The Need for New Faces

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

So everybody liks to talk about heel turns, and it seems like the solution to everything is always to turn a wrestler heel. People see a babyface that is floundering or getting a lukewarm reaction, has been in the same role for a long time, or just appears to be going through the motions, and the solution always seems to be turning them heel.

Here's the thing though, for every floundering babyface that could supposedly benefit from a heel turn there is a floundering heel that could benefit from a face turn. We live in the midcard era, there's no question about that, and the overly bloated WWE midcard is filled with generic heels who go through the motions and have zero heat. So the point of this thread is to discuss the prospect of turning wrestlers face to inject something new into their stagnant careers. Who knows? Maybe by doing so you might have a new face catch fire and actually generate some interest in the product. Heels are important of course, but at the end of the day the babyface is what usually draws the big money.

Let's start with Bray Wyatt. A charater pretty much universally criticized for being fucking boring and repetitive. Ever since he has arrived, he has had the same feud over and over again. For years now. That's not to say he isn't talented, he certainly plays his character well, but he's been stuck doing the same thing for too long. JR recently talked about the notion of turning Bray Wyatt face and seems to think there's money in him serving that role, and I see people complain all the time that he never really gains much traction as a heel because he loses constantly and is doing the same schtick over and over. So maybe it's time change that schtick, and maybe that changing that schtick means turning him face. Ultimately, you can't hope for the product to drastically improve unless chances are taken. Yes, he plays a dark character now as a heel, but so did the Undertaker and so have countless others. The fact is that a segment of the audience responds positively to him and they could capture that and expand on it with a face turn. His entrance lends itself especially well to a babyface, because there's a degree of audience interaction involved. Turning Bray would also be easy, they teased the idea of the Wyatt Family feuding with the League of Nations so that's an option. Or you could have the Family turn against Bray and embrace a new leader of some kind.

A suggestion I made in another thread was turning Wade Barrett babyface. The Bad News gimmick was catching on before they inexplicably put a crown on his head and sucked away all his heat...but now that he's part of this whole League of Nations deal they might have a chance to do something interesting by turning him. Do you realize that, like Bray Wyatt, for the entirety of Wade Barrett's run in the WWE he has been a heel? And for the entirety of his run he was floundered in the midcard. Is he really doing anything that significant? Why not take a chance and try something new with him. The Bad News gimmick was catching on because it had a fun catchphrase people could say along with him. Yes he was a heel making fun of the audience, but it really wouldn't be that hard to turn that energy into a babyface reaction by having him target heel wrestlers rather than the fans. Keep the same attitude and dickishness, but just direct it at his opponents. The set-up for turning him face is easy, as you can just have him eventually turn on the League of Nations. I can pretty easily imagine him coming out and saying "Sheamus, I'M AFRAID I'VE GOT SOME BAD NEWS! You do, in fact, LOOK STUPID!" and the crowd popping like crazy.

So what do you guys think? Who would you like to see turn babyface? Do you agree with either of these suggestions?

 

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

I think Wade Barrett would be a less risky face turn than Bray Wyatt. Fans could easily get behind Wade with his Bad News Gimmick plus he's the type of Wrestler that could transition smoothly IMO.

Bray Wyatt is in such deep darkness for a character that I'd be nervous changing him face only to see zero reactions for him. I'd say he would have to change something up, be crazy but not so much dark crazy. Have him ham it up a little more, trash talk and such.

Stardust taking off the make up, being a cocky hero type would go over well...if it would last though. His gimmicks can have short shelf lives. Don't know why they didn't stick with Dashing Cody , it was the most entertaining gimmick.

Although Kevin Owens is an awesome heel and I'd never want him to turn, I could see the fans easily getting behind him due to reactions his entrance music seems to bring up when he comes out.

