Umaga: Returning As A Face?

[NSL]

After reading the house show results for Smackdown, I'm starting to think Umaga may be returning as a face.

Edge issued an open challenge, and Umaga came out, and won the match with the Samoan Spike. I used to think he was a heel that could go over anyone, because he's the "monster" who never talks, but answering a heel's open challenge is usually a face move. Winning the match, only pushes the idea a little more, that he'll be feuding with Edge, at least for a short while. Edge has a lot of fans, but he's the ultimate heel on Smackdown, so no one can really feud with him, unless they go face.

If i'm right, is there a shot Umaga v. Edge is the Wrestlemania main event? Or, would it be a short lived feud to get Edge to 'Mania with the belt? Maybe a title match at No Way Out to push Umaga as a face...

 

[Sparky]

Umaga A face, Umaga a face, Umaga a Face? I really cant remember that ever happening. didnt they try that once but it flopped? I don't think that Umaga could ever be a Proper face. A tweener maybe but not a Face. his Character just wouldnt allow it. what kind of Monster is nice? espeacially one thats as Mental as him.

This seems to be more of an unstoppable Heel thing Role to go. it makes sense sort of. Edge is a Cocky heel, Issues an open invitation and Bamn, out comes Umaga to prove he can beat anybody once again. rather then building it up by beating nobodies.

 

[samualdude]

Hmm this brings me back to mid 2007 remember near summerslam umaga had a brief face turn after teaming up with John Cena i though Umaga made a good face i think the face umaga could work hes got the crazy monster gimmick and he is over with the fans.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

His last face turn was a total bust, I see no reason to try it again. Unless of course, he's heading for a Mania match with Big Show. Even still it'd be a better option to keep him as a heel. I just don't see how he could be sympathetic as a face.

The only way I see it working is if they try to humanise him. But that should only be done once he's explored all his options in his current gimmick.

 

[klunderbunker]

I'm with Jake. If you want to test it for a few weeks or even up until Mania, maybe, but his character is the Samoan Savage. Savage implies not a nice guy. It's been proven that being away can make any heel a face, but this one is a stretch. He can't cut a promo, so what's the difference going to be in him being a heel or in him being a face? His in ring style will be exactly the same no matter what. Umaga's character is a natural heel. Why mess with something that comes off naturally?

 

[Rusty]

See the problem here is that Umaga's character limits him in many ways. I've never liked monsters as babyfaces, because it rarely ever works. They tried turning Umaga a face in 2007, and it failed. The only reason why Khali has been successful is because he's seen as a comedy character. When a monster becomes a comedy character, it basically ruins their career. Honestly, who sees Khali challenging for the WWE Championship anytime soon? My point is proven. Umaga doesn't look the slightest bit like a babyface. He doesn't even talk, which is why it's extremely difficult to turn him face.

Plus, the return vignette on Smackdown last week showed Umaga as a dominant force, meaning he's most likely returning as a heel. If he does return as a face, I will be greatly surprised. And there's no way Umaga is maineventing Wrestlemania with Edge. That match wouldn't draw. Where would Triple H, Undertaker and Jeff Hardy fit on the card if that happened? A Jeff Hardy vs Umaga match at No Way Out would be perfect, but I don't see Hardy winning against Edge at the Royal Rumble. Umaga is almost certain to be in the Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out if Raw wins the Royal Rumble though.

But no, I don't see Umaga retuning as a babyface because I don't think it will be very successful. The WWE already tried that in 2007, and it wasn't successful at all. So for everyone's sake, I hope Umaga returns as a heel and instantly feuds with Jeff Hardy with the belt, or he could feud with the returning Mr Kennedy. I am actually looking forward to his in ring return, actually.

 

[Shocky]

The only thing that remotely could come good out of a very short Umaga face run would indeed be a match with the Big Showat Wrestlemania. They've teased that match, but the injury bug has been unkind during this process.

Umaga is just too damn one dimensional to come across as an intriguing baby face. I can't ever recall a very successful Monster Baby Face that had a good long run with that. Sure there have been some nice little runs, but nothing that is far reaching and significant. Umaga is a heel, plain and simple. The Great Khali is the mosnter baby facea t the moment, and for some reason I really don't think I want to see Umaga make out with fat chicks.

 

[My$terio_Fan]

Like others I hope it's not happening. Umaga's character limits the possibility for a face role. I don't want him to turn into a comedy heel(Khali)and turning a monster face can not only make them stale but also hurt any chance of turning them into a heel monster once more(Kane has done it but the last few times have failed miserably).

I for one would like to see Umaga stay heel and maybe feud with HHH or Hardy. Umaga and Hardy have had some great matches so there is nothing stopping them from recreating them. I just think turning Umaga face could end up being bad for his career. Theres also rumors going around with Manu being kicked out of legacy of him and Umaga becoming a new version of the wild somoans so who know's what's in store for Umaga. Right now I hope he remains heel but with Kozlov and Big Show already heel monsters, that wish may not be granted.

 

[Leeds Guy]

No...just no. Umaga as a face wont work. the whole point to him, is that hes a monster who bulldozes his way through his oppenents....has that gimmick ever worked for a Face (apart from maybe Goldberg) im not too excited about his return, he will probably just end up in the midcard facing Hurricane or R Truth maybe Even MVP if his face turn happens.

