10:24 AM
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By Dubya
Ask yourself a question.
When was the last time you saw the WWE do a slow burn babyface turn?
I thought about this the other day. I tried to think of the last time the WWE really gave time and effort into turning someone babyface. You see, this is important. The company tends to just decide to pull the trigger and get it done in a single show, at most a few shows. Take Sheamus for example. Do you recall how Sheamus turned babyface? He simply answered the challenge to Mark Henry one night. Mark Henry actually turned babyface this same way by not laying down for Randy Orton. While these turns were successful, they didn’t really change where the wrestler was. Sheamus isn’t any more popular as a babyface than he was as a heel. That’s the problem with a quick turn. Fans might be happy about it but they certainly won’t feel any more connection to the character.
The first thought for any professional wrestling fan reading this quote would be the Straight Edge Society. CM Punk’s heel stable running for a year was all about taking the straight edge lifestyle and twisting it into a corrupt, cultist ideal. It was taking it to the extremes that ensured the fans never considered the idea of being alcohol or drug free would be a good thing and even did it during a time when the WWE has been trying to clean up their side of the business of recreational and enhancement drugs. The character allowed the casual WWE fan to scoff at CM Punk and his band of followers while also allowing the smarks of the crowd to still love Punk and his ideals. By doing this, the small minority of fans never drew away from the fact the majority of the crowd was repulsed by them. 
11:54 AM
Part of The Ring Crew Network
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