5 WWE Superstars who need to turn heel in 2023
WWE Superstars are about to clash at this year’s Royal Rumble as fans expect some much-awaited returns. The upcoming Premium Live Event may also be an avenue for the culmination of ongoing storylines or to create new ones.
To that end, character switches are likely to occur during the upcoming PLE, as some have been hinted at for quite a while now. A prime example is superstars who are currently billed as babyfaces and could turn heel. As we all know, the WWE Universe loves to hate a good heel.
2023 promises to be another year of the company putting together some intriguing storylines that could result in many superstars shifting to the dark side.
Let's take a look at some WWE Superstars who need to fall into the dark side this year.
#5. The O.C. as a heel faction
Since their return late last year, Good Brothers Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, alongside AJ Styles, have been at odds with The Judgment Day. They even welcomed Mia Yim into their club as she was the answer to the team’s so-called "Rhea Ripley problem."
Both The O.C. and The Judgment Day still don't see eye-to-eye, and it would be better for the former to turn heel this year. Anderson and Gallows were great back when they took on villainous personas.
During their New Japan Pro-Wrestling days, they (including Styles) were members of the infamous heel faction - The Bullet Club. To this day, the group is still wreaking havoc within the famed Japanese wrestling promotion.
Gallows and Anderson were also known as The Good Brothers during their Impact Wrestling run. They started out as faces and won the promotion's tag team championship before eventually turning heel.
They had a good run as villains. Case in point was when they gatecrashed night one of AEW's New Year's Smash where they saved Kenny Omega from Jon Moxley.
#4. Asuka's hiatus could lead to a heel turn
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The Empress of Tomorrow has been away from WWE for quite some time now and is believed to be linked with a shift in character.
I'll be on a trip for a while.
The WWE Superstar is currently in Japan in search of something that she claims to have lost. Most fans don’t have the slightest idea who or what she is looking for. But for those who know, Asuka could be returning back to her NJPW roots, where she caused chaos on the roster as Kana. If her cryptic tweets are to be believed, the WWE Universe is in for a treat, as they will get their first taste of an evil Empress of Tomorrow.
Prior to returning to Japan, Asuka could already be hinting at the above-mentioned. Following her loss to Rhea Ripley back in December, The Empress tweeted that she’d be taking some time off.
During their match, fans noticed that she was not wearing her usual face paint, suggesting that a change could be on the way.
#3. Shotzi
Like Asuka, Shotzi is another WWE Superstar who went on hiatus after getting attacked by Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler.
Fans might recall that she got a huge push during her feud against Rousey but lost the match at last year’s Survivor Series: Wargames. Shotzi being written off from WWE TV could be a way for her to be reintroduced as a heel by the time she returns to TV.
The tank-riding competitor is yet to capture some WWE gold. With that in mind, getting repackaged as a menacing heel on her comeback alongside a compelling storyline might just do the trick for her.
#2. Kevin Owens is a WWE Superstar who is exceptional at being a heel
Kevin Owens has also undergone several heel turns over the years, and he pulled it off really well. Rolling Stone even took notice of The Prizefighter’s in-ring work and hailed him as their best heel for 2015.
Owens is currently in a feud with The Bloodline’s Roman Reigns, with whom he has locked horns in the past. His best bud and Honorary Uce Sami Zayn sided with The Tribal Chief’s heel faction, and this didn’t sit well with Owens as he wanted Zayn to leave The Bloodline.
Owens is challenging Reigns once again at this year’s Royal Rumble for the Undisputed Universal Championship. Creative may or may not use the event to finally turn Owens into The Prizefighter that he is.
The question is, what would it take to finally make the WWE Superstar snap?
#1. WWE Superstar Bray Wyatt
Believe it or not, Bray Wyatt was introduced as a face on his return to WWE. However, his heel turn may well seem inevitable thanks to his Uncle Howdy, who never fails to mess up Wyatt's head.
The recent episode of SmackDown could be the start of such a switch as he brought back his Firefly Funhouse gimmick alongside his puppet buddies.
Prior to his release in 2021, the Eater of Worlds had The Fiend persona that was well-received by fans but feared by his opponents. Wyatt's evil side has decimated the likes of Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, Kane, and even John Cena.
The Fiend was packaged back then as an unbeatable creature. In line with this, the character's inability to feel pain is also a contributing factor why he comes out as the victor most of the time. Wyatt's alter ego was on a roll, taking Ws left and right until his first loss to Goldberg.
What they had with Wyatt during his Firefly Funhouse days got fans compelled with it. Here’s to hoping that the heel turn for Wyatt would come soon enough.