Should Dana Brooke Turn Heel?

Eight years. Dana Brooke has been in WWE for eight years. That is a long time to be in WWE, especially for a woman, as most women don't really have long tenures in WWE. It is definitely too long to go without anything resembling elevation or a push, and that, sadly, is what Dana Brooke has gone through. Dana Brooke was signed by WWE all the way back in 2013, around the same time as WWE's Horsewomen, but in that time, the only good angle Dana has had was her role as the evil protégé for Charlotte Flair, who was up and coming at the time and not the top woman we know now.

Since she was split from Charlotte, Dana has been immensely lost in the shuffle. Yes, she had the role with Titus Worldwide, but that didn't get her anywhere. It's been worse for Dana after that. Random appearance after random appearance until 2020 gave us a pairing with Mandy Rose. The devout optimist that I am, I loved the Dana/Mandy tandem and really thought that it would lead to something, maybe a run as Women's Tag Team Champions. Nope. They were split up this past summer, with Mandy going to NXT and getting a huge push that was overdue for her, while Dana remains lost in the shuffle and relegated to verbal burials by Corey Graves on Raw.

So what needs to be done with Dana? Should Dana actually turn heel to finally get the elevation she deserves? This fan, and possibly some others, says yes. My reasons are many, but the easy one is: it worked for Mandy. Dana and Mandy were a babyface tandem, but Mandy's move to NXT saw her turn villainous and become the leader of the Toxic Attraction triumvirate, and we know how that turned out. The latest edition of Raw saw Dana voice her immense frustration over not even receiving a title opportunity, and that bitterness really stood out. I could definitely see Dana become a ruthless and no-nonsense villainess because of it, as she could resort to being vicious to finally get her long overdue elevation.

Another reason is this: it has been a long time since we fans have seen an evil Dana Brooke, five years in fact. Dana started out as a heel on NXT, originally aligned with Emma from that period up to their call-up to Raw, where Emma's injury resulted in Dana's pairing with Charlotte Flair. Dana's split with Charlotte turned her face, and she hasn't looked back since then. I've wanted a Dana Brooke heel turn for about a year; in fact, I was hoping that Dana would turn on Mandy at some point this year, maybe out of jealousy or just because. Of course, that wasn't the case.

Finally, in my opinion, I think Dana is more natural as a heel, even though she's played her face personality quite well. Dana acted as an arrogant heel in NXT and in her role with Charlotte, and I can definitely see her playing that same heel persona to perfection. The difference in this regard is that Heel Dana 2.0 would be, as I said before, a bit more vicious and nasty; really have a "take no prisoners" attitude and use it for evil purposes. Again, this is a woman who is frustrated over not receiving the push and respect that she has earned. That can play a huge role in Dana's villainous demeanor, as she could destroy anyone (she feels) is in her way to her true goals.

So in closing, it's been too long for Dana to have no direction in WWE. Too much time and too many random angles that have resulted in nothing. A heel turn, quite frankly, is the only way to go. It's time to fully unleash (or in this case, resurrect) Dana Brooke's evil side, and use that to make her a lead member of Raw's women's division.