3 Face turns & 2 heel turns that could happen at Survivor Series 2021

Survivor Series 2021 is less than two days away, and it's going to be an interesting pay-per-view. While the build-up to the event has been less than promising, it's usually the shows with lower expectations that deliver the most.

The match card is still a great one, and we will likely have several great clashes and moments. This list looks at five of the competing superstars at Survivor Series who could change characters at the pay-per-view:

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#3. Face turn at Survivor Series: Becky Lynch

In what seems to be the most highly-anticipated match at Survivor Series 2021, RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch will take on SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair.

Not a single feud for the upcoming event has had as much heat as this one. In what has become classically associated with professional wrestling, the feud has used reality to blend in with fiction to add more heat.

It has worked, and many feel that Lynch vs. Flair should headline Survivor Series 2021. It's hard to disagree, even with Roman Reigns and Big E on the card.

While the latter will undoubtedly be a good bout, it doesn't have the history that Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair does. The Man surprisingly turned heel upon her return to WWE after over a year.

While Becky Lynch was one of the biggest babyfaces from 2018 to 2020, fans were bewildered at the call to turn her heel. As it turned out, it was she who specifically requested the heel turn, perhaps viewing it as a challenge. Bianca Belair's popularity as a babyface helped make the transition a successful one for Big Time Becks.

However, Survivor Series 2021 could mark a big change for Lynch. She could potentially turn face at the event after beating The Queen. It's the first time that the two women have faced off where both have been heels. The dynamic is a bit too odd, and we wouldn't be surprised to see WWE quietly turn Becky Lynch face at the pay-per-view.

If not, it's more than likely that she will play the role of a face for this match at Survivor Series 2021.

#2. Heel turn at Survivor Series: Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke Nakamura has constantly been in important matches at Survivor Series. With two United States and Intercontinental title reigns, this will be his third "Champion vs. Champion bout."

However, his four reigns as US and Intercontinental Champion have been forgettable. His latest title reign is no exception as he has held the title for nearly 100 days and has accumulated zero title defenses on television. WWE has never handled his title reigns well, and he has little momentum heading into the pay-per-view.

This time around, he faces US Champion Damian Priest, who has been one of WWE's most-pushed superstars in 2021. It's clear that Priest is going to walk out victoriously at Survivor Series. However, to make the moment better for Shinsuke Nakamura, it's probably better if both him and Rick Boogs turn heel.

Not that his heel runs have always been great, but it would be a fresh change for the Japanese superstar, who turned face only earlier in 2021. The pairing of Nakamura and Boogs would be interesting post-Survivor Series if they turned heel.

#2. Face turn at Survivor Series: Kevin Owens

This would seem to be a bizarre one at Survivor Series. Kevin Owens only recently turned heel on RAW when he attacked Big E, but a quick change back to being a babyface could work if done right.

Owens is still beloved by fans, even the ones who admit that he's better as a heel. But he had been a babyface for quite a while, and WWE seemed to turn him heel to potentially insert him in the WWE title feud already involving Big E and Seth Rollins.

Team RAW is far superior to Team SmackDown on the men's side, and they're likely to walk out victoriously. A quick swap to being back as a babyface might seem odd for fans, but it has happened the other way before. Many forget that The Rock, leading into Survivor Series 1998, was a babyface.

But he hadn't been a babyface for long at that point. It was perhaps Vince Russo's greatest angle when he swerved fans by turning The Rock heel again at Survivor Series 1998 to become the Corporate WWE Champion.

If done well, Kevin Owens can instantly become a babyface at the upcoming pay-per-view again. Perhaps the sole survivor role would be perfect for him.

#1. Heel turn at Survivor Series: Rhea Ripley

Rhea Ripley was an obvious pick for the RAW Women's Survivor Series team. As one-half of the Women's tag team champions alongside Nikki A.S.H., Ripley's past month has been forgettable on the Red brand with the tag team titles hardly getting utilized.

She has been a good babyface since her main roster debut in March 2020, but there hasn't been much in the way of character development. Ripley came in as a replacement for Charlotte Flair and defeated Asuka at WrestleMania 37 to become the new RAW Women's Champion.

Since then, she had a relatively short championship reign before losing the title to Flair. Rhea Ripley is a big star in the making and has the potential to be one of the top dogs of the women's division.

But in order to reach that stage, she needs to have some basic character development first. Perhaps a heel turn at Survivor Series 2021 would be the best course of action. It could involve a fellow team member, and turn them face in the process as well.

#1. Face turn at Survivor Series 2021: Carmella

When we said that Rhea Ripley's heel turn at Survivor Series 2021 should be against her own team member, Carmella is perhaps the best example of it. The self-proclaimed "Most Beautiful Woman in WWE" has been a heel for a long time now, and it seems as though a change is needed.

Of course, this would mean her having to move away from her gimmick, but there are ways to get around it. Perhaps the best course of action at Survivor Series 2021 would be a double-turn between Rhea Ripley and Carmella.

The only problem is that Carmella and Queen Zelina seem to be in a position to challenge for the women's tag team titles next. Since Zelina is obviously not going to turn face any time soon, it would complicate the dynamic and likely remove them from the tag team title picture.

It would be interesting to see Carmella as a face again. She got drafted to RAW for the first time in her career in 2021 and it's time for another character change.