Why Turning Heel Was The Best Thing For Paige

The night after WrestleMania XXX Paige made her debut on the main WWE roster and quickly made an impact. Quite a few fans already knew who she was from her work in NXT and the reaction she got was mostly positive. After tricking AJ Lee into a WWE Divas Championship defense on the spot, Paige made short work of AJ and claimed the title as her own. AJ then stepped away and left the weight of the WWE Divas division on the shoulders of Paige.

[youtube_sc url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUzV60cUH9I”]

In the weeks following her big victory Paige did a great job carrying the WWE Divas division and managed to put on some stellar matches. WWE showcased her the right way by having her compete on nearly every show in order to make sure the fans became familiar with the new WWE Divas Champion. Despite all of the hard work Paige was putting into her title reign, something just seemed off. Although it was easy to like Paige and admire her ability it became hard to care about her character, because really there wasn’t a character.

Gone are the days when a wrestler can come out and be all smiles, but no personality and just win the crowd over. The fans need a reason to care and they need a reason to become attached to a character. AJ Lee had mastered that type of psychology over the past year and whether the fans loved her or hated her they were clearly familiar with the character she had established. By the time AJ made her return a few weeks ago everyone was just so excited to see her that they couldn’t help but cheer. AJ played the heel so well that she’s now made it to a level where the fans respect her so much for her hard work it would be a challenge for her to get heat at this point.

[youtube_sc url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWEIICU5ukg”]

Now that AJ is done playing the heel, it’s Paige’s turn. Playing the bad guy worked wonders for AJ Lee’s career but like many have said, AJ Lee made the perfect Joker, all she needed was a Batman. AJ never really had someone who could be considered her equal from a character standpoint but Paige’s recent heel turn is nothing but good news for both of these women. AJ can continue to do what she does best and Paige can finally show the world who she really is.

This change of character gives Paige the opportunity to do what many WWE Divas have failed to do over the past few years and that is create a legacy for herself in WWE. Paige and AJ are the perfect opponents for each other and now that the roles have been reversed there could be a lot of life in this feud. Paige now has the chance to show that she has attitude and that she can be ruthless which worked wonders for AJ. If Paige follows the path that AJ Lee recently walked, there’s no telling where she will be one year from now.