The current RAW Women’s Champion has flourished as a lead heel, but a shift to the light side could freshen up her character.
Since her call-up in the summer of 2016, Alexa Bliss has enjoyed a great deal of success on RAW and SmackDown Live. While still a work-in-progress in the ring (though she’s lightyears better than she was in NXT), Bliss has used her impressive character work to ascend to the top of both divisions, becoming the first wrestler to win the SmackDown and RAW Women’s Championships.
Since Survivor Series, however, Bliss has drifted from WWE‘s creative consciousness. Much of the blame falls at the feet of the bookers, as they haven’t given “The Goddess” much to do since her champion vs. champion match with Charlotte Flair last November. The introduction of the Absolution faction and the debut of Ronda Rouseyhave pushed the RAW Women’s Champion into the background over the last couple of months. She’s also run out of things to do as a heel.
Bliss has gone as far as she can with her “Mean Girls” inspired character while feuding with all three of RAW’s top female babyfaces. It’s time to give Bliss a fresh coat of paint with a babyface turn.
What’s left as a heel, and what awaits as a face
WWE has spent the last two years burning through babyface opponents for Bliss. Since unseating Becky Lynch as SmackDown Women’s Champion, Bliss has tangled with Naomi (who beat her for the SmackDown title twice before Bliss moved to RAW), Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Mickie James. As far as those last three opponents go, Bliss beat all of them clean in their respective feud-ending title matches. Heck, she beat James with a punch in their last championship bout. Barring some NXT call-ups or another Superstar Shakeup, there aren’t many fresh feuds left for Bliss as a villain.
Of course, the list of heel opponents, should Bliss turn, isn’t as tantalizing. As an antagonist, Bliss often matched up against better, more seasoned workers. Bayley, Banks, Lynch, and James were able to mask Bliss’ limitations and carry her to decent-to-good matches. Bliss often held up her end, but it was clear that her opponents did most of the heavy lifting. If Bliss turns face, she would have to work opposite the likes of Nia Jax, Sonya Deville, Mandy Rose, and Alicia Fox. Jax, Deville, and Rose are all greener in the ring than Bliss, while Fox is long past the point of anyone taking her seriously as a contender.
However, WWE could realign the roster up to accommodate a babyface Bliss. They could give the fans that Banks heel turn they’ve been clamoring for, setting up a potential new wrinkle in an old feud. They could also move someone like Natalya over to RAW to feud with Bliss after WrestleMania to create fresh matches. WWE could do a number of things. Anything would be better than booking Bliss to pin Bayley or James clean for the umpteenth time.
Freshening the act
Bliss hasn’t performed as a babyface since her early days in NXT as a goody-two-shoes, fairy princess fan-favorite. This didn’t last long, as she soon aligned herself with then-NXT Tag Team Champions Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy and has been a rule-breaker ever since.
Obviously, Bliss wouldn’t bust out the blue tutu or the pixie dust if she turned face again. Her original gimmick belongs in the Full Sail University back closet along with Becky Lynch’s Riverdancing and Adam Rose’s party bus.
She would have to abandon that “Goddess” nickname, though. The moniker always sounded silly, but it at least somewhat fit her overconfident, braggadocious persona. It wouldn’t work as well if Bliss became a babyface. She would also have to tweak some subtle aspects of her act. That includes adjusting her promo delivery, in-ring style, and some of her facial expressions. It would take an adjustment, but I think Bliss can pull it off.
Could this work?
Bliss should excel as a babyface who fights from underneath as her wrestling improves. Her character work, by far her best attribute, will probably come along faster. Of course, I realize that WWE might not turn her at all.
Based on the last two weeks of RAW, all signs point to Bliss aligning with Absolution and filling Paige’s old role as the leader. If you paid close attention, Deville and Rose never attacked Bliss at the end of last Monday’s show. The same thing happened the previous week as well. WWE will likely pull the trigger on this at Elimination Chamber, but I really hope they don’t.
Slotting Bliss in Paige’s old spot reeks of unoriginality. It also wouldn’t make much sense, but a lack of logic has never stopped WWE before. I also understand the allure of wanting to keep Bliss in a role she has flourished in for the last couple of years.
Bliss is a great heel; she’s probably better as a heel than as a babyface. However, many talented wrestlers have enjoyed great success as a face despite harboring natural heel traits, from Steve Austin to C.M. Punk. If given the chance, Bliss can also thrive as a centerpiece protagonist. She at least deserves the chance to try.
