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Raquel Rodriguez is someone who has a lot of potential in the professional wrestling industry, and her time in NXT proved just that. However, despite her imposing figure and strong ability, her time on WWE’s SmackDown brand hasn’t lived up to expectations as of yet. Although it may not be as simple as this, there could be something that unlocks her potential in the company and takes her to the next level, and that is a heel turn. This is something WWE should have arguably done from the off, but it isn’t too late given that she is just 31 years of age with plenty more years left to grow into a World Title contender.
Raquel Rodriguez Isn’t Working Out As A Babyface In WWE
Following WrestleMania 38, Raquel Rodriguez was brought up to WWE’s main roster in a backstage segment on an episode of SmackDown, which was quite an understated introduction. From her big smile and promo style, it was clear that she was under the direction to be like every other babyface on the roster, with that often being a death blow booking call from Vince McMahon, as that previously saw the likes of Ricochet, among others, lose momentum.
From there, she began to pick up wins, going undefeated. This was a good call from WWE, but it came to an end abruptly when she lost to Ronda Rousey in a SmackDown Women’s Title open challenge. She did look like a strong underdog in this match, but things have gone downhill from there. Her loss could have been the start of a redemption arc which saw her come back in several months to win the gold, but this was not to be. Instead, she has become a part of the women’s tag team division, competing in thrown together teams. She did win the Tag Titles alongside Aliyah, but this decision was looked down upon as random, and it felt pointless considering they lost the gold after just two weeks. She hasn’t been able to show too much personality in recent months, and her place on the card has remained quite low, with there being no signs as of yet for any sort of proper push. To fix this, WWE should consider turning her heel.
In NXT, Raquel Rodriguez Was A Great Heel
When Raquel Rodriguez first made a name for herself in NXT, it was as Dakota Kai’s heavy. She made her debut in an impactful way on an NXT TakeOver event, with the pair playing the classic “Shawn Michaels & Diesel” role to perfection. Her size and strength, which outmatched everyone else on the roster, made her feel like a dominant competitor and a scary heel. Her stock continued to rise, with a brilliant feud with Rhea Ripley which truly showcased how good she can be in the ring too.
Her impressive in-ring work brought about a natural face turn from the audience, who had become tired of Dakota Kai’s treatment of her. This was accentuated when Kai turned on Rodriguez after she had won the NXT Women’s Title from Rhea Ripley. Rodriguez would go on a strong run as champion until dropping the gold to Mandy Rose. Rodriguez did work out as a babyface in NXT, but this was due to fans getting to know her over time. Introducing someone as a babyface can be difficult, and that has been the case on SmackDown.
WWE Can Save Her Main Roster Run With A Heel Turn
Although a few years ago, fans were very familiar with NXT call ups and their history, this has less so been the case as time has gone on, with all the debuts and returns in 2022 proving just that. Due to this, it is sometimes wise to completely start afresh. For instance, had Rodriguez been brought to the main roster as a heel, and even as a bodyguard type of character once again, then WWE could have run the same kind of journey with her, leading to a natural babyface turn.
That moment has passed, but for someone with the size of Rodriguez, who towers over most of the roster, WWE can still try her out as a heel. It would be a perfect way to refresh her character and to try to build her up as someone who could become a major part of the women’s division down the line. On SmackDown, there are names such as Shotzi and Aliyah, two former tag team partners of Rodriguez, who could make for perfect first feuds in a heel run, making Rodriguez look dominant as she dispatches of them, before moving up the card to potentially become a World Champion at some point down the line. She certainly has the talent to become a star, and for WWE it is all about finding the right formula to get her to that level.