Bring in Punk as a Face/Heel?

[Ohtimate Wahriah]

I’m watching wrestletalk and they brought up something I thought would be a good discussion point.

If you were in charge, do you bring in Punk as a heel or a baby face?

I think it would be best to bring him in as a heel and here’s why. The only thing I wouldn’t want to deprive the fans of, is that comeback pop. As soon as his music hits, he’s gonna get that pop regardless, nobody will really know if he’s face or heel during an entrance unless he starts flipping birds to the crowd on the way down to the ring haha.

Once that initial newness wears off, I see the fans turning on him QUICK. If I was AEW, I’d just play up the fact that he thinks he’s better than wrestling, I’m only here because wrestling needs me, look at all the money they paid me just to show up. I’d go full board heel, let the fans mock him for the UFC, it’s gonna happen anyway, lean into it an allow Punk to fight back on it.

What do you guys say though?

[hitmancmedge]

He has to be a face to start and if you wanna switch him 4-6 months after fine, but he is gonna get that welcome back pop in every city the first few months. No need to go against the grain.

[cordless2016]

Gotta be face, or tweener at the very least. Fans will absolutely not boo him during his initial return.

[rkmo: Everyone Else but Me]

I keep hearing how just because some new A+ names (may be) coming in means Omega has to keep the belt until he goes thru everyone else before circling back around to Hangman. But why can't Punk face down Page right after his huge win and get that crescendo? Why can't the Dragon of America hang out a bit before challenging the BEST CHAMP and the TNT Title? Especially for a company that has shown it doesn't have to tow the traditional face/heel dynamic.

[BaLoR RoLLiNS]

Funny how Punk and Danielson are rumored to AEW that Christian has become a big after thought

[Ohtimate Wahriah]

Jul 30, 2021 10:58:48 GMT -5 cordless2016 said:

Gotta be face, or tweener at the very least. Fans will absolutely not boo him during his initial return.

I figure they won’t boo him initially, but I really feel it won’t be long until he is. Turning him heel right off the bat keeps everything off balance and it gives him a tool to fight back once they inevitable do turn on him. I say get ahead of it, deprive everyone of that love fest and do something different. Like I said, the pop is gonna be insane anyway when he come out, it’s gonna be all downhill from there. Why even give fans the chance to turn, have him turn on them first.

[hitmancmedge]

Jul 30, 2021 14:51:51 GMT -5 Ohtimate Wahriah said:

Jul 30, 2021 10:58:48 GMT -5 cordless2016 said:

Gotta be face, or tweener at the very least. Fans will absolutely not boo him during his initial return.

I figure they won’t boo him initially, but I really feel it won’t be long until he is. Turning him heel right off the bat keeps everything off balance and it gives him a tool to fight back once they inevitable do turn on him. I say get ahead of it, deprive everyone of that love fest and do something different. Like I said, the pop is gonna be insane anyway when he come out, it’s gonna be all downhill from there. Why even give fans the chance to turn, have him turn on them first.

You leave too much money on the table doing that. Face, heel, face is the way to go with him.

You also potentially damage other baby faces turning him too early.

[Ohtimate Wahriah]

Jul 30, 2021 14:54:57 GMT -5 hitmancmedge said:

Jul 30, 2021 14:51:51 GMT -5 Ohtimate Wahriah said:

I figure they won’t boo him initially, but I really feel it won’t be long until he is. Turning him heel right off the bat keeps everything off balance and it gives him a tool to fight back once they inevitable do turn on him. I say get ahead of it, deprive everyone of that love fest and do something different. Like I said, the pop is gonna be insane anyway when he come out, it’s gonna be all downhill from there. Why even give fans the chance to turn, have him turn on them first.

You leave too much money on the table doing that. Face, heel, face is the way to go with him.

You also potentially damage other baby faces turning him too early.

