WWE’s latest PLE, Clash in Paris, takes place this Sunday, 31 August.
As the final premium live event of the summer, it promises to deliver major storyline developments as the company heads into the latter part of the year.
Among the surprises we’re sure to see on the card — could any of them include heel turns across the five bouts already announced?
WrestleTalk examines the possibilities.
6) Montez Ford
On the August 29 episode of SmackDown, a sixth match was made official for the Clash In Paris card, which will see the Wyatt Sicks defend the WWE Tag Team Championship against the Street Profits.
In the Triple H era of WWE, most premium live event cards have typically featured five matches, making the late addition of a sixth to Clash In Paris a rather curious choice.
Earlier in the night, Bo Dallas approached the Street Profits, where he questioned the loyalty between the two should they come up short on Sunday.
With a break up of the Street Profits teased, fans hoping for Montez Ford to branch out as a singles star could be in luck in Paris this Sunday.
Click the next page button below for more
5) CM Punk
The main event of Clash in Paris will see Seth Rollins defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a four-way match against CM Punk, LA Knight, and Jey Uso.
With three babyfaces challenging a single heel champion, the match dynamic naturally raises the question of whether one of the challengers could turn, potentially setting up a long-term heel run.
CM Punk, in particular, has repeatedly attacked LA Knight in the build-up to the bout, suggesting he could ultimately be the one to betray his fellow babyfaces.
Some of Punk’s best WWE work has come as a heel, and almost certainly he will turn at some point in this run — but now doesn’t feel like the time, as first he has to extract revenge on Rollins for stealing the World Title.
Click the next page button below for more
4) LA Knight
Another possibility is that LA Knight could be the one to turn heel.
Given his interactions with CM Punk in the buildup to the bout, Knight – especially if he takes the fall to Rollins – could turn on Punk, violently attacking him and fully establishing himself as a top heel on Raw.
During his TNA run as Eli Drake, he stood out as an arrogant and cocky heel – a role he played successfully, thanks to his standout skills on the microphone.
While he could certainly thrive in a heel role in WWE, especially given the in-ring improvements he’s made since his TNA days, a turn at Clash in Paris still seems unlikely.
Click the next page button below for more
3) Cody Rhodes
On the August 25 edition of Raw, the mention of Cody Rhodes received a chorus of boos during a promo segment featuring Roman Reigns and Jey Uso.
This, of course, wasn’t the first time Rhodes has been booed — similar reactions occurred at both WrestleMania and SummerSlam — fueling speculation that fans may be turning on the WWE Undisputed Champion and that a heel turn could be on the horizon.
Rhodes himself has acknowledged this, hinting that he may be nearing the end of his babyface run, but the question remains: could that turn happen as early as this weekend’s Clash in Paris?
As Rhodes is currently not scheduled for a match on the card, it’s unlikely the turn will take place in the French capital — fans may have to wait until early 2026 for a heel Rhodes to emerge.
Click the next page button below for more
2) Randy Orton
Few would argue that Randy Orton’s best career work has come as a heel — consequently, one of the biggest storyline surprise in WWE this year has been Orton and John Cena trading roles, with Orton embraced as a beloved babyface and Cena accepted as the heel.
However, it seems unlikely his current babyface run will last much longer, with storyline hints already suggesting Orton could eventually turn on Cody Rhodes and challenge for the Undisputed Title.
Orton does not currently have a bout announced for Clash in Paris, but the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer has stated that he will likely be added to the card in a match against Drew McIntyre — and with McIntyre in front of a European crowd, a double turn is certainly not out of the question.
That said, it still feels a little early to pull the trigger on an Orton turn, with WWE likely holding off for a bigger stage.
Click the next page button below for more
1) Bayley
In storyline, recent weeks have seen Bayley experience a crisis of faith: on the August 25 edition of Raw, a video package had Bayley tormented by inner voices — being pulled in opposite directions between her former babyface “Hugger” persona and her later heel character.
This audible – and rather elaborate – inner monologue suggests that Bayley is once again on the verge of a heel turn.
While the 36-year-old star is not currently scheduled to compete at Clash in Paris, there’s a strong possibility she could get involved in the Becky Lynch vs. Nikki Bella Intercontinental Title match, given her recent storyline involvement with Lynch.
Of all the potential heel turns being foreshadowed on WWE programming, Bayley’s is by far the most overt, and if someone is going to turn heel in Paris, Bayley looks like the most likely candidate.
To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!
Comments.
Loading comments…