Over the years, many top babyfaces have benefited from embracing their dark side on TV. The list includes legends like Hulk Hogan, Roman Reigns, and Shawn Michaels, among others. In recent weeks, the Triple H-led creative team has teased the heel turn of numerous wrestlers. In this article, we will look at four wrestlers who are on the verge of a heel turn.

#4. Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn was white hot as a babyface after his exit from The Bloodline in 2023. He experienced massive success as a fan favorite wrestler in the past couple of years, winning the Intercontinental, Undisputed WWE Tag Team, and United States Championships. However, his time as a face has arguably run its course.

Earlier this year, Zayn started teasing a heel turn, lashing out at his friends backstage at SmackDown. On the Road to WrestleMania 42, The Master Strategist shockingly defeated Carmelo Hayes for the United States Championship, drawing adverse reactions from the audience.

Many fans wanted to see Hayes square off against Trick Williams for the gold at The Show of Shows. They felt Zayn stole Melo’s spot at the annual two-night spectacle.

While Zayn put over Williams at WrestleMania, he has been generating loud boos from the audience in almost every arena. Moreover, WWE has also hinted that The Master Strategist is gradually losing patience and could snap at any moment.

At Backlash 2026, Sami Zayn lost his United States Championship rematch to Williams. Fans were expecting a double turn at the end of the contest, but it didn’t happen. However, The Master Strategist could still adopt a villainous character in the coming weeks.

Zayn desperately needs to turn heel to remain relevant. His character seems frustrated after suffering countless setbacks in recent months. Moreover, he requires an edgier gimmick before he potentially pursues the world title again. A heel turn could quickly position him as a major contender for the gold on the blue brand.

#3. Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso

Jey Uso spent the past couple of years establishing himself as a main event singles wrestler. At one point, fans were firmly behind him and loved yeeting during his entrances. He won the 2025 Men’s Royal Rumble Match and even defeated Gunther to win the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 41.

However, things quickly started going downhill for The Yeet Master following his title win. Many fans were not pleased with the way Jey bested The Ring General at ‘Mania. Moreover, his lackluster in-ring performances drew significant criticism from viewers.

Jey remained in the world title scene until November last year, but fans seemingly grew tired of his over-the-top character. The former WWE champion started teasing a heel turn after losing to CM Punk at Saturday Night’s Main Event, but the creative team has yet to pull the trigger on the move.

At the end of 2025, Jey reunited with Jimmy Uso to re-form The Usos. They won the World Tag Team Championship from AJ Styles and Dragon Lee, but their title reign arguably fell flat.

The Usos are now back in The Bloodline with no major creative direction of their own. However, Jey has continued to showcase his ruthless side, often disobeying Reigns and Jimmy. It seems like WWE has not given up on his much-awaited heel turn.

Jey could turn heel in the coming months, possibly as part of the Roman Reigns-Jacob Fatu saga. He could backstab the OTC in favor of The Samoan Werewolf. Otherwise, he could betray Jimmy to embark on another singles run, this time as a villain.

#2. Original El Grande Americano (Chad Gable)

Original El Grande Americano, portrayed by Chad Gable, was originally a heel character on WWE programming. However, he has seemingly been a babyface since his return from injury in January 2026.

In Gable’s absence, Ludwig Kaiser adopted the Americano gimmick and took it to new heights. Hence, the two have been feuding for months. They will lock horns in a Mask vs. Mask Match soon to decide the fate of the character.

El Grande Americano has gained immense popularity in WWE’s sister promotion, Lucha Libre AAA. He is currently the top babyface in Mexico, with fans firmly behind him in his rivalry against the OG Americano.

Many expect El Grande to defeat the OG Americano in the Mask vs. Mask Match. This would allow Chad Gable to return to WWE TV as himself. Given Kaiser’s ever-growing popularity as El Grande Americano, he will likely remain a babyface for a long time to come.

Gable, who has experienced a lot of success as a heel in the past, could adopt a villainous gimmick again. He already has American Made by his side, which could allow him to dominate RAW as a heel group’s leader.

#1. Maxxine Dupri

Maxxine Dupri arguably had the best year of her WWE career in 2025. She worked hard on her in-ring skills and impressed several viewers with her performances. Dupri was also involved in a lengthy program with Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch.

The Alpha Academy member won the Women’s Intercontinental Championship from The Man in November. However, Lynch regained the title in January 2026. After the program concluded, Dupri’s former mentor, Nattie, betrayed her. This led to a heated rivalry between the duo.

The feud between The Queen of Harts and Maxxine Dupri arguably failed to impress viewers. Nattie ultimately bested her former mentee on an episode of RAW in March 2026. Since then, Dupri has been directionless on the red brand.

Dupri was spotted chatting with The Vision’s Austin Theory in backstage segments on recent episodes of RAW. This past Monday, she was seen leaving the arena with Theory in The Vision’s SUV. The move subtly confirmed that the former champion is set to join the villainous faction.

Dupri is in need of a character change. Her budding alliance with The Vision could significantly elevate her career. Fans can expect her to officially join forces with the Bron Breakker-led stable in the coming weeks.

`;
if (index == 3 && isOpera) {
storyHTML += `

`;
}
recommendedArticlesContainer.innerHTML += storyHTML;
});
}
}
function getStoryActionHTML(story, storyTitle, permalink) {
if (shouldHidePostActions) return “”;
return `

`;
}
function recommendedArticles() {
var baseUrl = “https://cf-gotham.sportskeeda.com/recommendations/post/4-wwe-stars-verge-heel-turn?lang=en&category=wwe”;
pureJSAjaxGet(baseUrl, function(data) {
renderRecommendedArticles(data);
if (isOpera) {
renderOperaFeedAd();
}
}, function() {}, false);
}
var options = {
root: null,
rootMargin: “0px 0px 70% 0px”,
threshold: 0.1
};
var observer = new IntersectionObserver(function (entries) {
entries.forEach(function (entry) {
if (entry.isIntersecting) {
recommendedArticles();
observer.unobserve(entry.target);
}
});
}, options);
var targetElement;
if (showAlsoReadSection && !showAlsoReadSectionV2) {
targetElement = document.querySelector(‘.also-read-articles-container’);
} else {
targetElement = document.querySelector(‘.recommended-posts’);
}
if (targetElement) {
observer.observe(targetElement);
}
function renderOperaFeedAd() {
var operaFeedArticleAd = $(“.opera-article-feed-ad”);
if (!operaFeedArticleAd) {
return;
}
var firstScript= document.createElement(‘script’);
firstScript.setAttribute(“type”, “text/javascript”);
firstScript.setAttribute(“src”, “https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1883810847636355”);
firstScript.setAttribute(“async”, true);
firstScript.setAttribute(“crossorigin”, “anonymous”);
operaFeedArticleAd.appendChild(firstScript);
operaFeedArticleAd.innerHTML += `

`;
var secondScript = document.createElement(‘script’);
var secondScriptCode=””;
try {
secondScript.appendChild(document.createTextNode(secondScriptCode));
operaFeedArticleAd.appendChild(secondScript);
} catch (e) {
console.error(e);
}
}
})();

Fetching more content…