Time sure does fly here at the Pulse, eh? I totally forgot I’ve been here for TWO YEARS as of a couple of weeks ago!
I’ve been thinking about the following subject for a while now, and I’d just like to take a few moments to reflect on the recent face turns of both Alberto del Rio and The Miz, and why forced face turns have a habit of not working out.
Poor Miz. He couldn’t get over with many in the IWC as a heel, and he sure as fuck isn’t well-liked as a pandering face. Alberto del Rio is also not doing as well as he could be, according to many reports, but he’s most certainly in a better position than Miz. Why is that? Well, del Rio has two of the following attributes going for him that make a transition from heel to face somewhat attainable:
How To Properly Transition From Heel To Face
1. Earn Crowd Sympathy: Obviously the most logical step necessary in such a transition, and yet the most difficult to achieve. If you’ve spent a long period of time as a dick to the fans AND have faked a change of heart to get heat on more than one occasion, chances are the crowd isn’t going to buy your attempts to get them to cheer for you. In these instances, you need something huge to happen to you in order to gain audience allegiance; something akin to…
2. Battle A Bigger Evil: So your character is a bit of a prick, eh? That’s okay. You just have to face an even bigger asshole that the crowd hates more than you. This is why del Rio is in a better place than Miz because of his feud with the bigoted Jack Swagger. Stone Cold Steve Austin made a career out of it by taking his frustrations out on the Corporation on a weekly basis, and he started his WWE career as a heel. In fact, that leads to my next point…
3. Become An Anti-Hero: Speak your mind, but take your frustrations out on your opponent, not the crowd. The only warning here is to not brutalize the most beloved characters on the roster, lest you incite fan backlash (a decent beating or random finisher is still acceptable). Austin is a great example of this, as well as Randy Orton. Transitioning to a face is much easier if you’re anti-establishment more-so than anti-babyface, as the crowd will be more receptive to your actions and words.
4. Have Natural Athletic Ability: A good wrestling fan appreciates the athletic nature of the sport. If you’re lucky enough to be gifted with the ability to “go” in the ring and put on a great show, the fanbase will be drawn to you no matter what side of the fence you’re on. Del Rio is great in this area, and being a face allows him to showcase it more. The same can be said about Chris Jericho, who can turn on a dime and be no worse for wear
5. Don’t Rush Into Things: The biggest faux pas of any turn is when it happens out of the blue. Such is the case with Miz and del Rio, who were reviled up until a couple of months ago. Their behavior changed without any real warning and caused more than a few head scratches before they settled into their new roles. Turns need to be slow and steady so that the logic of the turn is revealed to the audience before it happens; otherwise it comes off as tacky and unrealistic.
6. Charisma Goes A Long Way: Remember a guy named Rocky Maivia? The WWE tried to cram his “blue chipper” gimmick down our throats and we turned on him. Did he slink off to Parts Unknown? Nope. He was reinvented as the egotistical Rock to complement the boos he had been receiving for weeks. But something happened along the way…The Rock showed the world that he had the “It Factor”; a form of charisma that you either have or you don’t, and no amount of training can help. The fans warmed to his promos and catch phrases and fully embraced him after he lost the WWE Championship to Austin at Wrestlemania XV, DESPITE the swerve at Survivor Series 1998.
7. Disappear For A While: When all else fails, go out on an injury angle for a couple of months. Return to make a shocking save for a guy you feuded with before you went on sabbatical and start fresh. Or you could just stick with what you know and remain a perpetual heel; nothing wrong with that.
The Miz isn’t working as a face because he appears to have failed at each of the above steps. He seems to be going for a mix of anti-hero/sympathetic crowd-pleaser, which certainly doesn’t come off well on television. He tried to get approval during his battles with Antonio Cesaro, but his reactions were mixed. He tried to gain support from association with Ric Flair, but his Figure Fucked-Up only enhanced his appearance as a pandering tool. As for del Rio: should he successfully defend the title against Swagger, he has a great chance of becoming a bona fide babyface main eventer.
Just as long as he stays away from the John Cena poop jokes.
So long, and thanks for all the fish.