But like, here’s the thing. Are wrestling fans NOT gonna buy a t shirt if Punk is heel? He’ll be more over as a heel than a baby face haha, wrestling fans don’t care. Heel and baby face just comes down to as a baby face the fans can boo me and I have to take it, and as a heel when they boo me I can tell them to stick it which makes them cheer.

But honestly, the same fans are gonna buy tickets to the show, and the same fans are gonna buy his t shirts and action figures. All it really changes for me is his character staying fresh.

The fans will turn on him, it won’t even be a month and you’ll hear boo’s. That’s how wrestling fans are.

[K5]

tweener, but he’ll be received as a mega face either way

[Ohtimate Wahriah]

Jul 30, 2021 16:39:10 GMT -5 K5 said:

tweener, but he’ll be received as a mega face either way

I would love to have that kind of faith in wrestling fans haha, we turn on EVERYONE. It took us what, a few weeks to turn on The Rock in 2011? SMH…

[Deleted]

I’d say face with a heel turn really soon. He’s a really good baby face but an incredible heel

[Yambag Jones]

Face. He’d have to do something REALLY heinous to get the crowd to boo.

The AEW crowd loves AEW and boo/cheer who they’re supposed to. Who knows.

[Ohtimate Wahriah]

Jul 30, 2021 20:08:24 GMT -5 @whathefreak said:

I’d say face with a heel turn really soon. He’s a really good baby face but an incredible heel

I think he can channel that ROH heel, especially seeing as in recent interviews he’s got his longer hair like he did when he was in ROH/ WWE debut. I think we’re gonna get vintage heel Punk. I can smell it 😋

[Ohtimate Wahriah]

Jul 30, 2021 21:40:35 GMT -5 Yambag Jones said:

Face. He’d have to do something REALLY heinous to get the crowd to boo.

The AEW crowd loves AEW and boo/cheer who they’re supposed to. Who knows.

What the hell did Cody do wrong!? The man can’t even wrestle for the belt haha

[Deleted]

Babyface at first, but not for long before he turns heel

[Deleted]

Jul 31, 2021 2:27:31 GMT -5 Ohtimate Wahriah said:

Jul 30, 2021 20:08:24 GMT -5 @whathefreak said:

I’d say face with a heel turn really soon. He’s a really good baby face but an incredible heel

I think he can channel that ROH heel, especially seeing as in recent interviews he’s got his longer hair like he did when he was in ROH/ WWE debut. I think we’re gonna get vintage heel Punk. I can smell it 😋

I would pop if he wore the old yellow shorts for one night

[Deleted]

Jul 30, 2021 21:40:35 GMT -5 Yambag Jones said:

Face. He’d have to do something REALLY heinous to get the crowd to boo.

The AEW crowd loves AEW and boo/cheer who they’re supposed to. Who knows.

Yeah I would think the only way he’d be booed is if he did something to Darby, Orange, or Hangman honestly. Those are the only people I see getting cheered against him, and probably Mox too.

[Ohtimate Wahriah]

Jul 31, 2021 6:20:33 GMT -5 @whathefreak said:

Jul 31, 2021 2:27:31 GMT -5 Ohtimate Wahriah said:

I think he can channel that ROH heel, especially seeing as in recent interviews he’s got his longer hair like he did when he was in ROH/ WWE debut. I think we’re gonna get vintage heel Punk. I can smell it 😋

I would pop if he wore the old yellow shorts for one night

As long as he doesn’t put any sponsors on them because that might remind people of his successful MMA career 😋. j/k

I can actually see him doing that though because he said when he was in WWE that he wanted to put sponsors on his shorts but they wouldn’t let him

[OTC Waxbender]

Heel would be my go to. It worked so well for The Rock, HHH and Jericho. All good talkers and cocky like Punk.

[The Real Valbroski]

Jul 30, 2021 13:23:41 GMT -5 BaLoR RoLLiNS said:

Funny how Punk and Danielson are rumored to AEW that Christian has become a big after thought

With all due respect to Christian, I don't think that's surprising at all. The same can be said about Mark Henry, Big Show and even Sting to an extent.