 

[AegonTargaryen]

I agree with the Bray Wyatt part of it. I think since, as you pointed out, he's been doing his repetitive "I'm God, I'm going to turn XYZ wrestler into XYZ and he'll bow down to me" schtick and losing all his feuds(with the exception of his short feud with Dean Ambrose) for far too long now, it's time for him to evolve. There are only so many guys he can do that 3-month feud with, and he's already had a programme with Kane, John Cena, Dean Ambrose, Daniel Bryan, and Roman Reigns. Pretty much all the major stars. I'm not sure if he's had one with Randy Orton.

At this point, the only thing left is for him to turn face(of course a couple of years later, he can always revert back to this heel schtick with some added twist) and feud with LON, Seth Rollins, and maybe a heel Brock Lesnar. And I believe The Wyatt family as a whole are pretty stale/uninspiring/worthless and will continue to be so, since besides a feud with LON, them as a faction hardly have anything to do..except being there for Bray's feuds with another singles wrestler. And all three of them are damn terrible in the ring and on the mic anyway.

I don't think Wade Barrett turning face, heel, or any fucking thing at this point will matter. He's long ago become the wrestler who's just there, who, no matter how many times injured and returned, revamped, has failed to be a major star/draw. (Jack Swagger, Dolph Ziggler and countless others, anybody?) I agree that he used to be fun as BNB and got cheered but even if he turns face, he'll be another wrestler on the payroll.

The biggest stars IMO who could benefit from a face turn, and in turn would create compelling TV at this point are Seth Rollins(once he returns), and Brock Lesnar(yes he's already cheered a lot which makes him a Face).

And of course, an already-face Cesaro had/has had the potential to be the next megastar, IMO.

 

[CrunKSinatrA]

I think that turning Roman Reigns heel will turn him face. Kind of like how if John Cena turns heel, he will only trade his kid fans for adult fans. Reigns as a heel will give him an edge that he needs to get over.

Like when The Rock was Rocky Maivia, he was a cookie cutter good guy whose only personality traits were that he didn't cheat and played to the crowd. The crowd responded with boos and "Die, Rocky, Die!"

But when The Rock turned heel and joined the Nation of Domination, The Rock became The Rock. The still cheered The Rock when he was a member of the Corporation. I still prefer the Corporate Elbow over the People's Elbow.

Also, keeping Reigns silent will keep him over. He needs to be a man of few words. Have the heels run their mouths non-stop, then Reigns comes in with a Superman Punch and Spear. Say "believe that!" into the mic and the crowds will go crazy.

He has a good spear. I put him number 4 behind Rhyno #3, Goldberg #2, and Edge #1. He's consistent like Rhyno, credible like Goldberg, and creative like Edge. Give Reigns enough time and he might make #1.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

Bray Wyatt can easily become one of the most over guys on the roster if he does change from heel to face. Yeah he's kind of darkish and evil, but remember a guy named Mankind? He was darkish and evil, too (and had the same ugly look Bray has), but he went on to be one of the most over babyfaces in the wrestling bussiness. It's easy to turn Bray face. Just have the family turn against him because they have lost faith in him, since he has won zero things for them (really, this guy is a jobber for the stars, ne never wins any feud). Boom, Bray turn face. The fans will accept him as well. His theme song proves so.

Other than Bray, I don't any other turn is necessary. I guess Rollins will be a huge babyface upon his return, battling Triple H, but that will happen around Summer.

As for Barrett.. man so many missed opportunities. Barrett would have been a great upper mid card heel/face and also had potential to be a World Champ. Bad News Barrett was awesome. His feud with Orton in the beginning of 2012 was awesome. Now I think of it, both of his awesome career moments (BNB and Orton feud) ended because of an injury. That's unfortunate for the guy. I don't know what can be done with him.

 

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

Although Kevin Owens is an awesome heel and I'd never want him to turn, I could see the fans easily getting behind him due to reactions his entrance music seems to bring up when he comes out.

