WWE Raw: Aleister Black’s heel turn a step in the right direction
Aleister Black made his return to WWE Raw after SummerSlam and gave Kevin Owens a little present on his own show.
The first episode of the Kevin Owens Show inside the Thunderdome didn’t disappoint, as Aleister Black made his return to WWE Raw with a little heel turn.
Wrestling fans were expecting this moment when WWE announced Black’s return segment during SummerSlam. They had seen the rumors of a character change for the former NXT Champion, and they were interested in seeing Black’s character take a darker turn over to the heel side.
Black was known as an enigma in NXT, to the point where Mauro Ranallo would refer to him as the “Enigmatic One”. He was certainly that on Raw this week, suddenly snapping on Owens while Owens explained Seth Rollins’ actions. Rollins urged Murphy to destroy Black’s eyes on the steel steps, which caused Black to be written off television in the first place.
The former Tommy End hit Owens with a spinning back elbow and then smashed him with his lethal Black Mass finisher, ending the segment and clearly turning heel in the process.
Aleister Black’s heel turn on WWE Raw is just the beginning
There will be more to come for Aleister Black, because the kick on Owens was the heel turn. But the rest of his character is yet to be written. There will be more layers unveiled in the coming weeks on WWE Raw, and Black is a wrestler who could be aiming for a title match in the coming months. He’s someone WWE should have in mind as a future champion.
Overall, this was an excellent return for Black. He needed to have a profound character change, and the best way to move in that direction is to turn him heel. There’s nothing more different than going all-in with Black as a heel rather than as a grey-area babyface. That character has potential and can come back in the future, but Black can make a bigger impact in 2020 and 2021 as a clear-cut heel.
Next. WWE Raw will have Keith Lee as a top babyface. dark
It was also great to see the foreshadowing before the segment started when Owens had to knock on Black’s door. He who knocks on Black’s door is in for a world of hurt, and it will be interesting to see which other superstars, after Kevin Owens, learn that lesson. It feels like something is in the air for Black heading into WWE’s Fall season. Hopefully, Vince McMahon can stay invested in Black’s heel character.