Throughout wrestling history, there have been very few 'pure' babyfaces — wrestlers who were never heel, or if they were, it went largely unseen or forgotten. Most of the biggest babyfaces in modern wrestling, including 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, the Rock, Hulk Hogan and John Cena, have all had significant, memorable runs as heels, some arguably just as big.
However, there have been a handful of wrestlers who have largely staked their respective claims to fame on being the 'good guy,' almost no matter what. Some wrestlers have never turned heel - perhaps the most famous example being Ricky 'the Dragon' Steamboat. Many others - like those on this list - didn't escape the rulebreaking itch entirely and spent some degree of time, whether you knew it or not, on the dark side.
10 Dusty Rhodes - World Class/AWA/Florida (1968)
Dusty Rhodes' route to becoming the 'American Dream' — the "son of a plumber" gimmick — was in many ways similar to Virgil Runnels' real-life backstory. Breaking into wrestling fresh out of West Texas State College, Rhodes would find his way to Fritz Von Erich's WCCW promotion in 1968 where he'd first encounter legendary heel manager 'Playboy' Gary Hart.
Hart would serve as Rhodes' manager for several years and throughout several territories, including a very successful run teaming with Dick Murdoch as the 'Texas Outlaws.' With the duo — and Rhodes in particular — hearing cheers from fans despite their heel status due to their rough-and-tumble, entertaining brawling, the decision was finally made to turn natural underdog Dusty face in 1974. Hart and then-partner Pak Song turned on the 'Dream' while wrestling for Eddie Graham in Florida. It would take almost 25 years before Rhodes would return to rulebreaking — weirdly, as a member of the nWo.
9 Fritz Von Erich - Big Time Wrestling (through 1966)
Jack Adkisson grew up in the 1930s and '40s as many athletic Texas boys did, with a dream of playing professional football. While Adkisson was stuck playing in Canada, watching his football dreams slip by, an encounter with Stu Hart would change his life forever. Adkisson would, in a common move in wrestling history, adopt a heel gimmick related to current world events: taking the name 'Fritz Von Erich,' he and 'brother' Waldo would perform as Nazis in the wake of World War II.
By the time the Von Erichs turned face in 1967, they were well-known by their kayfabe German names. With Fritz buying the now-World Class territory, his and wife Doris' Texas-bred sons would take the Von Erich name to soaring heights — and tragic lows — with many never knowing it wasn't real to begin with.
8 'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan - Mid-South (1982)
Before Jim Duggan was the beloved, but somewhat directionless, flag-waving, 'Hooooooooo!'-declaring patriot he'd be known for, it might surprise some fans to discover he was a tough-as-nails, violent rulebreaker in his younger days in Bill Watts' Mid-South territory.
The 'tough guy' had little experience when he debuted as a bounty hunter commissioned by bloodthirsty manager Skandor Akbar, and would shortly thereafter join the faction the Rat Pack, teaming with arrogant young heels Ted DiBiase and Matt Bourne. They'd go on to feud with fan favorites such as Magnum T.A., the Junk Yard Dog and others. Before long, the charismatic Duggan would turn face, remaining so through a brief team with Magnum and a long WWF run beginning in 1987.
7 Sting - UWF (1986)
One of wrestling's all-time most popular babyfaces, Sting's later brief heel runs — one in WCW and the other a decade later in TNA — were memorable mostly because many fans didn't accept them. After all, the 'Stinger' was maybe the most consistent good guy in all of wrestling in the 1990s, with almost every other fan-favorite of note spending at least part of the decade as a heel. Sting's WCW heel run in 1999 was awkward at best and its 2008 TNA counterpart didn't fare much better.
It might surprise some younger fans especially to know that Sting's roots are as a heel in Bill Watts' UWF. Shortly after breaking into the sport in a tag team with Jim Hellwig (who'd become the Ultimate Warrior), Sting would join up with Eddie Gilbert in 'Hot Stuff International,' a heel faction that also included Gilbert's girlfriend Missy Hyatt and a young Rick Steiner. When the UWF was bought by Jim Crockett Promotions the following year, bookers immediately took notice of Sting's charisma and quickly turned him face, setting the stage for him to become WCW's 'franchise.'
6 Ultimate (Dingo) Warrior - WCCW (1986)
The Ultimate Warrior was, at his peak, one of the WWF's most popular wrestlers. His look and intensity were off-the-charts, and while his in-ring skills were relegated to a handful of moves of varying skill, it didn't matter to most WWF fans of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
However, there was often something a little villainous to the Warrior's promos, particularly during his feud with Hulk Hogan in 1990. Even though it would never happen, maybe because Warrior the man saw himself as something of a comic book superhero, it wasn't hard to imagine an alternate universe where, either for or after the Hogan match, Warrior would turn heel and adopt a darker version of the gimmick. Most fans, however, probably don't know that in his early days, the Dingo Warrior was a heel, managed in WCCW by both Gary Hart and Percival Pringle III, who'd go on to be Paul Bearer. Even though he was a heel, the Warrior drew cheers in his feud with World Class champion Rick Rude and the decision was made to turn him babyface — a decision he'd never look back from.
