Last week, Bianca Belair made her big return on Smackdown and though the former WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion was massively cheered, not everyone was excited for Belair’s return. The most interesting aspect is that well-known WWE fan O’Shea Jackson (Straight Outta Compton, Cocaine Bear) posed the question: “Why do y’all hate this woman man?”

The responses were varied, but the overall consensus was that Belair’s character was stale. It’s been notable since WrestleMania that fans were souring on the former Smackdown Champion. Is it time to pull the trigger on the former WWE Women’s Champion and turn her heel?

‍

Bianca Belair’s Time On The Main Roster

Ever since Bianca Belair made her debut at WrestleMania 2020, her character has practically been the same. Belair has been a much-needed fresh air to the women’s division as she added depth and dimension that the roster was missing. Her raw strength and athleticism were an impressive feat for the Tennessee native, but her characterization was one-dimensional.

It was amazing when she became the first Black woman to win the Royal Rumble. It was even better when she main evented WrestleMania 37 against Sasha Banks. Bianca Belair dropping the belt to Becky Lynch so quickly had a few plot holes, but it was a nice way to challenge her character on the way back up the mountain.

But Bianca Belair never really changed following that loss. It only got worse when she won the belt. There’s not a single feud that Belair had during her title reign where her character was truly pushed into a new direction. Belair proved that she was a gifted athlete because she consistently had great matches with various opponents. But she ventured into John Cena territory where she continuously overcame the odds.

Bianca Belair was perfect. Unfortunately, perfect characters are extremely boring. Bianca Belair consistently overcoming the odds never gave her any new depth that would push the former WWE Women’s Champion in a new direction. Plus, it didn’t particularly help that WWE never gave Belair a feud that fans could sink their teeth into. Bianca Belair is becoming the female version of John Cena, and that’s not a good thing. 

‍

Bianca Belair Is A Great Heel

Bianca Belair was an excellent heel. Her character work in NXT made her stand out as something special. Bianca has a certain swagger and confidence that translates well as a heel. Plus, that hair whip was a unique heel move that made her one of a kind.

Bianca Belair has proven to be a great heel. She comes across better as a heel. It took a while for the former WWE Women’s Champion to find her groove as a babyface, especially on the mic. The big difference between NXT and the main roster was that her character had different layers that helped bring out her true personality. Belair had power and strength on her side, but she wasn’t against breaking the rules to get the win. 

Her character had the “win by any means” mantra, which made her such a big heel because Belair was undefeated at one point. It forced the babyfaces to try and shift tactics when it comes to fighting the WWE star and added a layer that wasn’t there previously. Heels can be strong and unstoppable because it’s an objective that the babyface must go through to reach their goals. However, if a baby face is too powerful, there’s nothing to overcome and achieve, thus making for a stale character who doesn’t grow throughout their journey. 

‍

Should Belair Turn Heel?

The former WWE Women’s Champion has done all she could as a babyface. Her only fresh opponent is Rhea Ripley, but the WWE Women’s World Champion is on RAW. There are ways to tinker with Belair’s character without turning her heel. But with the lack of fresh stories to tell as a babyface, the Smackdown star would be better served turning heel. 

Since WWE has struggled to give Charlotte Flair anything meaningful outside of a title program, Flair and Belair can have a high-profile feud while Iyo Sky dominates the title picture. Hell, Asuka isn’t doing much on Smackdown, so a double turn can take place as the former champions fight. There are plenty of fresh stories to tell with Belair going heel.

The company might be hesitant as it’s hard to ignore the massive cheers she received for her return. However, Roman Reigns and The Bloodline have proven that heels can still be a huge draw in modern times. If Belair continues to stay the overpowered Babyface then fans will slowly turn on her as a performer. Characters need to grow and evolve to stay relevant. 

Heel turns had done wonders for names like The Rock, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, and of course, Roman Reigns. Allowing the audience to see a different side of Bianca Belair would be beneficial for not just her, but any woman she feuds with. 

‍