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For every good babyface, there is a good heel - this has been true for professional wrestling throughout history. For every Hulk Hogan there is a Andre The Giant, for every Stone Cold Steve Austin there is a Triple H and for every John Cena there is a Randy Orton. Sometimes a character may completely change their ethos and the face can become a heel, or the heel can turn face.
Hogan famously turned heel when he joined the WCW in 1996 and Steve Austin turned to the dark side as well when he aligned with long-term rival Vince McMahon at WrestleMania 17, and then teamed up with Triple H the following night.
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Sometimes turning a Superstar into a heel is necessary to re-energize their character or to create new feuds and rivalries. What is important is that it is done right and for a good reason, as sometimes the audience does not want to boo a certain Superstar.
This was certainly the case when Stone Cold Steve Austin turned heel at WrestleMania 17, siding with Vince McMahon when he won the WWE championship from The Rock. The fans just were not ready to hate Steve Austin, in fact, they probably never were, and it never made sense to have him team up with his long-term rivals McMahon and Triple H.
A heel turn for the sake of a heel turn is not good business, the best turns are well thought out and excellently constructed. Shawn Michaels heel turn on Marty Jannetty stands out as one of the best-executed turns of all time and helped launch one of the most successful careers in WWE history, such as the shocking nature and brutality of it. Michaels superkicking Jannetty and then sending him crashing through the barbershop window is one of the most iconic moments in WWE history.
When a Superstar gets stale sometimes he or she may need to become a villain, either to refresh the character or because they suit better the heel persona more. Here are five WWE superstars (and one team) who should turn heel.
#1 Rusev (and Aiden English)
Rusev is one of the most popular stars on WWE right now as far as the audiences go. However, it seems unlikely that he will get any further then his current spot on the SmackDown roster, or on Raw for that matter if he remains as a face. Although many fans would probably like to see Rusev remain this way, it makes more sense for him to go back to his heelish days.
Back when Rusev debuted on WWE with his Russophillic, anti-American gimmick, he had gained tremendous momentum which led to a match with John Cena at WrestleMania 31. Rusev lost the match, ending his 146-day undefeated streak and arguably never recovered from this, later being aligned with The League of Nations.
It is clear that the Bulgarian Brute has the characteristics to succeed as heel far more than he does as a face, and with Aiden English as his mouthpiece, the two can create a good dynamic.
At a time when the WWE are crying out for some credible heels, Rusev could fit the role of a dominating villain perfectly. Not to say he should go back to his anti-American days, but if Rusev is to return to the kind of momentum that he enjoyed when he debuted with the WWE in 2014, then we could see him back to his best.
#2 Charlotte Flair
Charlotte Flair arguably enjoyed her best days in WWE as a heel as far as her character is concerned. Just like her father The Nature Boy Ric Flair, although she is likeable as a babyface, it seems she fits the role of a heel far better.
Turning Charlotte heel and having her team up with the likes of Lana or Absolution could help Charlotte, but also give her partners legitimacy and propel them to the next level. This is an option the WWE could explore, but Charlotte is more than capable of going solo and being the champion every woman on the SmackDown roster has to try to beat.
Charlotte has said in an interview with the LA Times that she prefers to play the part of a heel. The Evil Queen character certainly seemed to be a role that Ms Flair was more comfortable playing. The Nature Girl is far more suited to playing the cocky, 'better-than-you' heel, certainly in terms of her mic work.
It can be refreshing for a character to spend some time a face for a while, but it seems Charlotte's long-term future should lie as a heel.
#3 Big E (or the New Day)
It is uncertain how much longer WWE intends on keeping The New Day together as a team. Although appealing to a large section of their younger fan base, New Day are surely close to running their course as a team. This is especially true when you consider that all three men are capable of having good solo runs in the company.
If they were to break up, the person responsible could be Big E. He posses all the characteristic needed as a heel, being both powerful and dominant. If he was to turn on his longtime partners Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, it would shock and sadden much of the WWE universe. It would also put a considerable amount of heat on Big E going into his feuds with Kingston and Woods.
Although it seems nobody is ready to hate The New Day, an alternative option could be to turn them all heels. If they ditched the pancakes, trombones and colourful outfits, they could shock the world by annihilating another team with chairs and turning their backs on the fans.
A massive change in character for the team could reinvigorate them and the whole of the SmackDown roster. Far from turning them heel for the sake of it, it could produce some of the most enthralling TV we have seen for a while.
#4 Booby Roode
During his time in NXT, Bobby Roode played the role of the narcissistic, aggressive heel, which helped put him on notice as one of the best talents on NXT. Roode also had considerable success on Impact Wrestling playing a similar role and as one half of Beer Money Incorporated. Its clearly a role Roode knows and given his somewhat less than auspicious start to life on the main roster, certainly a route WWE should consider going down.
Right now when you think of Roode, you really just think of his entrance, but he clearly has a lot to offer in WWE in terms of his character and wrestling ability. A heel turn could reinvigorate his character and push him in the right direction similar to where he was in NXT. If he were to emulate the role of the narcissistic, cocky heel he played in NXT, then WWE have a top-level heel capable of holding the Universal championship and feuding with Roman Reigns.
Right now Roode is nothing more than a mid-card level talent who is destined to stay there unless his character is transformed. Changing his entrance music, although it would be unpopular amongst fans, would be a serious step towards vilifying him and pushing him as a credible bad guy, as would having him cut 'holier than thou' type promos each week on Raw.
#5 Sasha Banks
For a while now Sasha Banks has been rumoured to be turning heel. She has teased a heel turn on Bayley as far back as February, but it is unclear if she will make this transition or not.
Sasha has all the characteristics of a heel, she is brash, cocky and abrasive. Sasha had been a heel in NXT, where she played the role effectively. Her feud with Bayley in many ways set the tone for the women's revolution and proved that female wrestlers were capable of great matches.
The logical step would have been for Sasha to turn on Bayley, as it looked like she might a number of times this year, but so far it hasn't happened. However, with Money in the Bank coming up, it could be an opportunity for Sasha if she wins the briefcase to cash it in, and what better way to cash in her Money in the Bank then on Ronda Rousey?
That is to assume that Ronda beats Nia Jax in their clash for the women's championship at the same pay-per-view, Banks could then cash in her contract at any point in the subsequent period and draw massive heat as Ronda is clearly popular with the WWE universe.
Sasha Banks turning heel could re-energize the women's division and open up a whole new selection of potential matches. As well as Ronda Rousey, she could also face Bayley, Ember Moon and Natalya, all of which could be great matches.
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