5 The Bushwhackers (as the Sheepherders) - UWF/Florida/Memphis (late 1970s through 1988)
Luke Williams and Butch Miller's near-decade as the WWF's lovable Kiwis, the Bushwhackers, was mostly known for their playful, if somewhat gross, antics like licking the faces of fans, referees, opponents — even each other. In fact, the pair from New Zealand would even be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015.
However, to regional fans of a certain era, the Sheepherders were mostly known for their violent, bloody feuds across multiple territories both in the United States and abroad. While as the Bushwhackers the duo would never obtain WWF tag team gold or even be considered serious contenders, the bloodthirsty Sheepherders won titles seemingly wherever they went in the 1980s. As UWF stars, they were part of Jim Crockett Promotions' acquisition of the territory and spent a brief period in what would be WCW before debuting radically different comedic gimmicks in the WWF in 1988.
4 Ricky (Richard) Morton - WCW (1991)
As one half of the Rock and Roll Express, Ricky Morton was the poster child for a 1980s babyface: with boyish good looks, colorful attire and an affable, friendly demeanor, he and longtime partner Robert Gibson enjoyed the adoration of fans across mostly-southern territories, especially Jim Crockett Promotions.
When Morton would turn on Gibson in 1991 at the behest of Alexandra York (a bespectacled, young Terri Runnels) and join her York Foundation faction — alongside such headliners as Terrence Taylor, Mr. Hughes and Thomas Rich — it led to a much-anticipated match between the high-flying ex-partners. Backed by York and her 'futuristic,' computer-aided strategizing, Morton won the feud and Gibson would be released, but the gimmick proved its shelf-life to be short as by summer 1992, the 'RnR's would be teaming together again in Smoky Moutain Wrestling.
3 Vince McMahon - USWA (1993)
Vince McMahon is one of the greatest heels in wrestling history. Everybody knows the villainous 'Mr. McMahon' character, as it's a gimmick so ubiquitous — evil billionaire boss/owner — that it's been imitated over and over (and over) again. However, it might shock some fans that when Vince decided to make the shift from affable — if somewhat obnoxious — broadcaster in 1997/8, he'd already had a little practice.
The 1993 Bret 'Hitman' Hart-Jerry 'the King' Lawler feud was unique in that most WWF viewers only saw one side of the story — the heroic King of the Ring 1993 winner being ruthlessly attacked by the self-proclaimed 'King' Lawler in a fit of jealous rage. Fans in Memphis, however — where Lawler had long been a legitimate local celebrity — experienced it much differently when the invading 'Hitman,' along with Owen Hart, Papa Shango, Randy Savage and even Vince himself, began appearing on USWA cards during the angle. The WWF wrestlers were always presented as heels to local fans, regardless of what was happening on television at the time. With the internet still largely unavailable, most non-Memphis fans - aside from readers of the kayfabe Apter mags, which had a heck of a time trying to explain it all - would be none the wiser.
2 Rey Mysterio - WCW (1999)
It's almost impossible to book a wrestler like Rey Mysterio as a heel. His diminutive size, flashy move set and overall underdog presence are what's made him into one of wrestling's most popular and natural babyfaces, no matter what organization — or country — he's performed in.
Of course, that meant that WCW just had to try their hand at turning Mysterio heel in 1999, one of many short-sighted booking decisions Rey suffered during his tenure. Seemingly not content with removing his mask, which has to be one of the most idiotic marketing decisions in wrestling history, creative at the time first shoehorned Mysterio into Master P's No Limit Soldiers group, and when that angle fizzled out, broke him off into the heel Filthy Animals with Billy Kidman and Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio would remain in the mid-card, over with fans on ability alone, but wouldn't see his career fully take off again until signing with WWE — and putting the mask back on — in 2002.
1 Don West - TNA (2009)
Don West is nothing if not a master at sales and marketing, and his success as a host on the Shop at Home Network selling sports collectibles, Beanie Babies and Pokemon items, as well as his bombastic personality, made him a natural fit for professional wrestling. When Jeff Jarrett hired West in 2002 as a commentator for the brand-new TNA, West had no background in the industry and this, along with his at-times abrasive pitchman style, rubbed some fans the wrong way.
Despite his somewhat comedic position in the company, West managed to maintain his position in TNA long enough that in 2009, he did what most seasoned wrestling veterans eventually do at some point — turn heel. West's strange heel run included multiple outbursts at his broadcast partner Mike Tenay, a drunken Impact! appearance, and an eventual... promotion to oversee merchandise development and sales initiatives? West's disappearance was actually to make way for Tazz's debut in the commentary booth, as West would transition — no longer as a heel — to a more sparing role before leaving wrestling completely in 2012.