I agree that Kevin Owens was basically born to be a heel. But even if he is a better heel than a face, that doesn't mean he shouldn't turn face. In general, it's much much harder to get people to like you than to hate you. Ask Roman Reigns. So even if Owens would be more suited to play the heel role, the fact that he could play both might mean they have no choice but to go the babyface route simply due to the lack of decent babyfaces.

The "Fight Owens Fight!" thing lends itself well to a never say die type of babyface. An Owens face turn could happen along the same lines as the Austin turn, where Owens is in a submission hold at the end of a gruelling match and refuses to give up.

Another idea I had, back when Rollins was still around as the top heel, would be for Rollins to hire Owens as like his back-up. Owens has said he's a prize fighter, he's in it for the money, so Rollins pays him to be his enforcer. Eventually, you start building tension between them and the crowd starts getting behind Owens. They want to see him turn on Rollins and kick his smug ass. The crowd chants "FIGHT OWENS FIGHT!" because they want him to fight back against Rollins, but Rollins says that he's the boss and he decides when and who Kevin Owens fights. You let this build for awhile, until Owens finally decks Rollins the crowd goes nuts. Owens can say he's done being a sellout like Rollins, and become a badass babyface. He does what he wants when he wants, and the crowd loves him for it.

Naturally, this leads to a feud between Owens and Rollins. In their first match you do the aforementioned pass out finish. Rollins debuts a new submission move, Owens passes out and refuses to give up, but Rollins is awarded the win. This keeps heat on Rollins. Then the obvious rematch is an "I quit" match, and in the build up to that match match Rollins can wear a parody of the Kevin Owens t-shirt that says "QUIT OWENS QUIT" (kind of like when he wore the "You Can't See Knee" Cena parody shirt). Rollins vows to make Owens quit this time, but Owens ultimately goes over.

 

[J.J.]

The only legitimate face I see is Roman Reigns. Leave Reigns be. If he's getting over with the kids, let him. He's marketable in that aspect. He's next in line to be that guy, I dont care if Daniel Bryan remained healthy or Brock Lesnar decided to come back full-time. It's not changing.

I can't really pick and choose. It's best that they just work with the 'faces' they have. Why can't it all be natural? Why does someone have to turn? Wyatt Family...or just Bray are on the cusp.....honestly the hell with it. I feel if they were going to "turn" anyone they missed the opportunity on Monday with the Wyatt's. That would've been more of a natural turn.

Dean Ambrose's chatacter is being blocked by his alignment with RR and it's not to knock RR it's just it's time they broke away from each other so that Ambrose can discover his momentum. Break away doesn't mean he turns or attacks Reigns but stop pairing them in general.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I think that turning Roman Reigns heel will turn him face.

Totally agree. He's the strong, silent type and when he played that role as a member of the Shield, he was booed so much by the crowd that they flocked to him for it......which is exactly how the character of Roman Reigns should be handled now. I think WWE Creative is just waiting for the chance to turn him heel because that will cast him in the position he should have been all along.....and fans will respond. It's irony at it's best.

As for the question posed by OP, I believe Seth Rollins needs a face turn ....and it seemed to me he was slowly becoming a good guy before he was injured. Just having him fight his own battles instead of having a committee of tough guys do it for him, the fans were better able to appreciate his ability to perform in the ring, rather than just winning matches through foul means.

Maybe by doing so you might have a new face catch fire and actually generate some interest in the product.

Sorry, I know how this forum doesn't like attempts at humor, but the wording of this quote (suggesting someone's face could burst into flames) makes me think of a Cactus Jack match in Tokyo.

 

[kumarjtk]

the real problem is people wont fix roman as their top face. They think he is hand picked by wwe. I fix roman as next john cena so i have no problem with him.
People biaming roman has no reason. Wwe have morethan 10 top stars on their roster. All are appear on every raw. So every body takes blame. Booing roaman is not a problem. Roman is created for kids and women fans.
Only problem is wwe wont make ambrose as co top star for male fans.

