Quick Takes: Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar, AEW's Cody Rhodes Turning Heel, More

With another eventful and exciting week of wrestling in the books, WWE and All Elite Wrestling fans have a fun final few months of 2021 to look forward to.

Thursday's Crown Jewel event exceeded all expectations and was easily the strongest show WWE has produced in Saudi Arabia to date. The Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar main event delivered in spades and left fans wanting to see a rematch.

Where and when that marquee contest will be held remains to be seen, but it's safe to say their rivalry is far from over.

The same may not be true for AEW's Cody Rhodes and Malakai Black, who finally appear to be moving on from their feud, with Rhodes beating Black on Saturday's Dynamite. That's despite the overwhelmingly negative reaction for Rhodes from the audience.

It will be interesting to see what the immediate future holds for Rhodes, as well as Jon Moxley as he heads into the AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament. Based on his upcoming opponents, it's possible he could—and arguably should—be on course to turn heel as well.

This installment of Quick Takes will tackle Moxley's possible character change, the championship exchange that ended SmackDown, Xavier Woods winning King of the Ring and more.

The Boos for Cody Rhodes Won't Go Away Until He Turns Heel

It's incredible to think how much of a difference two years can make.

Around the time of AEW Dynamite's debut in 2019, Cody Rhodes was one of the most beloved babyfaces in the company. He was doing some of the best mic work of his career and having stellar matches with a variety of top talent, all while being cheered wildly by the AEW faithful.

Somewhere along the way, he lost that fan support and now finds himself getting booed out of most buildings.

The trend seemed to start at the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite in New York City at the end of September when he lost to Malakai Black. The reaction he received on the most recent Dynamite for his rematch with Black was even more negative and sent the message that a heel turn is the only answer to his character's recent woes.

Although Rhodes has been adamant that there's a lot that would need to change if he went heel and that's why he wouldn't be interested in it, his character will continue to suffer until he does. It's clear AEW fans aren't going to embrace him again until either his booking drastically improves or he reverts to his roots as a heel.

He's proved to be a natural bad guy in the past and has no issue getting under the audience's skin. If he assumes those boos will gradually turn to cheers for no reason, he needs to think again.

Title Exchange Segment Illustrates It's Time for Fresh Faces in Women's Division

It can't get much lazier than WWE advertising a title exchange would take place on Friday's SmackDown.

The company pulled something similar a year ago with The Street Profits and The New Day when the tag team champions for both brands had to switch belts. Street Profits and New Day simply traded titles as if there were Pokemon cards, and it was expected that Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair would follow suit this year.

Sure enough, it was the segment that ended the evening, and virtually everything about it was abysmal, including the awkward tension between the two. Putting aside the apparent drama that reportedly unfolded backstage afterward, the exchange itself and Sasha Banks being the one to interrupt illustrated that it's high time WWE focused on fresh faces in the women's divisions for Raw and SmackDown.

The Four Horsewomen will always have a place on the shows, but it's not necessary for them to occupy the spotlight at all times. Three of SmackDown's most promising female prospects (Shayna Baszler, Toni Storm and Shotzi) could have easily been inserted into Banks' spot, and it would have made the segment slightly more serviceable.

Bianca Belair is a shining example of someone who can get over with the right booking, meaning it can be done with other women as well. Survivor Series will likely see Flair and Lynch go one-on-one in a battle for brand supremacy, but beyond that, women's wrestling in WWE should rely a little less on who's already established and more on those who have the most potential.

Jon Moxley Will Be 1 to Watch Throughout AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament

Cody Rhodes' friction with the AEW fanbase over the past month has been well-documented, and all signs point to him hopefully turning heel sooner rather than later. What hasn't been talked about enough is that Jon Moxley could be headed for a heel turn as well.

It's been a weird year for Moxley, who has been directionless since his feud with Kenny Omega over the AEW World Championship ended. He's bounced around from contending for the AEW World Tag Team Championship to losing the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship to pursuing the world title once again.

He'll face Preston "10" Vance in the first round of the AEW World Championship Eliminator tournament on the forthcoming edition of Dynamite. It's interesting to note that, should he progress, he will be paired off with a babyface in the semifinals as well (that being Orange Cassidy) and potentially Bryan Danielson in the final.

It's safe to assume that was done by design to further plant the seeds of a character shift for him, with all of the losses causing him to reach his breaking point. Even if that weren't intentional, it could still be the endgame for him.

If and when he loses in the tourney, there's not much more for him to do. Going heel and targeting a popular babyface such as Danielson, Adam Page or CM Punk would be an ideal way for him to bounce back.

Xavier Woods Must Use King of the Ring Win as Stepping Stone to Midcard Title

It's only ever been about The New Day as a unit or Kofi Kingston and Big E as singles stars. It wasn't until recently that Xavier Woods received a groundswell of support from fans during his pursuit of the King of the Ring crown.

WWE not only put him in the historic tournament but had him win the whole thing to the surprise and excitement of the WWE Universe. Seeing as how becoming King of the Ring has been a lifelong dream for Woods, his victory at Crown Jewel made for a memorable moment, to say the least.

Now that WWE has given him and fans what they wanted, it's likely he will be soon relegated back to the tag team ranks with Kofi Kingston. However, the promotion should attempt to have him ride this wave of momentum for as long as possible to get as much as it possibly can out of it.

The King of the Ring gimmick arguably hasn't elevated anyone since King Booker in 2006. Woods doesn't need to be world champion for his King of the Ring win to feel worthwhile, but there's nothing wrong with him capturing the Intercontinental Championship instead.

It must be acknowledged that Woods has beaten multiple former world champions in singles competition this year. He's too talented to be overlooked any longer, and with Kingston by his side, the pair can provide a breath of fresh air as an entertaining midcard act.

Reigns vs. Lesnar May End Up Being the WrestleMania Main Event Again

Although Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar has undoubtedly been done to death over the years, their feud has never felt fresher than it does right now. Both men have thrived with the roles reversed, so there's no way Crown Jewel marked the end of their rivalry.

The follow-up on Friday's SmackDown was fantastic, with Lesnar creating chaos and laying out everyone in sight, including Reigns. Adam Pearce "suspending" Lesnar is WWE's way of writing him out of storylines until he's ready to return on the Road to WrestleMania.

The WWE Day 1 pay-per-view on January 1 is a possibility, but it's more likely they will clash again for the Universal Championship at either the Royal Rumble or WrestleMania 38. Of the two, 'Mania may be the more intriguing option with how hot Lesnar is, but anything can change between now and then, and the story may have run its course by that point.

If not Lesnar, Drew McIntyre would make the most sense to be the one to dethrone Reigns as champ. Unfortunately, there's a chance of McIntyre getting booed against Reigns, whereas Lesnar probably wouldn't have that same problem.

Everything that went down with them at Crown Jewel and on SmackDown indicated that there's money in the rematch and that it needs to take place on an appropriately big stage. Of course, that would mean Lesnar and Reigns having to headline WrestleMania for a third time, but it's worth waiting for because of how excellent the angle between them was Friday night.

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.