Double turns are rare in the WWE, but Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks can pull it off at Great Balls of Fire.
Every time Alexa Bliss’ music hits on Raw, she is greeted by a chorus of cheers from the crowd. Sasha Banks receives a similar ovation, but as shown in WWE NXT, she has the talent to thrive as a heel.
The concept of a double turn is simple. In one match, the babyface becomes a bad guy and the heel turns good. It doesn’t happen often, but when done right it leaves a lasting impact.
To make it work, there needs to be a reason to make the double switch. Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio achieved this in 2013.
Ziggler, despite entering the match as a heel, had won the fans over due to his abilities both in the ring and on the microphone. Fans wanted to be able to cheer him on, and they finally got their opportunity as he defended his World Heavyweight Championship.
Del Rio, who entered as a babyface, immediately played the role of the heel, repeatedly kicking Ziggler viciously in the head, playing up to Dolph’s recent (and legitimate) concussion. Del Rio came across as cowardly by seeking out a cheap victory.
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Ziggler, on the other hand, looked heroic. Despite suffering a vicious beatdown, he refused to give up right until the end. Del Rio may have won the championship, but Ziggler won the hearts of the fans and the double turn was complete.
Alexa Bliss enters Great Balls of Fire in a similar situation to Ziggler in 2013. Fans want to cheer for Bliss. She’s an exceptional talent on the microphone and has come a long way in the ring. This has been recognized by the audience, which explains the big pop she receives every week on Raw. A Bliss face turn is inevitable, and it would make sense as soon as Great Balls of Fire this Sunday.
The other piece to the puzzle is Sasha Banks. Banks, unlike Del Rio was in 2013, is beloved by the fans. That said, she has a rare ability to turn a crowd that loves her into one that greets her with boos.
Chris Jericho is a master of swinging the fans both ways, and Banks can do the same. Some of her best work came in NXT, when The Boss persona truly took off.
A heel, arrogant Sasha who thinks she’s above everyone else works on a number of levels. Banks is one of the best in-ring workers on the Raw roster, and she can play the villain to perfection. She even drew tears from Izzy, a huge Bayley fan, during their 30-minute Iron Man match at NXT TakeOver: Respect.
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On the mic Banks is equally effective. Like Bliss, she’s one of the best talkers in the company. It wouldn’t take long before she had turned even her most loyal fans against her, just as the likes of CM Punk, Shawn Michaels and The Rock have done in the past.
With Bliss turning face and Charlotte now on SmackDown Live, Banks would finally get the opportunity to become the Women’s division’s top heel on Raw. Meanwhile, a Bliss face turn could propel her into the stratosphere.
So how can it be pulled off at Great Balls of Fire?
To complete the double turn, Banks needs to walk out as the new Raw Women’s Champion, but she must do so in a dirty way.
Through a combination of taking cheap shots, attacking Bliss when she’s defenseless and talking trash to the crowd, fans will begin to turn on her.
Bliss, meanwhile, is portrayed as the hero. Despite taking a bombardment of borderline illegal shots, she shows courage to fight back. She fights out of every submission hold and gets a chance to mount a heroic comeback by feeding off the crowd’s support.
Just as Bliss edges closer to picking up the win, Banks uses underhand tactics to steal victory and the championship. Whether by the use of a weapon, a thumb to the eyes or an exposed turnbuckle—all while the referee is distracted—Banks can cheat to win and turn her back on the WWE fans in the process.
The double turn can be confirmed the following night on Raw, with Banks saying she no longer needs the fans by her side. Bliss, with the audience’s respect and support, sets up a rematch for the title at SummerSlam.
In one night, The Summer of Sasha can be ignited, and the fans’ increasing desire to cheer Alexa leads to a face turn. As the underdog, Bliss challenges Banks at SummerSlam in a marquee rematch.
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Double turns are rare, but when executed properly they can not only create memorable moments, but send two characters on their way in fresh, exciting directions.
An Alexa-Sasha double turn would require “great balls”, but it has the potential to spark one of the most memorable feuds in years.