Hulk Hogan Turns Heel Mid-Match (2002)

In the lead-up to their historic bout at WrestleMania X8, Hulk Hogan hit The Rock in the back of the head with a literal hammer. Then, he rammed a semi-truck into the ambulance carrying The Great One away to a hospital.

It didn’t matter that the Hulkster (a heel) effectively attempted to kill the People’s Champ (a face). Hulkamania would run wild once again on the grandest stage of them all.

During the Icon vs. Icon match, a thunderously boisterous and partisan Toronto crowd cheered Hogan’s dirty tactics of biting, scratching, stomping, low-blowing and belt-whipping, and chanted “Rocky sucks” whenever The Rock gained an advantage.

Reading the “room” in real-time, Rock and Hogan orchestrated an improvised face turn mid-match(!) for the latter. Watching Hogan Hulk up for the first time in nearly a decade and fans lose their collective shit was surreal.

The unplanned turn had several consequences. Most notably, it earned Hogan one more run as WWE Champion and pushed The Rock to turn heel, during which time he masterfully embodied the role of Hollywood sellout.