In 2005, Shane Helms stopped being Hurricane Helms as he transitioned into a heel character. It seems WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair was instrumental in his change in character.
Shane Helms spoke to Wrestling Inc, where he talked about when he left the Hurricane character. He revealed that his mentor Ric Flair told him “you’re too good for this gimmick.” His words encouraged him to try something different.
“After the Rosey run with the tag championships, we won those and that’s my favorite championship run. And then they took them off of us for another experiment of Cade and Murdoch, which might’ve been the least over team we ever worked up there. And it was just like really another gimmick like this. In this time, too, you know, Flair was always kind of a mentor for me. And Flair was just like, ‘You’re too good for this gimmick.’ And like, he’s saying that to me like a couple of years before the turn, but it was something that has stuck with me because me and Flair had a pretty good run there for a little while and got to work TV a couple of times, a couple of times on live events. And just that stuck with me, you know? ‘You’re too good for this gimmick.’”
Gregory Helms would go on to become the longest-reigning Cruiserweight Champion in WWE and had a great run as a heel.
