Four Face Turns that WWE Needs to Make Happen Soon

SummerSlam was a fantastic show, but the "harshest" criticism was that it was heavy on angles rather than action. Those angles included face turns for Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley, as well as a Roman Reigns return that hints he may be walking the path of light. With everyone finally seeing the light, there are at least four face turns that WWE needs to make happen soon, too. The fans, roster, and stories demand that new names rise up to be our retribution as members of the WWE Universe. Seeing the same talent win again and again can get tiresome in most cases. Variety is the spice of life, or in this case, the sweetener.

Nia Jax has won over the internet

Nia Jax won the Queen of the Ring and has parlayed that crown into the WWE Women's Championship. In the meantime, she has accomplished something else entirely. She has won over the internet wrestling community—not everyone, of course; that is just not possible. There was a time when Nia defeating Bayley would have been a tragedy. Instead, fans are giving the match positive reviews and have all been high on Nia since her triumphant return.

Nia Jaz has played the face role before, but it was part of a somewhat "low-brow" angle featuring body shaming and bullying. This point now becomes an opportunity for her to try again, this time without the after-school special of an angle. WWE has an abundance of heels, so an experienced face for them to fight is a good idea. Then, when Tiffany Stratton is ready to cash in, she will do so on a woman she is treating as her friend with crowd support as well. That will make Stratton a bigger star as well, improving everyone's stock.  

Austin Theory has never worked as a heel

Austin Theory is just a theory; that is what John Cena said to us. He was pretty much right. His status as the next big thing was theoretical, but he has yet to materialize as the star he was pegged to be. Even in his current tag team, he plays second best to his partner Grayson Waller. The Austin Theory experiment has not been a success, so now is the time to flip the script. He has been a henchman, a show-off, and everything in between. The only path WWE has not yet explored is a heroic Austin Theory.

When Theory and Waller split, they should let Waller get his win and become a cocky heel like he was on NXT. He plays the character well and, as a newer talent, deserves time to work with it. That also seems to be the strategy going forward. Theory is in need of a reset, and a face turn could be the way to do it. It will be difficult, given his dislike among fans. He has a good look, and he's a massively talented in-ring performer, though. With the right kind of redemption arc, he should emerge as a mid-card face who can compete for the United States title on Smackdown pretty regularly. That frees the more prominent stars up to fill the gaps in the main event angles of both shows.

Damage CTRL has met its match

It has been a long time since most fans have thought about Damage CTRL. The group had a big angle on the Raw after SummerSlam, getting into a feud with not one but two groups on Monday Night. The alignment of all these factions is somewhat fluid, given their recent backgrounds and events. That gives WWE an opportunity to reinvent Damage CTRL as it has with The Bloodline and Judgment Day. Instead of keeping their alignment and kicking out those that don't fit, Damage CTRL could keep its members and turn all four of them into faces.

Raw's champion, Liv Morgan, is a heel, and she may be in for a longer reign than people anticipated after aligning with Dominik and defeating her biggest rival, Rhea Ripley. A lengthy run is going to need credible faces, all of which could come from Damage CTRL. Iyo is a former champion and could have an excellent match for the title. The three members of the group could also be a launching point for new talent like Gulia, which makes turning them face beforehand a great way to debut their new blue-chip project eventually.

Carlito doesn't fit with Judgment Day

The strangest part of Judgment Day's metamorphosis is the inclusion of Carlito. Carlito was always a peculiar hanger-on for Judgment Day, but his official acceptance into the group is even stranger. Sure, he is an outcast, but his return was met with excitement; he is a nostalgia act that fans were excited about. Pairing him with the heatless LWO is how he ended up where he is now, but WWE could fix their initial mistake and give him a real run as a returning vet.

The fact that Carlito is not aesthetically or temperamentally aligned with Judgment Day can be brought up on Raw to get him out of the group. If Finn Balor and Dominik turn on him, he will be right back on the face side of the roster and will probably have some fan support, given how hated those two are by the WWE Universe. From there, he can have a run that utilizes his decades of experience. He can challenge for the Intercontinental or even the World Heavyweight title, but he is held by young heels destined for greatness. That description used to fit Carlito exceptionally well, and his run as a face could cover that while giving Raw a new contender and the fans a chance to cheer for him like they wanted to from the beginning.

Face turns that WWE needs to perfect

As mentioned at the start, Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley were both successful in their face turns at SummerSlam. Roman Reigns also returned as the conquering hero. That all three of these moments went over well and were executed at the right time is actually a rarity in WWE. Typically, the promotion has a more challenging time with its heroes, which is why it produces so few with a lasting impact. This is not the case in today's wrestling product. The roster is packed with do-gooders at the moment; the heels are far outmatched. While that means some heel turns or call-ups are imminent, some bad guys should consider switching sides. Regardless of whether it is due to misalignment, a weak division, or a specific storyline, nobody can stay bad forever in WWE. After fans get to know you, they will want to cheer you on. WWE should take the success of this past weekend and see if they can make it happen again.