This week's WWE RAW featured a shocking moment. Hall of Famer and former Women's Champion Trish Stratus betrayed Becky Lynch, attacking The Man following their defeat at the hands of Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez.
Of course, villainous turns aren't out of the ordinary in the Stamford-based company. In fact, another notable one took place just a week prior when Brock Lesnar shockingly and brutally assaulted Cody Rhodes to close Monday Night RAW.
Superstars appear to be more on edge & more motivated to get ahead by any means possible. This is possibly spear-headed by the announcement of the 2023 WWE Draft set to take place in a few weeks. The big event is sure to shake up careers, so wrestlers want to make an impact ahead of time.
Given the recent heel turns, it may seem unlikely that more will occur, but anything can happen in World Wrestling Entertainment. More turns towards the dark side are certainly possible, and this article will look at a handful of possible candidates.
Below are five WWE superstars who could turn heel before the upcoming draft.
#5. Kevin Owens could turn on Sami Zayn after WWE SmackDown
Kevin Owens has been attacked and had his leg crushed under a trolley #Smackdown pic.twitter.com/3FqKHfRRLH
— Just Talk Wrestling (@JustTalkWrestle) April 8, 2023
Kevin Owens is one of the top stars in WWE. He has been involved in the main event of WrestleMania Saturday two years in a row. He's also a former Universal Champion, United States Champion, and NXT Champion.
After years of being both friends and enemies at various points in time, Owens and Sami Zayn have reunited in a big way. The best friends defeated The Usos for the Unified RAW & SmackDown Tag Team Titles in the main event of WWE WrestleMania 39 Night One.
Kevin was then attacked by Solo Sikoa on SmackDown after warning Sami not to try to patch things up with Jey Uso. If Owens & Zayn are already showing signs of miscommunication, a turn could be on the horizon. Besides, Kevin has turned on Sami multiple times in the past, so he may do it again.
#4. Natalya could turn on Shotzi
Walking out to 81,395 people at #WrestleMania. Grateful beyond words!🖤 pic.twitter.com/K2p55dSun9
— Nattie (@NatbyNature) April 8, 2023
Natalya is one of the longest-tenured WWE Superstars on the roster. In her decade and a half with the company, she's held the SmackDown Women's Championship, Divas Championship, and tag team gold.
The Queen of Harts recently competed at WWE WrestleMania 39 Sunday. She was involved in the Women's WrestleMania Showcase alongside Shotzi. The two ultimately lost to Shayna Baszler & Ronda Rousey.
Shotzi & Natalya make for an interesting duo, but their potential remains to be seen. While they seem like a good pair, they failed to win at WrestleMania. In fact, it was Shotzi who was ultimately beaten. That alone could be the catalyst for a heel turn by Natalya.
#3. Cody Rhodes may snap over recent events
Cody Rhodes is arguably the most popular WWE Superstar in the company. He's a former Intercontinental Champion and a six-time tag team champion, although he's yet to win the big one.
The American Nightmare had a major match during WWE WrestleMania 39 weekend. He headlined the event against Roman Reigns. Unfortunately, Cody came up short thanks to interference from Solo Sikoa.
While Rhodes seemingly has his focus set on Brock Lesnar, he's also clearly frustrated with everything that went down. Given his annoyance with both The Bloodline & Brock Lesnar, The American Nightmare could snap sooner rather than later.
#2. Santos Escobar could betray Rey Mysterio
Santos Escobar is one of the most talented stars on WWE SmackDown. The former NXT Cruiserweight Champion is a member of the LWO alongside Rey Mysterio, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro, and Zelina Vega.
The Latino World Order member did not compete at WrestleMania, but he did celebrate alongside his idol Rey Mysterio. He was also competitive in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal on SmackDown.
While Santos idolizes Mysterio, he could also end up growing bitter towards him. Escobar's creation, Legado del Fantasma, has seemingly been phased out for the rebooted LWO. As a leader, Santos may find that both offensive and unacceptable, thus potentially turning on Rey.
#1. Bobby Lashley could be frustrated with his career
Bobby Lashley is an absolute powerhouse. The former two-time WWE Champion is one of the top stars on Monday Night RAW, although some may not believe it given recent events.
The All Mighty had a tumultuous WrestleMania season. He was seemingly going to fight Brock Lesnar at the event, but things changed and it was Bray Wyatt that he was set to battle. Bray then disappeared from television, leaving Lashley to win the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal on SmackDown.
Many fans were disappointed that Bobby didn't have a significant role at WrestleMania, a sentiment Lashley seemingly shared. He may take out his real frustrations on somebody on-screen and thus become a villain. A heel turn could then potentially lead to a reunion of The Hurt Business.