WWE seem to have a problem when it comes to bigger guys, they always seem to run out of ideas for them after a while and scrap around trying to find something credible

 

[Trance Metaphor]

Umaga returning as a face would make him look extremely silly. How would it even define his character? Might as well revert back to Jamal. Umaga as a monster in general is suffering from all the victimization by the hands of Triple H. They need to focus on making him more serious again.

 

[Mr. TM]

Umaga could work as a tweener and get as over as a face would. If he had a short program with Edge, I don't even see a short program in the works, but if they had one, he could have that feud and immediately switch over and become a heel. A monster, being as Shock said, gets to mold to whatever the situation, and whoever he faces. If he protect someone who was a face from a heel, he would become a face very quickly. If he attacked a face, the heel would come out just as fast. Umaga as a face wouldn't be that bad, Kane has been a face, think of Andre and the Big show as faces. But all of them were destructive monstrous heels as well, and could switch back and forth.

 

[AnthonyMango/NoFate007]

I can't see Umaga returning as a face.

What I could see, though, is upcoming feuds between Umaga and Khali, Umaga and possibly a face Big Show (he walked out on Edge last week...maybe the first step?) and a feud with the Undertaker that will either take place at WrestleMania (hopefully not; I'd rather have HBK/Taker) or immediately afterwards culminating at One Night Stand.

Best bet, I think, is to have Umaga feud with Khali right now, beat the shit out of him, and then move onto a short Big Show feud at Mania. Then, when he comes out on top from that, he'd look VERY strong by beating the two biggest guys in the WWE, and he's prime for his feud with the Undertaker.

 

[Mr. TM]

The problem with that is they have had Khali go over Umaga before. I don't think Umaga, returning can be a heel, and be believable in a feud with Khali. Khali is a pussycat right now as it is, so a win over him is nothing. It would however be good to have him go over Big Show, having the Spike go over the knock out punch. An Undertaker Umaga feud makes great sense, and would be great at SummerSlam.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

Leave it to the W.W.E. to "Kane-up" another great heel/monster gimmick and attempt making the fans cheer for him. If Umaga is indeed to return as a face, he'll turn into yet another Kane. Short of simply changing his character all together, which I can't get why they'd want to do that anyways.

Anyone remember Jamal of 3-Minute Warning? Yeah.. that was his gimmick before Umaga, did any of you truly give a shit about Jamal.. booing, or cheering-wise? No, the answer is no. Umaga is a great gimmick. Sure he doesn't have mic-skills, or rather he isn't allowed to truly talk in an effort to make the gimmick even greater.. but I fail to see how even with a Big Show/Mania match, how it'd be worth turning him heel.

The way things are slightly going, the Big Show could honestly become a tweener or even a face by simply turning on Edge & Vickie Guerrero. That could happen in the span of roughly.. the Rumble. As a result, Vickie in an effort to want revenge against him, could bring in Umaga and there you go.. monster/heel Umaga against newly turned face, Big Show.

Umaga as a face won't ever work if they expect to keep his gimmick the way it is though. They'll just turn him into a Samoan version of Kane.

 

[Jane]

With Khali as a face, I think Umaga definetely needs to be a heel when he returns. He could be a serious title contender if somebody like Jeff or Triple H was champion, as long as they built him right. He is a great wrestler, very agile, and one of the few big guys I like to watch in the ring. I definetely prefer him to Big Show. I think he should have SOME sort of manager, though. Mark Henry got a manager who is worse on the mic then him, so Umaga should get somebody to help him out. I think that him not talking kinda makes it difficult to make a good, Umaga fued.

 

[Crush1]

Umaga turning into a face would be bad for him. He's good as a heel so why change it? besides dont faces need to cut a good promo? Umaga's character cant even speak english. And without a manager he's even more hopeless. I think they should build Umaga into a heel with more dept, like they can tell us that while he was absent he has studied the english language, it doesnt have to be too good it just needs to be a little understandable for the avarage fan. And i'm kinda wondering whom Umaga should face. Kennedy is an option so when he returns why not try that?

 

[truk24]

Okay, so he comes back as a face and feuds with Kozlov. Big deal, and I could care less about his return. Unless the WWE plans on giving him a real gimmick, and not stereotype 90's shit then I would care. He is a great wrestler for his size, and I think if he had a real gimmick he could be something. Screw the facepaing, and the screaming, grunting, or whaling. Give him something fans can actually relate to.

 

[NSL]

Okay, so he comes back as a face and feuds with Kozlov. Big deal, and I could care less about his return. Unless the WWE plans on giving him a real gimmick, and not stereotype 90's shit then I would care. He is a great wrestler for his size, and I think if he had a real gimmick he could be something. Screw the facepaing, and the screaming, grunting, or whaling. Give him something fans can actually relate to.

I'm pretty sure that's actually tattooed on.

To everyone that has posted here, I wasn't saying that I'd like Umaga returning as a face, it was just an idea that I had after reading some results.

I've posted it in other forums, and I still think this: Umaga should be in a tag team. I was more of a fan of the Headshrinkers, than the Wild Samoans, so Manu is definitely the better fit than Sim. They can run as a tweener tag team, and if the belts are unified, would be perfect for a title run, so that heel teams, and face teams, could chase them.

 

[truk24]

Ok, it really doesn't matter what is on his face if it is tattooed on. Anyhow, the "GIMMICK" that he currently has is awful, and meaningless. Where does it take him. He becomes stale, and just another face on the roster. He is a gifted big man wrestler, whom should have a gimmick that is more in tune with today's viewers. Thats all.