Friday, March 29, 2024
Editorial20 WWE Face/Heel Turns I'd Like To See.

20 WWE Face/Heel Turns I’d Like To See.

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Thanks for joining me today. I’d like to look at WWE’s main roster to see which superstars I believe should switch things up to revitalize their career and/or gimmick. It’s a personal list which is completely subjective. Of course, most of the suggestions won’t work unless WWE puts in time to build them up, nail the execution, and maintain a long term plan.

In WWE, there isn’t such thing as a true face or heel these days. I’m not sure we can label the talent anymore, as guys like Roman Reigns & John Cena blur the lines. I recently did a piece on Reigns and what could be done to help him, without “turning him heel”, yet many believe it’s the best way forward. That’s Ok, I’m not going to shoot down other’s opinions, but for the sake of argument, I’m not including Cena or Reigns as I feel their characters have been talked about enough.

To get an idea of what I mean by turning face (in WWE it’s not so easy), I’d say they’d need to do a Braun Strowman. If they were turning heel, they’d do a Nakamura. But in some examples, it’s only a matter of putting something right which was recently undone or never capitalized on. WWE’s roster is as big as it’s ever been, so it’s important to keep a balance of good versus evil. Having the options in the booking makes for better shows. While NXT has feuds like Gargano vs. Ciampa going, the main roster suffers from a lack of heated, and more importantly, memorable rivalries.

Apollo Crews – Heel

I really want to like him .. but it’s clear Titus O’Neil wants to get his brand over first. He’s been a face since debuting for NXT, and we’ve seen Apollo enjoying the little airtime he gets. It seems like Titus and Dana are carrying the load, so I’d like to see Apollo and Dana dump Titus after another failed tag team title shot. Yet, if they want to make the most out of it, the only way forward is to feud over the IC title.

Even if he doesn’t win, it would solidify him as a mid-card talent who can engage in feuds. The reactions are more for Titus at the moment, but when the time is right, he needs to make an impact. He’s far too quiet, mainly because he’s forever stuck on Main Event. If he can’t be a singles guy, then there’s always the much hungrier Mojo Rawley who could do with a partner.


Bayley or Sasha Banks – Heel

I’m totally lost with these two, are they still feuding or? I believe Sasha was briefly a heel, but then Bayley kinda put it to the side so they could fight a common enemy? We got a great, heated feud, which disappeared as quickly as it happened. Am I the only one who thinks they should have a match scheduled at Money in the Bank? Instead, Sasha is in MITB, hell, even Lana is in .. yet Bayley is nowhere.

Turning Sasha heel is too predictable but would make sense. Wouldn’t it be great though, if Bayley lost it and cost Sasha the briefcase? I think she needs to .. become obsessed, to the point it turns her against the fans. Bayley has suffered since coming up from NXT, because the NXT fans understood what she’s about, while mainstream fans either know and don’t care, or don’t care to find out. The hugger gimmick got her to Raw, but the gimmick was never her strongest point; it was her work in the ring. Bayley’s had many good matches. Granted, she’s had a few stinkers too .. but who hasn’t?

With the right opponents she can put on classics, but if she’s the face selling all the time, we only get bits of what she can do. She needs to become the aggressor if she’s to be seen as a threat to women like Ronda Rousey, Asuka, and Charlotte Flair in future. But the biggest thing is, by doing so, WWE would have to transform her in to something else. She’d need a new look, new music, and would need to refuse hugs from everyone. She’d have to turn her back on the kids, which is what would make it an unbelievable turn.

The way it’s revealed would have to be great too. Like a mystery attacker or something, who keeps jumping Sasha while Bayley denies it. I don’t know, that’s just what came in to my head, I’m sure you can think of something more creative (wasn’t that Big Cass’ angle on Enzo?). Whatever happens, she can’t just show up one night transformed. A turn of this scale must be done so it sticks in everyone’s mind. I want to see a Bayley who doesn’t rely on hugs, inflatable tube men and colourful entrances, but rather, a Bayley who relies on her ability in the ring. And perhaps sometimes, she can find it in herself to do to Sasha, what Sasha’s done to her over and over.


Becky Lynch – Heel

Outside of a special club of fans, Becky lost her connection with the audience a long time ago. She’s not getting the airtime, she’s not getting the reactions like she used too, and it’s all down to lazy, shameful booking. It’s probably to do with her promos. I’ve seen many talented wrestlers buried due to their inability to be entertaining on the mic, and I think that’s her biggest weakness. With Asuka and Charlotte playing face on the same show, it feels like Becky never gets airtime unless it’s a tag match. Much like Bayley, there’s nothing she’s doing that we’ve never seen before.

