A cornerstone of episodic TV is to surprise viewers with unexpected turns of events, andWWEhas mastered this art over the decades. Perhaps, nothing is more shocking and emotional thana good, old-fashioned betrayal, where friends and comrades turn on each other for profit or due to long-standing grievances.
From the New Day’s recent betrayal of Big E to Shawn Michaels kicking Marty Jannetty, these moments have always been used to great effect by the WWE. Not only do they deliver the much-needed shock value every TV show needs, but they also set up storylines and help characters develop in new directions. Here are the most memorable, cold-blooded, and unexpected betrayals in WWE history.
10Triple H Turns on Shawn Michaels
Monday Night Raw, August 19, 2025
After the WWE Draft, Triple H was one of the few individuals on the roster with the privilege of choosing which brand he would go to. While his ex-wife (in storyline) Stephanie McMahon tried to sway him to SmackDown, his returning best friend Shawn Michaels tried to bring HHH to Raw. Trips seemingly couldn’t pass up on a DX reunion, but the moment that D-Generation X returned to a Raw ring, Triple H stiffed his buddy with a Pedigree.
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While some may have predicted that Triple H and Shawn Michaels were bound to breakup eventually, no one expected it to happen on the same night. This heel turn proved to be the first step into remodeling The Game as the ultimate bad guy, while also serving as the gateway for a proper in-ring return for the Heartbreak Kid after not competing in a WWE ring in four years.
9Judgment Day Turns on Edge
Monday Night Raw, July 11, 2025
One night after himself, AJ Styles, and Liv Morgan failed to defeat The Judgment Day at Hell in a Cell, Finn Balor decided to join the heel stable, showcasing exactly how if ya can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. That was shocking enough, but things took a jaw-dropping turn when the young trio opted to attack Edge, promptlykicking Judgment Day’s leader out of his own group.
Finn Balor establishing himself as the de facto leader by convincing his cohorts to dispose of the actual leader all in the same night was certainlyan impactful means of establishing a heel character. Some may argue that the turn and subsequent disposal of Edge may have been a little rushed, but it ultimately worked out for the best. Overnight, Judgment Day went from being a Brood ripoff to one of thegreatest factions in WWE history.
8Jimmy Uso Superkicks Roman Reigns
Night of Champions 2009
A Bloodline split had been teased for months at this point in the fallout of WrestleMania 39, reaching its zenith at Night of Champions.Sami Zayn, the former Honorary Uce, had teamed with Kevin Owens to defend their Undisputed Tag Titles against Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa. Displeased with The Usos’ attempts to help, the Tribal Chief mercilessly bullied Jey until big brother Jimmy stepped in.
His face turn loses some points because it was soon undone months later with Jimmy Uso re-joining the stable post-SummerSlam, butthe domino effect of this one kick makes it one of the most significant turns on the list. Soon after, Jey would turn babyface himself, opening the door to his monumental solo run, and becoming the first man in years to pin Roman Reigns. Plus, listen to that crowd. They had been waiting - begging, even - to see this turn for months, and to finally watch it unfold was wholly satisfying.
7Andre Joins Heenan to Challenge Hogan
Superstars, August 18, 2025
There was a time whenAndre the Giant was the most beloved wrestler in the entire industry. Upon becoming the WWE Champion, much of Andre’s adoration transferred to Hulk Hogan. That became clear when WWE awarded Andre a tiny trophy for being “the only undefeated wrestler in wrestling history,” while draping Hogan with a much bigger one. Call him jealous, call him rightfully slighted, but in either case, Andre presented a new attitude when he challenged Hogan for his title at WrestleMania with nefarious Bobby “The Brain” Heenan in tow.
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True fans know that this is the result of Vince McMahon wanting Andre to wrestle one more time so the company could recover from a disappointing WrestleMania 2. This was the final push Hogan needed for superstardom, and Andre, despite being bruised and battered by illness and injuries, delivered like a true pro. This may not have the same pomp and circumstance as many of these turns, butsomething this simple remains effective. Andre might have a genuine gripe against his best friend, but he’s a heel in the disrespectful way he goes about addressing it. The moment is made all the more brutal by the relatable heartbreak in Hogan’s eyes of having a friend betray him.
6Owens Turns on Zayn
NXT TakeOver: R Evolution
Lately, WWE has started a trope where just when fans think the show is ending as the closing credits display onscreen, a shocking moment happens. This trope can be traced back to this show, where, after having his first WWE match to open the show, Kevin Owens closed it by celebrating his best friend, Sami Zayn, winning the NXT Championship in the main event. They walk up the ramp together as the ending credits roll, when suddenly, KO slams Zayn neck first onto the ramp.