 

[OYDK]

He may not NEED a face turn, but I agree with Kevin Owens. I don't even think the WWE sees the type of potential that they're sitting on right now with Owens. Owens is a fantastic heel, I'd say he's a better heel than face, but when he is a face he has this quality that makes fans go rabid for him. He is probably the best heel character by far on the current roster, and the fans still go nuts for him. He has a moveset that is perfect for a face character, and the "Fight Owens Fight" chant, if marketed right can be just as big as YES... maybe not that big, but the next "big" chant at least.

I for one, can't wait to actually cheer Owens. How awesome would a face Owens vs heel Lesnar be?

 

[HollyWoodHale]

I think Owens could definitely fit in a tweener role in the same mould as early Stone Cold.

Not giving a Damn, being a jerk and just wanting to fight.

I would love to see Owens Lesnar on a big stage.

 

[J.J.]

He may not NEED a face turn, but I agree with Kevin Owens. I don't even think the WWE sees the type of potential that they're sitting on right now with Owens. Owens is a fantastic heel, I'd say he's a better heel than face, but when he is a face he has this quality that makes fans go rabid for him. He is probably the best heel character by far on the current roster, and the fans still go nuts for him. He has a moveset that is perfect for a face character, and the "Fight Owens Fight" chant, if marketed right can be just as big as YES... maybe not that big, but the next "big" chant at least.

I for one, can't wait to actually cheer Owens. How awesome would a face Owens vs heel Lesnar be?

I feel they(WWE) realize what they have with Owens. First profile feud is with Cena and goes over on him. When do you hear of that happening often? Then he's currently Intercontinental champ. What's the rush?

 

[OYDK]

I feel they(WWE) realize what they have with Owens. First profile feud is with Cena and goes over on him. When do you hear of that happening often? Then he's currently Intercontinental champ. What's the rush?

I don't think they look at him as somebody who can become the face of the company, and I personally, think a well timed face turn would rocket him up the ranks. They don't need to turn him now. I'd like to see him go into Mania as a heel but soon after, they should run with him as a face. While he may have went over Cena, they didn't build on that like they could have. That kind of showed me that they're still a little iffy on him.

I guess we'll see around Mania time what WWE thinks of Owens. I'm interested to see who they pair him up with.

 

[TDFG]

I think the League of Nations stable gives WWE a great opportunity to turn Wade Barrett face and have him return to the Bad News Barrett gimmick which was getting over with the fans.

Barrett is just going along doing basically nothing at the minute, a face turn gives Barrett feuds against Owens, Rusev, Del Rio, Sheamus, Bray Wyatt and the opportunity to battle for some singles gold again.

I like the idea of Owens as a tweener, just going about and taking out anyone in his way.

Reigns as a hell, we all know it makes sense.

 

[J.J.]

I don't think they look at him as somebody who can become the face of the company, and I personally, think a well timed face turn would rocket him up the ranks. They don't need to turn him now. I'd like to see him go into Mania as a heel but soon after, they should run with him as a face. While he may have went over Cena, they didn't build on that like they could have. That kind of showed me that they're still a little iffy on him.

I guess we'll see around Mania time what WWE thinks of Owens. I'm interested to see who they pair him up with.

Owens character seems great as a heel or maybe tweener. I used to think The Miz would make an awesome face if ever turned and learned it ultimately killed his momentum till this day. Of course Owens is 10x better in my opinion but I like him better as he is.

I can't see him as a face of the company but I can arguably see him as a future main eventer. Then again it depends on what you view as a face of the company?

 

[sMark]

Turns should only happen if it helps the character to reach new hights, looking at the current roster, i will turn Rollins and Barrett faces and Bully Ray heel - joining League of Nations and dropping the dead weight in Devon. On other note, why R-Truth is not in a New Day yet, when WWE already have 3 4-man teams in Usos/Shield, LoN and Team Extreme?