The Take: Why Shotzi Blackheart Isn’t A Heel
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- The Take: Why Shotzi Blackheart Isn’t A Heel - November 6, 2021
The Key players in the Championship picture on SmackDown Live.
Let’s explore where on the heel/face spectrum the three women involved in this segment and storyline land. And the big question is, is anyone truly a Heel or face in modern-day wrestling.
Charlotte Flair is the epitome of a privileged heel, she knows her own worth and isn’t afraid of letting everyone know just how good she is. There is nothing wrong with this, but it does make her unlikeable, as does the rumors of her being a “difficult woman” that came out in the lead-up to Survivor Series. This all seems to have been a work, in some essence, to build to her match against RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch. For the SmackDown women’s division, Charlotte Flair looks to be the ‘Big Bad’ of the season.
Sasha Banks on the other hand operates in shades of gray, no not that kind. Her mortality directly relates to her position on the card, known to be ruthless but also a genuine person who does truly want friendship, she has been known to turn on those who get what she wants. Obviously, that hasn’t always been the case, Bayley was the one to turn on Sasha in 2020, and this can be seen as proof that she has grown as a person and wants to change. She has formed a friendship with Toni Storm as of late and only time will tell if we see this as a genuine friendship or Sasha Banks wanting to be close to the championship scene.
And finally, we get to Shotzi Blackheart, a genuine babyface with star power and charisma. She has an original look and stands out in the crowd, her optimism is infectious and feels very genuine but not annoying like main roster Bayley, before her heel turn, or Nikki ASH. Her in-ring work has always been at a high level and if WWE just took into account NXT and this year’s Royal Rumble, instead of her turning heel on Sasha Banks we could have seen her first feud be with Shayna Baszler, with who she has a history with. Make Baszler that unstoppable force again and have Shotzi, Toni Storm, and Sasha Banks stand in her way to the top.
In conclusion, Shotzi Blackheart isn’t a heel, despite the way she is being presented as of late on SmackDown. Her turn isn’t completely unwarranted and in fact airing your grievances when everything has been taken away from you doesn’t make you a bad person, on the contrary, it makes you strong. Blackheart is also a very likable character, the idea of her being a heel doesn’t quite gel with the persona we have seen up to this point. Along with this, her promos seem very scripted, feeling unauthentic to the character and woman behind it which also doesn’t gel with the character we know, the cool girl who loves metal music, horror movies but also is surprisingly cheery and optimistic.
Keeping these key elements will make Shotzi the biggest babyface on SmackDown right now, a character that’s look is the polar opposite of her personality is something truly refreshing. In professional wrestling we have alcoholic cowboys going on redemption stories while being the biggest babyface in a company, we have a gay BDSM daddy being a crowd favorite, and we have an obnoxious muscle-bound “sports entertainer” being the biggest heel in a company that prides itself on its hardcore indie style. We have moved on from the stereotypes that have plagued the industry for so long. Give us the Shotzi we all know and love and make her your hero.
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