3 AEW stars who desperately need a heel turn and 2 who need a babyface turn
AEW will celebrate its third anniversary on May 25th, and the young promotion is already considered the primary alternative to WWE. The company has made some bold moves in its first few years, scooping up some of the most recognizable names in wrestling.
On top of that, AEW has created some of the top stars in the industry and invested heavily in future talent. Like all pro wrestling promotions, the roster is compromised of villains and heroes. Fans cheer for the good guys and boo the bad guys. Most of the time, that is.
Sometimes fans grow weary of a certain talent's persona. In the nonstop weekly television cycle, even a top star can grow stale. Even Cody Rhodes, who helped build the company, suffered intense boos from the crowd as a babyface.
With that in mind, let's explore five wrestlers on the AEW roster who are in desperate need of an alignment change.
3. Heel Turn: Jay Lethal was notorious as a heel in ROH
After Jay Lethal's surprising AEW debut, it seemed as though the former ROH World Champion would do great things in the promotion. However, since his arrival, he's mainly wrestled on Dark and hasn't had any high-profile singles wins.
While Lethal might be more active backstage, he was once Ring of Honor's biggest star. Although he has found great success as a babyface, his heel run while champion in 2016 is one of the most memorable stretches of his career.
Lethal has proven in the past that he will do whatever it takes to win. He should return to his ruthless ways to remind fans that he's still on the roster.
2. Face Turn: Lance Archer, the Murderhawk Monster
Lance Archer is one of the biggest athletes on the AEW roster, and by virtue of his size, it's easy to see why he's a heel. The Murderhawk Monster thrives on chaos and destruction and lays waste to anyone who gets in his way.
For this very reason, Archer should turn face. His monster gimmick, while impressive, has been largely unsuccessful. In his current persona, Lance is more of a "final boss" for babyfaces to overcome than a true threat.
Archer could do much better with a heroic persona, or even a controlled monster who only unleashes havoc on his enemies. He could be booked similar to Braun Strowman's babyface runs in WWE.
2. Heel Turn: Christian Cage was a cowardly heel during some of his best runs
Christian Cage entered AEW with a promising gimmick. The veteran claimed he would "Outwork Everybody" and quickly became the first star to pin Kenny Omega in months. Cage was the IMPACT Champion and even retired the TNA Championship.
Since then, he's been delegated to babysitting the AEW Tag Team Champions, Jurassic Express. While the star is undoubtedly a great mentor for the young squad, his role has made his character stale.
Christian has proven that he can function as a heel in both WWE and TNA. During his villainous runs, the star was known for running away and cheating to win. It was a persona that Cage seemed to relish, and a return to it would be natural and revitalizing for his character in AEW.
1. Face Turn: Anthony Ogogo, the Guvnor
Anthony Ogogo is currently a member of one of the most hated stables in AEW: The Factory. While the rest of the members seem to be finding their footing, The Guvnor has already found his persona. So far, the star has been portrayed as an arrogant heel who says whatever he wants.
However, Ogogo could easily become a massive babyface due to his in-ring work and backstory. The star has faced real-life tribulation and comes from a difficult background. This story alone could make for a believable babyface turn.
1. Heel Turn: AEW Champion, "Hangman" Adam Page
Hangman Page is one of the most beloved AEW stars on the roster. Fans rallied behind him as he worked his way up to defeating the seemingly unbeatable Kenny Omega. Since dethroning his former friend, Page's title run has had a mixed reception.
Unfortunately, Hangman seems to be more relevant with the championship than without it. But that's an aspect of his character that could easily push him to the dark side, and we could see the fan-favorite begin to use detestable methods to retain his title.
Much like with Cody, sometimes a drastic change is needed to reinvigorate a wrestler. If Page took all the bad reception he got and portrayed an angry cowboy instead, interest in the champion could flourish again.