Opinion: A slow-burn heel turn is the right turn for Bayley
Heel and face turns can often provide us with some of the most memorable moments in wrestling history. Seth Rollins' turn on his brothers in The Shield is one of the most shocking turns of all time while Daniel Bryan's turn at Survivor Series last year is one of the more recent heel turns.
Not to be outdone, however, are the women in WWE. After an entire career of portraying the lovable, fan-friendly and valiant babyface, Bayley started to turn heel a few weeks ago. It began after she took part in an attack on RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch and teamed up with Sasha Banks once again.
Banks had recently returned to the company from a hiatus but Bayley still considered Banks to be her friend. She also claimed that the friendship didn't change even though the Boss basically trashed the Women's Tag Team titles. Bayley stood by her friend no matter what.
The seeds for a potential turn were being planted as Bayley's resolve was tested by Charlotte Flair as Flair maintained she was more important to SmackDown even if she wasn't the Champion. Bayley's feeling of being overshadowed by Lynch's rather large shadow as The Man and the biggest star in the company wasn't helping matters either.
Even though she participated in the attack on Lynch and has continued to act like a heel in her matches with Lynch and Charlotte Flair, Bayley's rationale for turning hasn't quite lined up with her actions just yet. But for someone who has portrayed the ultimate face for her entire career, that is exactly the way to proceed with her.
Someone who has done the right thing for so long isn't going to start doing the wrong thing immediately. They'll first enjoy a small taste and gradually take bigger and bigger bites as time passes. That's why Bayley, despite brutally assaulting two women with chairs over the last two weeks, is still clinging to her "role model" rhetoric.
While she may still believe that she is doing the right thing, that delusion not lining up with her actions will help things turn slowly. She still claims to be a role model and a shining example to friendship despite her best friend being an arrogant heel. This line of thinking is somewhat reminiscent of Bo Dallas in NXT and during his early run on the main roster. He thought he was giving people hope with his smugness and backhanded compliments to his opponents.
By slowly taking baby steps to the inevitable end game, WWE is allowing Bayley to grow into her role as a heel. Changing her gear and her entrance song/ring entrance would help sell the turn, but until Bayley turns her back on the fans, a slow burn turn is the right play as the year heads into its final quarter.
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