The Time Is Now to Turn Kevin Owens into a Babyface on WWE Raw

Kevin Owens is one of the most popular Superstars working for WWE today, but since he has worked as a heel from the night he debuted in NXT and turned on Sami Zayn, he often gets a split reaction from the crowd.

There is nothing wrong with a heel being cheered. In fact, were it not for the fans reacting the way they have, Braun Strowman would still be a bad guy instead of the antihero he has become. 

Owens still gets heat when he insults the crowd in whatever city WWE happens to be in at the time, but as soon as he says something funny, everyone cheers.

His natural sense of humor has made KO into one of the most entertaining Superstars, and his skill in the ring has kept him in major storylines for the entirety of his run on the main roster.

The way the WWE Universe reacts to him isn't a problem as it is with Roman Reigns, but the company should capitalize on Owens' popularity by turning him into someone we can be proud of.

Entertainment Value

When a heel starts to get laughs during their promos instead of the boos management would prefer, the best option is usually turning them into a babyface.

The Rock is the best example of someone who went from getting nuclear heat to the biggest pops every night because his promos and interviews were always so much fun to watch.

The way he verbally owned everyone who stepped up against him was something special to watch at the time, and he is still considered to be the benchmark for success by most of the industry.

Owens may not have the height, physique and movie-star jawline of Dwayne Johnson, but nobody can deny he is just as funny as The Great One, and possibly even funnier.

What makes The Prizefighter so good is his ability to improvise. He doesn't rely on a bunch of goofy catchphrases or using curse words for shock value. His humor comes from his facial expressions, creative insults and the random things he says to his opponents in the middle of matches.

Just look at his recent encounter with Shania Twain. Owens was onstage with one of the greatest entertainers in her genre, and he had the entire arena in the palm of his hand.

The interaction may have been set up ahead of time due to Owens pestering her to play his favorite song on Twitter for several weeks leading up to the concert, but the way he worked the crowd was perfect.

KO wouldn't have to change much about his character to turn face. All he would have to do is direct his insults at villains instead of good guys and stop mocking every town he visits.

Being a Role Model

There is another great reason to turn Owens babyface that has nothing to do with his skill or ability to make people laugh, and unfortunately, it has to do with his physique.

WWE likes to tout its anti-bullying campaigns and charity work, and nobody will fault the company for it because it does a lot of good for many different causes.

The problem with this is the hypocrisy of Superstars who are supposed to be good guys mocking Owens for his weight on a regular basis.

Reigns has made jokes about KO's weight on several occasions, and we saw it again on Monday when Braun Strowman described him as "a guy who looks like he had a bowling ball under his shirt."

Using Owens' status as a heel to justify ridiculing his weight is a weak excuse to body-shame him, but it won't be addressed too often because there has always been a "Let's all laugh at the fat guy" mentality in the entertainment industry.

Owens could become a great role model for body-positive thinking, especially because he is actually athletic enough to keep up with anyone in the ring to produce an incredible performance.

How many times has he stolen the show against a guy who looks like he has been chiseled from granite? John Cena, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor and AJ Styles all pride themselves on their physical appearance, and KO has had great matches with all of them.

He is living proof you can be healthy, athletic and successful without having to look like a bodybuilder, but it would be hard to get that message across effectively if he is still a heel.

He's Just a Likable Guy

The introduction of social media has allowed fans to connect with pro wrestlers in a completely different way than we could even as recently as 10 years ago.

The former WWE champion does a good job maintaining his villainous character on Twitter, but he also uses it to post regularly about his life outside the ring like everyone else.

He talks about how much he loves his family, compliments other wrestlers who don't even work for WWE and shares his love for Twain's music. He got the chance to share the stage with her recently, but she refused to play his favorite song for him until he defeated Strowman.

"

My wife is incredible! I’m so lucky to have her. She got us tickets because she knows how much I like @ShaniaTwain’s music and I had never been able to see her in concert before and somehow, this happened. We had a great night!

Oh, Shania...I’ll see you #When I beat Strowman. pic.twitter.com/evAWbqhPcJ

— Kevin Owens (@FightOwensFight) June 27, 2018"

"

Juice Robinson, best promo in wrestling.

— Kevin Owens (@FightOwensFight) June 20, 2018"

Then there's his reputation. Owens is a class act outside the ring and a great ambassador for the company. We never hear stories about him causing a scene backstage, no-showing events or getting into physical altercations with other wrestlers and fans.

It's hard to boo someone you have come to respect as a human being apart from their character, especially when that person is clearly as big a fan of the business as the rest of us.

The Perfect Opportunity For a Double Turn

Owens has recently entered into a feud with Strowman, and they appear to be on a collision course leading to Extreme Rules on July 15.

The Monster Among Men has become one of the most beloved characters in all of WWE, but due to his size and strength, WWE can only keep him as a babyface for so long.

It's fun to watch him bulldoze through everyone in his path, but how long can someone who is nearly unbeatable be seen as the hero? At a certain point, every Goliath needs to be slain by a David. 

Following their tag team match on Raw, Owens offered Strowman a handshake out of respect. This is not something he has been shown to do on a regular basis, so it was a big deal.

Instead of celebrating their victory, Strowman chased him to the back while Owens acted like he just wanted to be his friend. Maybe he was trying to form an alliance out of fear, but he was still making an effort.

When he eventually got to the parking lot, Strowman had already flipped over his rental car and caused a small fire. Owens looked dejected as The Monster Among Men laughed and walked away.

Who is the bad guy in this scenario? The one who offered a handshake or the one who flipped over a car for no reason other than wanting to? 

It has been a long time since WWE pulled off a double turn, but it may have inadvertently stumbled into the perfect opportunity to do one with these two competitors.

If the next few weeks of Raw are written the right way, WWE could make this happen as early as Extreme Rules. 

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What do you think? Is it time for Owens to become a babyface?