Io Shirai wasn't exactly floundering as a babyface following the dismantling of her Sky Pirates tandem with Kairi Sane, but the originators somehow felt second rate when WWE condescendingly chucked Sane with fellow Japanese star Asuka to create The Kabuki Warriors on the main roster.
NXT follows the old wrestling rules more than the WCW-obsessed Cody could ever dream of, and just like it always used to be, a transformative heel turn was the answer.
Turning on best friend Candice LeRae after one loss too many to Shayna Baszler (in one of the best matches of the year, by the f*cking way), Shirai allowed her psychopathic side to come out in the most glorious and grizzly fashion. A sensational match at TakeOver: Toronto followed, and Shirai's been revitalised as a crazed killer ever since. All the goals she failed to achieve as a babyface last year will surely come to fruition for her in the next 12 months. She's too good at everything to permanently deny.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back almost 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 60,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