I remember when Becky was a heel in NXT, as somewhat of a sidekick that Sasha Banks picked up before becoming champion. I liked it, and while Becky was pretty unknown to most, I knew she’d go on to better things. She transformed to the Becky Lynch we all know shortly after. Got to reinvent to stay relevant, and I’d like nothing more than to see Becky take over as the leader of Absolution. The chemistry would be good, and I don’t think Sonya or Mandy are over enough to be on their own; at least for now.


Big E or Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston – Heel

I think The New Day has been everything these guys hoped it would be. I’m happy for them, to have come so far with a gimmick which could’ve easily flopped. It’s a little dated though? Don’t you think? Maybe it’s just me. There’s so many tag teams on Smackdown, that you could easily break them up and have many challengers for The Bludgeon Brothers.

But if we’re talking about breaking up The New Day, which way would you go about it? Would you turn Big E like Seth Rollins and betray his brothers? Or would you try something a little more ambitious? What if Woods & Kingston force him out of The New Day due to jealousy? What if Big E got the shot at MITB? Perhaps Kofi and Woods want to stick to the original plan and get the tag titles back? As The Miz said, they all should have their own goals. Physically, Big E has the better chance. I was always under the impression The New Day was made to help get Big E over, and it’s interesting to see what would happen if he went on his own in pursuit of the WWE title.


Bobby Roode – Heel

I don’t need to say much about this as it’s painfully obvious .. Roode’s best work in his career was playing the bad guy. He talks like one, he dresses smart like one. But going to Raw and losing your first match? C’mon. AJ and Samoa Joe seem to have found their way, but Roode is another TNA original struggling to make it to the big time. I loved the “Glorious” thing in NXT, but it got old fast on Smackdown Live. They need to strip that away, because Roode as a hate-filled slimy heel .. is way above glorious. When he was the “IT Factor”, one of the best World Champions Impact ever had, he really made you love to hate him.


Curt Hawkins – Face

Huh? Why did I include this bozo? Because I feel for him. I actually want to see him succeed. I’m tired of seeing him lose over, and over again. I’d be happy seeing him win one match, but not as a heel. I’d like to see him change his attitude, to where he seeks approval from the WWE fans. Perhaps he could get a little story, where he goes asking WWE fans if they’d like to see him win a match.

It would be funny, and make use of his record losing streak. Fans would make fun of him of course, but it would show a lighter side if he takes it all on the chin. And then one day .. boom, he wins a match on Raw, and a star is made. Even if it’s just a few months on Raw as a mid-card face, it would be enough reward for what he’s had to go through. (I wrote this before his match on Raw)

— It’s like WWE knew what I was thinking! They had Baron Corbin come out on Raw, cost him the match, then dump tacos all over him. This is the start of a face turn for Hawkins.


Dean Ambrose – Heel

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, make Ambrose an intense, unpredictable heel with a hint of comedy (like Nakamura), and his career will get back on track. A face Ambrose does not work at the moment, and there’s only so many times he can be partnered with Rollins. Also, keep him miles away from Roman .. as fans will only cheer him.


Jack Gallagher – Face (or Tweener)

I’m a British fan, so naturally I am protective of the British talent. When WWE turned him heel, I assumed he’d get more airtime .. doing despicable things. In the short-term, it helped me take his character more seriously (it was too cartoony), but he disappeared for ages, only showing up out of the blue for tag matches. It feels like he’s been overlooked.

I don’t get Cedric Alexander’s appeal, nor do I think Buddy Murphy or Mustafa Ali have the characters to carry 205 Live. Jack as a tweener, taking elements from his face and heel characters, could be enough to get him back in the spotlight .. but he also needs to drop Kendrick like a bad habit. He’s young, so I’ll remain patient. I’d love to see a Gallagher vs. Itami feud over the title, but only if Jack’s been built up as a threat.


Kevin Owens – Face

We’ve yet to see Kevin as a guy we can respect. Some are natural born heels, and Kevin is one of the best in the business. But he’s been lost for a while, and it shows. Sami got the feud with Lashley, and their friendship suddenly ended. Owens used Stephanie to go above Angle’s head, but it didn’t do much for me. We all know Angle didn’t make the matches in the first place, he’s just an announcer posing as a GM. If this is going to lead to Owens vs. Angle .. then Ok, I guess that would be acceptable, but I think we’ve seen enough of him fighting authority.

He’s one of the most naturally gifted on the mic, so why not let him be the voice of the audience? He doesn’t need to change his attitude much, just have him side with the fans more. He can pick flaws with his opponents like no one else. We saw what he could do with Jericho when they were a team. He’s always going to be a heel in secret, and when the times right .. he’ll shock the world again. Just like when he turned on Jericho.


“Woken” Matt Hardy – Heel

Speaking of shocking, I am still bewildered by the team Deleter Of Worlds. I understand what’s going on with it, as I saw the gimmick in its early forms in Impact Wrestling. For those who didn’t see all that? I understand your resistance. I said from the start that if Matt was going to be broken/woken in WWE, he had to be a heel first. It’s easier to make the gimmick annoying than entertaining, to those who don’t get it. It only became a favourite over time, as fans looked beyond the way he spoke, to the other crazy things he introduced in to the broken universe.

