popping into my mind, but I've always wanted to like the guy, haha.

One day we will get a Heath Slater title reign.

Brock Lesnar forced to defend the Universal title on Raw, but it turns out to be against Heath Slater. Strowman or Reigns or whoever Lesnar is actually meant to be feuding with interferes, Slater wins the belt.

They'd probably reverse the decision the next week, but man that moment would blow the roof off of the fucking building.

Not a wrestler, but I LOVE Tony Shiavone now a lot more than I did 20+ years ago. Great commentator.

Tony has to be motivated to be any good. When he is, he's very good.

But he's a proper sports pbp guy which I think really helps. If he has a product he can treat like a sport, versus sports entertainment, he's even better.

Fuckin loved Test and became an even bigger fan after he left T&A. His Big Boot was the best.

Sting. Loved Surfer Sting didnt like Crow Sting

Super steroided up Test in ECW was my favorite Test

ECW Test is depressing to watch in hindsight because you know the damage to his body was already done. He was a dead man walking.

This. His match against RVD was very underrated.

I’ve changed my opinion on Randy Orton about 17 times.

Chris Benoit. I was a huge fan of the rabid wolverine growing up. Remember him making Lesnar tap out at Survivor Series, winning the Rumble next year, jumping to RAW, main-eventing WM XX with HBK and Hunter and winning the World's Heavyweight Championship. Got very emotional when Eddie came out to celebrate with him. Still remember watching him cry at Eddie's tribute show and feeling like shit. I was largely indifferent to his return to mid-card status and subsequent reigns as United States Champion. Vividly recall watching a Monday Night RAW leading into WM 22 where the reigning WWE Champion, John Cena made him (while he was the United States Champion on Smackdown) tap out to the STFU in an inter-promotional match. My interest in him was rekindled when he was drafted to ECW and was eager to see his ECW Championship program with CM Punk. Remember almost crying when they aired the tribute show on RAW and the eventual horror after learning what he had done.

When Alexa Bliss got the call to the main roster and was like "Oh, another hot piece of ass." Her first few matches were like whatever. But over time she got a hell of a lot better of all fronts. Really impressed me, and, a few others here.

Now I guess her future is in limbo now, which sucks.