Could Santino Ever Turn Heel?

[Lockard 23]

Just a simple thought I had - could Santino ever turn heel and become a more serious character? Nothing too serious and past the midcard obviously, but I wonder if he could drop the comedy act and be taken serious as a hated heel.

 

[Senhor Perfect]

All he has to do is turn on the fans, stop his cobra gimmick, and say they all suck. Instant heat.

 

[Lockard 23]

Yeah, but he'd probably be a joke kind of heel who irritates and annoys people but who people don't actually have much disdain for. I wonder if Santino debuted as a heel, if he could pull it off better. But after the Santino/Cobra comedy gimmick, I'm not sure if people would ever be able to take him serious.

 

[Crayo]

If he dropped the Italian accent maybe.

 

[Rysenberg]

He could be an awesome heel. All he has to do is turn then go on about how he was forced to be a joke character by the WWE and how they didn't allow him to be what he could be. I don't think it's impossible.

 

[Big Hoss Rambler]

Wasn't he heel earlier in the WWE? I think he was. How did that work out?

 

[Rysenberg]

Wasn't he heel earlier in the WWE? I think he was. How did that work out?

The only thing I remember from that run is him having a match with Cena because Cena took exception to the fact Santino said Santa wasn't real :

 

[Crayo]

He could be an awesome heel.

Awesome... really? :

 

[Rysenberg]

Awesome... really? :

A decent midcard heel anyway, the guy is great and a worked shoot on the WWE forcing him to do all the cobra crap and what not would be great.

 

[Crayo]

Doesn't that sort of ruin kayfabe?

 

[Dolph'sZiggler]

Doesn't that sort of ruin kayfabe?

It's nothing WWE hasn't done before.

I remember when Mosh AKA Beaver Cleavage "broke character" by doing a worked shoot against his current gimmick right before an interview.

I'm sure it has happened plenty of times before and since then.

breaking kayfabe is cool

 

[Lockard 23]

I usually hate when they break kayfabe on screen because you're admitting that the show is fake (thus invalidating the entire show, really), even though we all know it is in reality. It's like a movie character admitting that he knows he's in a fake movie. (One of the worst wrestling storylines ever is when Vince Russo took this to the extreme in 2000 in WCW.) But in the case of Santino, it could work. He could simply say WWE persuaded him to put on a comedy act to appeal to the kids, and that wouldn't really be any different than when Batista said (during the build to WM26) the company 'got behind' Cena as the top guy.

 

[Crayo]

I don't mind breaking kayfabe as such (Punk's promo(s) would have sucked otherwise) but I'm against having it done often, or having someone like Santino do it. If you're going to do it, make it special, it has much more impact that way.

 

[Farooq]

Yes I think he could. I remember Santino was a monster back in OVW, probally have him revert to something like that. Go after babyfaces like Kofi, Riley, Tyson, and others and have them put lengthy matches with his move set he had on there. Have him go angry at the crowd and make him snap or something, but he could work as an angry serious heel if he does enough damage, like running over someone, dragging out a bloody legend like Sgt. Slaughter, Dusty Rhodes, even Jim Ross. Just have him go overboard and get him hated.

 

[Dat Kid1]

I wouldn't want to see Santino as a heel, but do I think he could do it? Yes, possibly. It all depends on what gimmick he's given as this new "serious" character. Not sure if Santino would be able to pull off the serious act, but it'd be interesting to see him try