WWE: How 5 Mid-Card Heels Can Become Headline Babyfaces

[kirbs2002]

Taken from: BleacherReport.com

By: Joanna Parker

The saying in pro wrestling is that it’s easy to be a heel, hard to be a face and impossible to be a tweener. Many smart fans, especially those who read wrestling magazines and internet sites such as this one, are aware of the idea of playing the bad guy being easier and more entertaining than the hero. The sad fact is that today it’s much easier to be hated than liked.

But still, I’m sick of hearing that this wrestler or that wrestler needs to turn heel to further their careers. A lot of fans on the internet seem to think that a heel turn will magically double the wrestler’s ability and potential and that every person is a natural heel.

While this is true of some WWE Superstars, they can’t all be the bad guy. Somebody needs to be the one to kick those bad guys’ asses.

There are a number of “rising stars” in WWE now pigeonholed for future glory but most of them (basically all of them except for John Morrison really) are heels.

I have made this slideshow with a few ideas of how some of them could make the next step in their careers as a fan favourite.

DOLPH ZIGGLER

One of my personal favourites on SmackDown right now. His on screen relationship with Vickie Guerrero is a heat magnet and provides some good comedy segments while setting up decent storylines. This is all well and good but it can’t go on forever.

With his wrestling ability, charisma and looks he has the tools to eventually become a main event babyface.

Obviously his turn would start by getting rid of Vickie. Knowing WWE, this would be done in the most humiliating possible way. Maybe he would propose then back out at the wedding, turning face in the following weeks by mocking her and being victimised for it by the official consultant of SmackDown.

However the bulk of his popularity would come from actively representing the youth movement. This week on Raw he had a competitive match with Randy Orton. Weeks before, he went toe to toe with Super Cena.

If he can achieve a similar feat at the Royal Rumble against another veteran, Edge, (he is very unlikely to take the belt but a long, evenly matched bout would be almost as good for him) he could become the poster boy for the young, hungry talent holding their own against the current headline crew but just missing out.

Carlito said a similar thing on Raw just before TLC 2009; the fans, the wrestlers everyone is tired of seeing the same names at the top of the card. While this isn’t necessarily completely true any more, it has enough substance to be the foundation for a popular babyface.


DAVID OTUNGA

It’s fairly obvious what would happen here. Although we don’t know what’s going to happen with the two Nexuses yet, it’s likely they’ll both be heel stables.

Otunga teased a face turn back when Wade Barrett was the leader of the only Nexus, only to have the story line suddenly change direction and instead go with CM Punk as the new leader, not Otunga.

Would turning the Nexus be enough to gain fan support? Maybe.

He was a heel on NXT, and it’s widely accepted that his actual wrestling ability is limited. However, his mic skills are solid when they need to be and he has been cheered on Raw when he was a part of Nexus. It’s hard to predict how fans would react to him in singles competition on a major brand.

If he is going to do this it needs to be soon. Nexus heat is still white hot from the recent addition of CM Punk so there has never been a better time to turn on his leader.

Eliminating Punk from the final few in the Rumble would be a good place to start. We’ve all seen stables in the Royal Rumble with multiple competitors entered all working together to protect the leader.

If Otunga and Punk are the last two left from Nexus and he intentionally eliminates Punk it would be a good jump off point for a feud which leads to Punk vs. Otunga at WrestleMania, or Punk-Otunga-Cena in a three way if Cena’s injury heals.

That he would survive in the main event as a babyface after this rivalry isn’t a given but he has shown enough potential to take a chance and push him.

WADE BARRETT

While it expected that the SmackDown version of Nexus, apparently to be called The Core according to several news sites, will be a heel group, it would certainly be interesting to see them as good guys.

For one thing, it is very rare to see a babyface faction, as the nature of groups seems heelish in itself. I can only think of the weak TNA Fortune in the last 10 years.

But Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel were faces on NXT and seem to work better that way. Gabriel in particular just doesn’t work as a villain. Ezekiel Jackson was a babyface in his last appearance on Raw.

So while the group’s debut was rather indicative of them being heels, that doesn’t have to be the case. Steve Austin was one of the most popular babyfaces of all time and he beat up heels, faces, everyone.

An ultra determined and aggressive face faction feuding with Nexus led by Wade Barrett would somewhat increase the Englishman’s popularity.

Barrett appears to have everything required to fully succeed in WWE and more. He has the size Vince craves in all his performers, the in ring talent, natural charisma and that certain factor that makes him stand out from the crowd.

