Random Observation: Are traditional turns obsolete?

Earlier today I was thinking about some of my favorite face and heel turns, and it came to make me realize that it's been a while since we've seen a truly memorable one. I took that thought one step further and couldn't help but realize that, in many ways, your traditional turn has become obsolete. Going into WrestleMania, for example, our face WWE Champion was CM Punk and our heel World Champion was Daniel Bryan. Both have been excellent in their roles, yet neither really turned, either. Slowly but surely Punk became a likable hero, and in that same fashion Daniel Bryan descended into an unlikable villain. Neither did one monumental action to solidify their turn....it just sorta happened over time.

That's not to say turns are completely gone. Last year Christian pretty conclusively turned on Randy Orton. Likewise, Kane became a heel when he attacked John Cena. So, yeah, every now and then you'll have your big moments (Mark Henry turning on his team the night of the draft, Beth Phoenix attacking Kelly Kelly, Eve revealing that she was just using Zack Ryder, Alex Riley beating up Miz), but more often than not, people just seem to find themselves in a certain role.

Zack Ryder was wrestling as a heel during his stint on Superstars. Yet when he gained popularity and was promoted to Raw, he was suddenly a face. There was no big moment to make him a fan favorite. On a lower scale, guys like the Usos and Tamina are faces now, when not too long ago they were heels. Ditto for Tyson Kidd. And Natalya seems to switch depending on which show she's wrestling on.

Is this a criticism? Not necessarily. My two big examples -- CM Punk and Daniel Bryan -- probably worked so well because it was so organic. But I can't help but feel like certain people have been deprived of some milestone moments. Christian smashing the King of the Ring trophy over Edge's chest is forever etched in my memory. As is Batista powerbombing Triple H through a table and signing his WrestleMania contract. Moments such as those, built over time, can make a person's career memorable.

So I ask you....what is the last turn (heel or face) that truly made an impression on you?