How WWE Should Book Nikki A.S.H. As A Heel

Nikki A.S.H.’s time as a babyface in WWE came to end recently, as she turned on former friend and tag team title partner, Rhea Ripley. Nikki had been performing under the superhero gimmick for under a year, but it seems her time saving the world and fighting for what is right is all but over. For the first time since her NXT run, she is now a heel in WWE, with plenty to still to offer, with her being extremely talented. There are several directions WWE could go with Nikki A.S.H. as a heel.

The Nikki A.S.H. Gimmick Has Been A Failure

The Nikki A.S.H. character had a promising enough start, although it did signal the fact that WWE had failed with her as Nikki Cross. The gimmick was endearing, fun, and she put in a lot of effort into trying to make it work. However, before it had even been given time to settle or get over, she won the Money in the Bank briefcase. This could have been a good thing, with her holding the briefcase whilst also developing her character, but WWE didn’t want to wait and had her cash in the very next night to win the Raw Women’s Championship.

RELATED: 10 Women's Duos That Would Have Been Amazing WWE Tag Team Champions

Her reign was poor, being booked to lose constantly, dropping the belt back to Charlotte Flair after just a month-long reign. Rhea Ripley was also involved in that title feud, which developed into the pair teaming up in yet another odd couple tag team, challenging for and winning the Women’s Tag Team Championship, making Nikki the most successful female tag wrestler in the company, with three reigns. However, with how the women’s tag team division has been booked and the incredibly thin roster at the moment, their reign meant very little, and they dropped the belts without much happening in their run as champs. Following this, Nikki turned on Ripley, becoming a heel, in a trope used far too often by WWE with partners turning on partners. However, if WWE is willing to commit to Nikki as a heel, they could strike magic.

There Are Multiple Avenues For WWE To Go Down

With WWE owning the Nikki A.S.H. trademark, there will certainly be hesitance for her to drop the name, meaning a return to the psychotic Nikki Cross character that was so successful in NXT is off the table. That doesn’t mean she can’t channel some of that energy and charisma though. Nikki could become a villain instead of a superhero, even changing up her attire to something darker and more brooding, bringing out a meaner streak, and perhaps a more demented personality – something which worked wonderfully during her time with the Sanity faction.

RELATED: Mickie James & 9 Other Underappreciated WWE Women's Wrestlers

An issue with this is that it could feel very cartoony and over-the-top, but that could also be what makes it good. Playing into the role as an overly dramatic villain could be very entertaining. Of course, it would be tough finding the right balance, but if WWE is self-aware with how over-the-top the gimmick is and making that the focus of the role, it has a chance of getting over. If WWE didn’t want to go overboard, and instead create a darker feel to her character, they could easily produce some effective vignettes to expand her character. Becoming a villain opens up the possibility of one of the easiest face turns down the line. If Nikki is a villain for a while, all it would take is a moment of remorse or doubt, and it could garner a big pop if the blue and yellow attire come back out to play.

The Right Option Is A Deluded Heel Character

A more unique and potentially entertaining option could be Nikki A.S.H. being a deluded heel who thinks that they are a babyface, and out of all the options, this one has the most legs. The “Almost a Superhero” character struggled to get over with the audience due to it being too pure and too good, which isn’t what the fans actually want in a hero. They want somebody with flaws and depth, not someone who spouts positivity 100% of the time with corny promos. WWE could go further with that, with Nikki cutting those same promos, but ramped up ten-fold, unaware that the fans aren’t on board with her.

RELATED: 10 Wrestlers Who Never Turned Heel In WWE

Nikki being deluded to the point where she genuinely believes she is a superhero for the fans could be the genesis of some wonderful and creative promos. She could use her position as a hero to even justify nefarious actions, such as attacking Ripley and turning on her, proclaiming that it's for the good of the people. It would be something different from being the typical bad guy, and she could certainly pull it off if WWE commits to making her become more and more out of touch with reality as time goes on.