Having Jeff be the good guy to Matt’s broken brilliance made fans care enough to watch. They wanted to see what Matt had in store for his brother. Jeff became his “obsolete mule” after losing a match to him, meaning Matt controlled Jeff and the family brand. Jeff did as he was told, and didn’t like it. Slowly, he became frustrated and broken himself. Jeff embraced Matt’s philosophy and they turned face; and remain so to this day.

Queen Rebecca was a big part of Matt’s initial heel turn. She could play a part in how Matt works with Bray. Perhaps Matt becomes increasingly more demanding of his tag team partner? And then one day .. in a title match, Matt leaves Bray in the ring to defend the belts. This would reignite the feud, only this time, Matt plays the bad guy. He controls Bray, and having Queen Rebecca in his ear makes him arrogant about it. His mannerisms would go even more over the top, and he’d talk down to the WWE Universe.

I feel this needs to be done as I don’t feel the gimmick is anywhere near what it was before WWE. The heel “Broken” Matt Hardy was the version that got over, and I only see a poor imitation of it. Turning Bray heel again is predictable, and I’m sure they’d like to be more creative than that. It’s been fun, but the Deleter Of Worlds needs to be deleted soon.


Mickie James – Face

Is she a heel again? Seems to change depending on wind direction. Didn’t she start helping Alexa despite their feud not so long ago? And why can’t she be seen as a threat to the women’s title? She’s not old, she’s got more experience than most the girls. The fans love her, but WWE isn’t giving her anything of substance. I’m sure a six-time women’s champion didn’t return to make up the numbers.


The Revival – Face

As much as I loved their work in NXT, it hasn’t translated to the main roster. They tried to get heat by saying they aren’t entertainers, they’re wrestlers. It wasn’t enough, and something tells me they won’t be allowed to develop their characters further. The only way forward is to see if they’ll get a better reaction if they play to the fans, which is uncharted territory for the team. I know Dawson’s up for it, but I’m unsure about Wilder. I’d like to see them feud with the Authors of Pain. They had good matches in NXT, and everyone would benefit.


Rusev – Face

He’s like the mirror image of Reigns, a heel who gets mostly positive reactions. He’s had some good times playing the Bulgarian Brute, but he’s seen plenty of bad times too. As his merchandise is selling well, it makes sense to capitalize by switching him all the way. He, Lana, and English have blurred the lines for a while.


Stephanie McMahon – Face

A long time ago, we were introduced to a special concept called the brand extension. Stephanie became the face Smackdown GM, opposed to Eric Bischoff, who was the heel Raw GM. She had a lot of fun, and I think it’s time we see this side again. I’m tired of her portraying The Authority; it’s been done to death.

It hampers other heel talents as she’s got a high position which takes a lot of airtime from them. She doesn’t need to be involved with Nia Jax and Ronda Rousey, yet she is. Despite all the hard work, I don’t believe she’s a draw like her father or brother. They have Kurt Angle, which is more than enough authority for a 3-hour show. I’d like to see if she can gain back the trust of the WWE universe, and entertain us in the process. She’s literally done it all as a villain. But does she have what it takes to be likable?


The Bar – Face

They’ve come so far. The Smackdown tag division is stacked, and The Bludgeon Brothers don’t look like relinquishing soon. Aside from The New Day, there’s not many face teams on the roster, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a turn. They’ve got the catchphrase. They’ve got the chemistry. It feels natural they’d get support when going up against The Usos or the Bludgeon Brothers.

The only other face teams are The New Day and the Good Brothers. Rusev & English could join them if necessary. And then there’s Sanity, who could go either way .. when they finally show up. New Day, Usos, Bludgeons, Good Brothers, The Bar, Sanity, Rusev/English and The Colons; that’s a lot of teams for a 2-hour show. The Bar needs something to keep them relevant in the competitive land of opportunity.


Conclusion

I didn’t notice til afterwards that most of my picks are from Raw. It shows I’m happier with how Smackdown is presented. Raw feels as random as ever, while you know what you’re getting with Smackdown. I would’ve added a couple more, but hmm, it would be changing talent for the sake of it. That’s not I want from a turn, it’s got to lead somewhere or it’s pointless. I’m not expecting any of this to happen like, it’s just what I would like to see .. although, not all at once. That would be madness.

What you would like to see? Were any of my suggestions good? Do you have any of your own? Who could really do with a career change? It’s nice to dream about the possibilities. It doesn’t hurt to share what we would like to see, even if it sounds ridiculous. Like a Curt Hawkins face turn? I must be crazy, right? I’ll let you decide. Tnanks for reading, much appreciated!

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