Should Beth Phoenix Turn Heel One More Time?

What can I say about Beth Phoenix that I haven't said already in a few stories on here? I'm a huge fan of Beth and have been for so long. She is just amazing as hell; I love her abilities, her look, and the way she carries herself during her bouts. Beth's induction into WWE's Hall of Fame in 2017 was definitely well deserved, and recent years have seen Beth make various appearances on screen, which have included competing in the Women's Rumble, doing commentary on NXT, and especially working alongside her Hall of Fame husband, Adam "Edge" Copeland.

I love so many things about Beth Phoenix, but there's one attribute I can't help but focus on: she was an amazing villainess. Beth's regular WWE run lasted from 2006 until 2012, and while she actually started out as a babyface, she would go on to spend most of her run as a heel. Her gimmick saw Beth refer to herself as "The Glamazon," described as the perfect combination of strength and beauty, and it was in October of 2007 that she captured the Women's Championship for the first of three occurrences, and the first of four championship runs overall, counting her one reign as Divas Champion.

On this day, the birthday of The Glamazon, I have to make just one pitch, and here it is: we need Beth Phoenix to turn heel just once more.

As a fan of Beth Phoenix and a fan of villainesses, I've wanted a heel turn for Beth for about three or four years now. It started when she was on commentary, and I wanted Beth to play up a heel role, as WWE never had a female heel commentator before. When that didn't happen, my hope was for Beth to unleash a villainous side during her sporadic appearances. My reasoning is simple. Beth remains one of the best villainesses I've ever seen, and part of that is her expressions. She gives some amazing killer expressions, even as a babyface. Her appearance at the Day 1 event proves it. Beth and Edge were on the heroic side of their feud with The Miz and Maryse, but that expression she gave was so deliciously sinister.

When Edge began leading Judgment Day, I had hoped we'd see Beth alongside him, mainly because of the two stars that they had their eyes on: Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley. After Priest joined Edge, my hope was for Beth to recruit Rhea, which would have solidified Beth as a heel alongside her Hall of Fame husband. However, while Rhea would join the faction (and basically serve as a defacto leader), Beth would not.

Two things actually increased my hope for a heel Beth Phoenix returning. One, Trish Stratus' heel turn earlier this year. I had wanted Trish to become villainous just once more, and after I had almost given up on it, Trish actually talked about turning heel in an eventual feud with Becky Lynch. Sure enough, that would happen about two months later. Two, a photo I saw of Beth and Bianca Belair; that definitely had my wheels turning. Bianca would be the perfect babyface who could bring back Beth's evil side for the first time in over a decade. We saw this with Trish and Becky Lynch earlier, with the common thread being that each woman was the top star of her time. Regarding Beth and Bianca, the common thread is strength; both of them are power wrestlers, and in a similar route to Trish and Becky, we could see Beth and Bianca as partners before Beth suddenly turns heel on Bianca, setting up a potentially epic dream match between the EST and the villainous Glamazon.

As I've said before, one thing I love about Beth Phoenix is her intensity, and how well she displays it. This capture of Beth from her episode of WWE Icons is more proof of this, and it defintely portrays Beth's intensity and drive to perfection. In my view, that shot tells one simple story: Beth still has it in her to portray an intimidating villainess, and I remain hopeful that in due time, for just one more run, we see a spectacular and dominant return of the evil Beth Phoenix in the squared circle.