Kevin Owens started the night making his in-ring WWE debut to an overwhelming babyface reaction. At the end of the night,he received even louder boos for stabbing his best friend in the back. It’s impressive that Owens was able to flip the crowd’s switch like a dime like that. Indie fans knew that KO always made a better heel than face from his ROH days, but expected a slower burn to a turn, rather than something so abrupt. An incredible start to an incredible career.
5Evolution Turns on Orton
Monday Night Raw, August 04, 2025
At SummerSlam 2004, rising star Randy Orton defeated Chris Benoit to become the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history. Moments after successfully defending in their rematch the next night on Raw, Evolution helped the Legend Killer celebrate. Unfortunately for Orton,Triple H and co. decided to promptly kill Orton’s legend before it beganby turning the best night of his life into his worst.
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If anyone knows how to follow through on a betrayal when audiences least expect it, it’s Triple H. Like with many of these entries, it would be easier to assume that a slow build would be in store, maybe with Triple H’s jealousy building over weeks if not months. Rather than feel rushed, it holds a place as one of the most shocking moments in Raw history and, in many ways,a definitive moment in Orton’s career for his character.
4Dean Ambrose Turns on Rollins After Roman Announces His Cancer Diagnosis
Monday Night Raw, July 20, 2025
The Universal Champion opened the show not as Roman Reigns, but as Joe Anoa’i announcing that a leukemia diagnosis he kept secret had returned. As he entered an indefinite hiatus, his reunited Shield brethren challenged Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler for the Tag Titles, winning in Roman’s honor for a feel-good moment. The moment, however, was spoiled by a rabid Lunatic Fringe attacking his partner to end the night.
This period isn’t remembered as fondly since Ambrose’s preceding heel run left a lot to be desired, with Jon Moxley reflecting on it negatively in hisMoxbiography. Still, though, the initial moment itself packed an emotional punch. The audience had been on a rollercoaster of emotions all night,with this ending putting immediate heat on Ambrose through the shock, confusion, and anger of seeing him turn on a night like this. It’s just too bad WWE couldn’t capitalize on that momentum with good storytelling.
WCW Bash at the Beach 1996
After an invading Kevin Nash and Scott Hall continued to run roughshod over WCW programming, a Six-Man Tag pitted them and a mystery partner against Lex Luger, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, and Sting on PPV. As chaos ensued, Real American Hulk Hogan bolted down the ring, presumably to defend WCW. Bobby Heenan, in jest, hypothesized on commentary thatHogan was the Outsiders’ third man. Not even The Brain expected himself to be right.
Not every betrayal in wrestling is necessarily against another team member. In this case, Hulk Hogan betrayed WCW by aligning with The Outsiders hellbent on remodeling it in their image. Furthermore,some will argue that Hulk Hogan betrayed the wrestling community, specifically the children who looked up to him by eating their vitamins and saying their prayers in his honor. That Hogan was long dead, and this moment marked the beginning of WCW’s memorable run at the top of the industry.
2Seth Rollins Turns on the Shield
Monday Night Raw, June 19, 2025
One night after The Shield defeated Evolution for the second pay-per-view in a row, Batista quit the company. Going into Raw’s main event pitting Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton, The Shield looked more dominant than ever and had the numbers game. Except, moments before the main event, Triple H declared that there was “always a Plan B.” Just then,the chair shot heard around the worldclanged across Roman’s back. Dean Ambrose was attacked as he was reeling from the shock, and Seth Rollins stood over his fallen comrades.
No moment in modern wrestling has hadsuch a profound ripple effect on WWE programming and the industry as a wholelike Seth’s betrayal. It produced three future World Champions, but also many current storylines - includingthe ongoing Bloodline storyline. Having the turn happen when The Shield had the highest momentum possible was surprising and allowed the group to retire before losing steam.
1Shawn Puts Marty Jannetty Through the Barbershop Window
The Wrestling Challenge, June 22, 2025
After teaming together for the better part of five years, The Rockers reached a turning point when Marty Jannetty inadvertently caused losses for Shawn Michaels in a string of matches. Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake tried to get to the bottom of things on his Barber Shop talk show, where he brought both friends on as guests. Miraculously, it seemed like the two were able to reconcile their differences and were ready to take steps to save their friendship -until Michaels superkicked Jannety, right before tossing him through a window.
The Rockers' breakup set the bar for tag team breakups in wrestling, to the point that turning on a tag team partner is often referred to as getting “Jannetty’d.” Furthermore, the breakout star of the tag team gets comparisons to Michaels, while the one not destined for success is viewed as a Jannetty, The concept of betrayal in wrestling existed long beforeWWE, but The Rockers' breakup created the template for how to do it right.
