Defending WWE's Next Surprise Babyface Turns, Ric Flair's AEW Role, More Quick Takes

If the past week in WWE has been any indication, two big babyface turns appear to be imminent in the wake of Crown Jewel 2023.

Last Monday on Raw, seeds were planted for The Miz challenging Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship and undergoing a character change in the process. It's a drastic difference compared to what he's done in recent years, but it could prove to be the fresh coat of paint he's desperately needed for some time now.

The same can be said for Bayley, who could be on the outs with WWE Women's champion Iyo Sky following her reunion with Kairi Sane at Crown Jewel. The duo didn't embrace Bayley afterward, leaving fans to wonder whether Bayley returning to her roots as a crowd favorite is looming.

Fans have also been buzzing about the AEW arrival of Ric Flair with his signing being made official late last week. Although he promised to be by Sting's side until he calls it quits, The Nature Boy offers very little as an on-screen regular at this point.

This installment of Quick Takes will delve into Flair's worth to the promotion, why The Bloodline's involvement in WarGames at Survivor Series is imperative, and more.

How The Miz as a Babyface Can Actually Work This Time

The Miz is a natural heel and always has been. It's the role he has traditionally thrived in throughout his career, but he can also portray a believable babyface when needed.

In 2013 and 2019 respectively, WWE to turn Miz face but had limited success. The booking was to blame on both occasions as the audience had grown to respect and admire The Awesome One, specifically during the latter run.

That seems to be the direction they're headed in with him this time as well, and for as abysmal of a year as he's had on WWE TV, experimenting with him as a fan favorite again would actually be a refreshing change of pace.

Gunther has annihilated every opponent put in front of him for the last year and a half, but Miz has alluded him until now. A first-time-encounter between the two wouldn't be among Gunther's best title defenses, but a few wars of words with a talker as talented as Miz could help him improve in the promo department.

If the booking persists and the audience gets behind the 20-year veteran–and there's no reason to think they won't–his evolution gives viewers another angle to look forward to on Raw.

Could SmackDown's Women's Division Benefit From a Bayley Babyface Turn?

An intriguing wrinkle has been added to the WWE Women's Championship scene on SmackDown following Kairi Sane's surprise return at Crown Jewel.

Not only has The Pirate Princess returned to WWE for the first time in three years, she's also reunited with WWE Women's champ Iyo Sky, who she had ties to for a time in NXT.

Bayley putting Sane on the shelf prior to her exit from the promotion was acknowledged on commentary, and she was notably absent from their post-match embrace on Saturday. In other words, Damage CTRL being on the brink of collapse would be the best case scenario for all involved.

The blue brand already has a handful of top female faces including Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair and potentially Asuka, but Flair would be better off as a heel for a feud with Belair. Having her and Bayley swap roles would significantly shake up SmackDown's women's division.

It creates countless possibilities with Bayley having to fight her stablemate, returning to her roots as a face, and having to find allies to fight Sky's new group. A Mercedes Moné/Sasha Banks return at this stage is unlikely, but a reunion with Bayley shouldn't be completely out of the question, either.

AEW's Overreliance on Announcements Has Reached a New Low

AEW president Tony Khan has made many announcements in his time at the helm of the promotion, and a majority of them have delivered. As a lifelong wrestling fan himself, he's demonstrated he normally knows what's worth hyping up in advance, at least until Wednesday's Dynamite.

Some of AEW's recent announcements have arguably fallen flat, but the latest one reached a new low. Despite all of the buzz generated heading into last week's Dynamite, the announcement ended up All In-related in regards to when tickets for next year's installment went on sale.

Fan feedback to the announcement was not positive and understandably so. That edition of Dynamite was far from a strong show on the whole, but the discourse surrounding Khan's disappointing declaration managed to overshadow everything else.

If the goal was to do a higher rating than normal, that can be accomplished in other ways, including producing consistently quality television. Relying too heavily on "major announcements" will kill whatever credibility the product has with fans and make it more difficult for them to buy into the hype in the future.

Why The Bloodline Must Play a Pivotal Role in WarGames at Survivor Series

After months of speculation among fans, WarGames was officially revealed to be returning at Survivor Series during a Crown Jewel commercial. That likely indicates WWE will once again be building the event around two WarGames matches: one for the men and one for the women.

Something involving The Judgment Day looked to be in store for WarGames, but The Bloodline's dominance at Crown Jewel make them a better fit for the bout, similar to last year's WarGames main event.

That installment saw The Bloodline battle some of their biggest rivals, and while they've lost two members since then, incorporating members from Judgment Day to fill out the five-man team could work just as well.

The Bloodline have been massive thorns in the sides of LA Knight, Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn and others all year and it'd only be fitting if the faces got a measure of revenge. A returning Randy Orton would make for the perfect final member of the babyface squad, and if Rhodes is able to take part, it gets him one step closer to finishing the story at WrestleMania 40.

If The Bloodline don't play a pivotal part in WarGames, the match will not feel as special as it should.

AEW Has Nothing to Gain from Ric Flair Appearing in a Regular On-Screen Role

If the lackluster announcement wasn't underwhelming enough, fan criticism of AEW continued into Thursday with Ric Flair officially being deemed "All Elite" going forward as part of a partnership between the company and his new energy drink.

That's all his time in AEW should consist of and nothing more, but Flair signing a multi-year deal does send the message that he'll be around a lot more in the future and remaining involved on a bigger scale.

Simply put, AEW gains nothing from bringing in Flair for a regular on-screen role and wasting television time that could be afforded to others.

Flair wanting to ride with Sting until his final match in March is at least acceptable, but anything AEW has in mind for him beyond that will be unnecessary. A partnership with Andrade El Idolo (Charlotte Flair's husband) could have worked years ago, but AEW has enough managers as it is that are seldom seen.

As an ambassador, he'll be out of sight and out for mind for many, but from an on-air standpoint, he lacks value and is the latest misfire on a long list of Tony Khan's most questionable calls.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.