It’s why he won NXT, why he was the Nexus leader to start with and why he could be the next big thing in WWE.

He can recover from the hate he generated from the Nexus as that will be transferred onto the new Nexus, especially if the groups feud. His rivalry with John Cena will be more easily forgotten now they’re on different brands, especially as Cena is out of the picture, at least for now.

There’s no doubt that Barrett will be a huge draw for years to come but most envision him as the heel. I think he has what it takes to garner some real popularity, especially overseas as there hasn’t been a babyface WWE or World champion from outside America and Canada since… well, ever.

There are so many things he could do as a top level face and he has what it takes to get and stay there. We’ll have to see how the faction develops on SmackDown this week but I for one am hoping that WWE for once have the balls to make a big move and turn them face.

JACK SWAGGER

Several times recently I have thought that Swagger actually was turning face. He has a justifiable claim to the Intercontinental title, having been the victim of a questionable finish at TLC alongside current champion Kofi Kingston in their three way ladder match with defending champ Dolph Ziggler.

America loves America. I’ve never actually been there and even I can tell that. Your overwhelming patriotism makes us Britons look almost traitorous in comparison.

A man who constantly reminds us that he is an all American American can’t have that much of a hard time getting cheered in the good old US of A.

His world title run did fall rather flat but to be fair to the Oklahoman, it was very premature. He would have benefitted much more from a slow rise up the roster than cashing in the MITB for the strap and as a result he has slipped back down into the mid card.

He did well under the circumstances given his level of experience and the fact that he had to feud with the Big Showkiller for the bulk of his time with the belt.

Swagger has legitimate credentials in amateur wrestling and a strong technical style that no one in WWE currently can replicate. His wide and quite unique moveset make his matches different to those of the other wrestlers on the brand.

While his ankle lock finisher screams for comparisons to the superior Kurt Angle, it is a great move for him as it represents his seriousness and is a genuinely dangerous wrestling hold.

From where he is now, just promoting him as a straight up tough America loving wrestler would be enough to get him some support from the WWE Universe.

A man of this talent should always be able to get over in a company like WWE, where the point is to entertain the fans through great wresting matches.

DREW McINTYRE

The Scotsman hasn’t been as prominent on SmackDown lately as he had previously been which is a shame because he was a highlight of the show as Intercontinental champion.

Some of his spark has fizzled out but we have been seeing a different side of him recently with this storyline with Kelly Kelly. It isn’t clear where that’s going yet but he is showing some definite babyface characteristics.

His aggression gimmick seems to suit a heel but it’s really no different from the incredibly intense styles of Kurt Angle, or Chris Benoit which helped get them over as fan favourites.

People don’t want to see white meat heroes anymore; an edge is needed to be popular in wrestling today.

McIntyre shows more potential than anyone else to be the Stone Cold of this era, a lone wolf tweener just out to win matches, collect titles and hurt his enemies.

He has good skills in all the required areas and that extra something that makes you remember he was there, having stood out in the bloated mid card of the last year.

Whether WWE would risk making the move is a whole separate issue from whether he could do it. Becoming a top level heel is much easier than doing it as a face and Vince McMahon himself introduced Drew McIntyre as a future world champion. And we all know how much Mr McMahon hates to be wrong. Maybe they aren’t willing to take any chances with this young man. Both WWE and the fans would lose out.

[Big Red Machine]

GREAT read! I had never even considred turning any of these guys aside from Barrett or Otunga face (and never BOTH of those two). This article sold me on all of their abilities to succeed as a babyface.

[757XTra-TesT]

Taken from: BleacherReport.com

By: Joanna Parker
But still, I’m sick of hearing that this wrestler or that wrestler needs to turn heel to further their careers. A lot of fans on the internet seem to think that a heel turn will magically double the wrestler’s ability and potential and that every person is a natural heel.

THIS, THIS RIGHT HERE!! I've noticed this a lot and it's annoying that People feel this way. I mean some people SUCK as heels and are better off as Faces Some even admit it!! But then again that is the point of this article.

I was surprised to see Otunga on this list though, never really thought about him being a face before.

[Darkil]

I agree 100% with what was said about McIntyre and Ziggler. They both have what it takes to to carry the company into the future. They need a good push to make it happen and have some good title runs in between. Becoming a face after fighting for a title will be an old school, but very acceptable way to turn them face.