Imagining Heel and Face Turns for John Cena, Randy Orton and More Top WWE Stars
Picturing John Cena and Randy Orton switching sides requires two distinct levels of imagination.
Orton trading in his black hat for a white one is a feasible scenario, a way for WWE to balance out star power between the heels and faces on the roster. In Cena's case, a heel turn is something fans regularly discuss and long for despite its improbability.
Sheamus and Cesaro could both benefit from making opposite changes to their personae by way of a heroic act or merciless attack, respectively.
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The following is a look at how possible heel and face turns could unfold, feasibility varying with each one.
Sheamus
Heeldom is a natural fit for Sheamus. He is most compelling when he's vicious and relentless. Those are traits better suited for a villain.
Should WWE decide to have Sheamus cross over to the dark side, his United States Championship serves as an easy means to do so.
After Rusev defeats Big Show at Hell in a Cell, he can then challenge Sheamus for the U.S. title. Lana can talk about him wanting to win that belt in order to prove Russia's dominance. It's the next logical step for him after adding Big Show to his list of victims.
At Survivor Series, Rusev and Sheamus collide in a hard-hitting matchup that leaves both men heaving, bruised and reddened. Rusev wins that battle.
A frustrated Sheamus demands a rematch, which he gets on the following Raw. Sheamus controls much of the action this time, showing off an increased aggression in the process.
He falls just short of victory, though.
During a brawl outside of the ring, Sheamus leaps off the announce table with a flying shoulder block and Rusev dives out of the way. The Celtic Warrior tweaks his knee on the way down. He manages to stand up, but hobbles to the ring too late. The referee counts him out at 10.
Sheamus is furious that night and beyond. He demands another opportunity; Triple H denies him. The COO decides instead to book a Battle Royal to decide the No. 1 contender.
That's how Sheamus won the title initially, so he is excited about his chances. He outlasts every man in the field except Zack Ryder. Ryder has somehow managed to survive this long, eliminating men like Luke Harper with a bit of luck and guts.
Ryder ends his shocking run by pulling down the ropes as Sheamus charges at him. The powerhouse tumbles out of the ring, and Ryder celebrates inside it.
The great underdog story ends in a matter of seconds. Enraged, Sheamus rushes back into the ring and beats on Ryder. He flings him all around the ring area, leaving him out cold and needing a stretcher.
Failure pushes Sheamus to the edge, and he stays there, serving as a high-level heel for WWE in the months to come.
Cesaro
Cesaro's popularity would allow WWE to make him switch sides in a hurry.
With CM Punk gone and both Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns injured, there is a definite void in the babyface ranks. Having Cesaro turn would allow him to quickly climb the ladder and regain the momentum he had earlier in the year when he won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
Creating that change of heart could come by way of taking out one of WWE's most irritating presences: The Miz.
Cesaro and The Miz have teamed up a lot of late, both men pursuing Sheamus' and Dolph Ziggler's titles. After a match featuring Sheamus and Ziggler vs. Cesaro and The Miz ends, Ziggler and Cesaro can brawl near the entrance ramp while The Miz and Damien Sandow handcuff Sheamus to the ring ropes.
The Miz and his stunt double can grab Ziggler and do the same to him.
With both of their enemies vulnerable, The Miz and "Mizdow" then start pummeling and taunting both men. Cesaro stands by, unsure of what to do. He looks as if he wants to join at first, but then hesitates. The act is just too vile.
After struggling with his morality for all the world to see, Cesaro takes out both Miz and his crony. He uppercuts them both to the canvas before spinning each man around in the Cesaro Swing. He tosses the handcuff keys to Ziggler and Sheamus. The newly turned face joins Ziggler and Sheamus in chasing the villains from the ring.
The Showoff looks wary of his new ally, but Cesaro soon proves himself to be trustworthy over the next few weeks. He talks about not needing to resort to underhanded methods to win because he's the best wrestler on the planet.
Randy Orton
WWE is more likely to turn to Orton to alleviate the lack of top babyfaces, even if The Viper was born to play a heel the same way that Ricky Steamboat was born to play a face. He's the more proven commodity than Cesaro, and the story to get him to good-guy status is already half-written.
Orton has bristled at The Authority often recently.
He clearly resents being Triple H's henchman and having to put out the fires that Seth Rollins starts. That and the fact that he has still not received a one-on-one rematch for the WWE title as Triple H has promised him are the ideal catalysts to turn face.
Orton, Kane, Rollins and Triple H can all have Dean Ambrose cornered.
The COO barks at Orton to attack him. Orton hesitates. He shakes his head, causing Triple H's face to turn red.
Triple H yells at him, but Orton refuses to move. He tells The Game that he's tired of this routine. He's tired of not getting what he was promised.
The Game says that Orton will regret not following his orders, but The Viper is too far gone. He hits his boss with an RKO, tosses Rollins out of the ring and floors Kane as well. That leaves him and a beaten Ambrose face to face in the ring.
They stare at each other for a moment, but nobody moves to attack. Orton slips out of the ring.
He is back to being a lone wolf, promising to take out Brock Lesnar and get his title back.
John Cena
This is where imagination has to be at is strongest.
Despite how shocking and buzz-inducing the moment would be, the likelihood of Cena turning heel is fashion-model slim. He's just too valuable as a spokesman, merchandise-selling machine and hero to the kids in the crowd.
Still, one can't help but wonder what a Cena heel turn would look like, how that moment would stack up to Hulk Hogan joining The Outsiders.
WWE could use Cena's current frustration as the seeds that eventually blossom into a turn. Losing to Lesnar and then coming just short of beating him on the next go-round could have Cena start to become obsessed with the idea of being champion again.
Over the new few months, he can show signs of being more aggressive than usual, more focused and less inclined to make jokes.
Each time up, though, he fails. Perhaps he loses a No. 1 Contender's match or two. Maybe he goads Rollins into putting his Money in the Bank briefcase on the line in a match but loses.
Bryan could return to the ring just in time to win the Royal Rumble. Should Bryan not be ready in time, Roman Reigns is an alternate option.
Triple H is incensed that Bryan has a chance to become WWE champ again. He promises Bryan that he won't make it to WrestleMania. The COO puts out a bounty on Bryan, offering a title shot for whomever can put him back on the disabled list.
For weeks, several heels try their hands at taking Bryan out. The fan favorite survives each time.
Kane is one of the many men who ambushes Bryan. He clobbers him with a chair in the ring. Cena charges out, seemingly to save Bryan.
The Big Red Machine darts out of the ring to avoid the megastar. To everyone's surprise, Cena grabs the chair for himself and starts to throttle Bryan.
Hunger to become champion again has him to do the unthinkable and accept Triple H's offer. Attacking a guy as popular as Bryan, perhaps ruining his chances of regaining the title, only adds to the heat generated.
Cesaro ditching villainy or Sheamus turning on his fans are scenes that may play out. Cena's shift into darkness is as unlikely as CM Punk and Vince McMahon having a beer together. That won't stop fans from dreaming up scenarios of his heel turn happening.
It remains WWE's most compelling, unattainable fantasy.
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