Thumbs up or Thumbs down: Recent heel/face turns in WWE
In the months following SummerSlam, several key WWE Superstars have changed their characters. Whether it was a long time coming or done out of pure necessity, several big stars have recently changed their operating methods.
Two of the biggest turns involved performers who were the backbone of NXT during their tenures: Finn Balor and Bayley. While Bayley is still on SmackDown, Balor returned to NXT, where he had the most success. Everyone was elated for 'The Demon King' to return home, but he shocked the world once more by attacking another face (Johnny Gargano) instead of the heel it appeared he'd be squaring off against (Adam Cole).
Heel or face turns can help freshen things up for a stagnant star and sometimes those turns can catapult a wrestler further than ever before. Bayley had won titles before she recently turned heel, but her character lacked an edge. Balor had that edge, but it was usually only brought out in 'Demon' form for PPV spots.
With the WWE Draft resetting the rosters for both shows, there was a need to have some changes in character. Some moves were also made toward the end of summer. While some turns may not pan out, some will certainly prove to be successful. Rather than grades, I've given the recent heel turns on RAW, SmackDown, and NXT either a thumbs up or a thumbs down.
#7 The Kabuki Warriors - Thumbs Up
Upon debuting for SmackDown following WrestleMania 35, Kairi Sane was immediately thrust into a tag team with Asuka. For her entire WWE career, she has been a lovable face and almost like a huggable Japanese version of Bayley. Sane was always smiling and leaning heavy into her 'Pirate Princess' gimmick.
Asuka did have a brief turn in NXT after a dominant run as NXT Women's Champion, but it was more so due to overconfidence than straight up heeling. Both women have been among the top faces in WWE, but recently went through a heel turn in the middle of their title match with Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross.
In order to win the tag titles, Asuka misted Nikki Cross, leading to The Kabuki Warriors winning the titles. They leaned even further into heel territory by misting manager Paige shortly after winning those belts. There aren't many top heels left on RAW after the Draft, so turning Asuka and Sane was something that needed to be done. 'The Empress of Tomorrow' is simply better as a maniacal heel.