Backstage Notes On Recent WWE Face/Heel Turns & Changes
WWE just pulled the trigger on a couple of major alignment changes behind the scenes.
WWE has just pulled the trigger on a couple of internal alignment changes to reflect recent onscreen storyline and character developments.
Per Mike Johnson of PWInsider, WWE has flipped Ronda Rousey from babyface to heel on its internal listings, having spent the past few weeks building her up as a clear antagonist opposite Liv Morgan in their SmackDown Women's Championship rivalry. This came to a head at Extreme Rules 2022 (8 October), where Rousey played the villainess in her title victory over Morgan.
Meanwhile, WWE has also changed The Brawling Brutes - Sheamus, Butch, and Ridge Holland - to babyfaces. Again, this is reflective of recent goings-on. The Brutes have been feuding with Imperium's GUNTHER, Ludwig Kaiser, and Giovanni Vinci, who have played heels on SmackDown.
The Brutes collided with Imperium in a well-received Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook match at Extreme Rules, taking the win. This followed Sheamus' latest Intercontinental Title defeat to GUNTHER on the previous night's SmackDown, having already fallen to the Austrian at Clash At The Castle (3 September).
Whether or not Sheamus will get another crack at the gold is unclear. SmackDown suggested he may, with GUNTHER cheating to win.