When did Io become a face ???

[koreycaskets]

I swear I watch NXT almost every week. ( Well thought I did 😐) I know she's been a face for a bit, but for the life of me I can't remember when or why?

Was it a one week she's a heel next week a face no explanation sorta thing?

[Deleted]

She never officially turned back babyface but been firmly in the tweener role and like others really kind of depends on the opponent.

[Mozenrath]

I feel like she's kind of a face/tweener by necessity as much as anything else.

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

She is squarely in the babyface realm now for the most part. She is still aggressive but doesn't overdo it like she was as a heel 

You can say she started turning tweener after War Games last year. The battle royal match where she got eliminated by Bianca early in the year was the turning point and once she won the ladder match it was solidified

[Lance Uppercut]

The weird part about all this is that it totally justifies Candice as a heel.

Io turned in her and then was embraced by the fans for it and received no commupence

[BatPunk]

She just slowly went into baby face as she needed more challengers. I don’t that there was a turn, just a gradual “I will take in all challengers” type thing.

[Bang Bang Bart]

NXT seems rife with these “not quite a face turn” turns

You have Io, Finn Balor, Damian Priest, and then the Undisputed Era (who “turned”, by virtue of Pat McAfee being a natural heel).

[Deleted]

If Io don't know by now...

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Well, it was still better than Lacey Evans going from Heel to Face in a week with no explanation and then turning heel again after losing a Kareoke contest...

[sarkerpolseng]

I guess it is kinda of like Austin after 13? Like she hasn't really changed her gimmick at all. She has always been a fighter, and not cowardly. Very gradual.

[Alice Syndrome]

She was the tweener vs Rhea and Charlotte. Then she just moved into a face role I guess.

[4real]

They had a 5 way I think ladder match number 1 contender which Io (Still heel I believe) won by kicking Candice (face) off the ladder. Who Io had turned on the previous summer.

Candice then turned heel later that night by helping Gargano beat Ciampa. Io I think just turned naturally after that because Candice blamed her for being a bad friend or something.

Oh and Io isn’t Charlotte Flair and anyone else was going to get cheered over her.

[dbrussel]

It was one of those classic main roster face turns. She woke up one day and decided to stop to be mean.

[Bobeddy]

Dec 12, 2020 1:54:23 GMT -5 Lance Uppercut said:

The weird part about all this is that it totally justifies Candice as a heel.

Io turned in her and then was embraced by the fans for it and received no commupence

I'm fairly certain that was called out by Candice and Johnny in one of their first dinner vignettes. Basically saying that the only way to get ahead in NXT is by turning on everyone and looking out for only yourself. Citing Io and Ciampa as examples and saying they wouldn't be the victims anymore.

[Deleted]

Io is in that rareified air where no one wants to boo her and so it has just progressed where yea she was remorseless heel but now has circled back to her being the ace but with an edge to her.

She brainbustaaaahhhhed Candice on the chair and then the following week ..new entrance , new look , new attitude and was getting cheered.

[Perfect Timing]

I'm not a huge follower of NXT but I believe once Candice became a dick it was easy to turn Io.

[Deleted]

Dec 12, 2020 1:57:12 GMT -5 Bang Bang Bart said:

NXT seems rife with these “not quite a face turn” turns

You have Io, Finn Balor, Damian Priest, and then the Undisputed Era (who “turned”, by virtue of Pat McAfee being a natural heel).

And whatever the hell Ciampa is this week

[mistery]

Probably around the time of the triple threat match at IYH. Rhea's return fell flat as (kayfabe wise) she inserted herself into the title picture and was being a massive whiny jerk. Keep in mind until she lost the title, she was talking a mad amount of trash and got whooped at Wrestlemania.

At that point, fans latched onto Io as the next big babyface, although she was getting positive reactions before that point, if just for the fact that Candice (even as a face) was Natalya levels of bland, and it was blatantly obvious she was just a fill in for Kairi who got called up (the original plan was for Io to turn on Kairi).

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Dec 12, 2020 13:10:17 GMT -5 Bobeddy said:

Dec 12, 2020 1:54:23 GMT -5 Lance Uppercut said:

The weird part about all this is that it totally justifies Candice as a heel.

Io turned in her and then was embraced by the fans for it and received no commupence

I'm fairly certain that was called out by Candice and Johnny in one of their first dinner vignettes. Basically saying that the only way to get ahead in NXT is by turning on everyone and looking out for only yourself. Citing Io and Ciampa as examples and saying they wouldn't be the victims anymore.

And that's what makes it good 

As good heels do, Candice and Johnny aren't technically wrong. Their friends turned their back on them and found success. Now, in the end Johnny did forgive Ciampa before turning on him making him a bigger asshole. Candice never forgave Io nor does Io care for it. 

It is some good long term storytelling putting together plot threads that make sense. Io hasn't changed. She still only cares about the NXT title but she will fight everyone. 

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Dec 12, 2020 1:57:12 GMT -5 Bang Bang Bart said:

NXT seems rife with these “not quite a face turn” turns

You have Io, Finn Balor, Damian Priest, and then the Undisputed Era (who “turned”, by virtue of Pat McAfee being a natural heel).

Yea, they never really turn them face but they do give them feuds to show they are on the other side 

Finn got attacked by an unknown assailant (which turned out to be Priest) which cost him a shot at the NXT title. From then on, Finn stopped attacking people from behind. Priest after that feud, just came out less heelish the next show or so and got right into a feud with Cameron Grimes. UE were already turning face for a while before that in fairness and the stuff with Pat firmly put them over the top as faces

The last heel to face turn that got to show true remorse was Ciampa last year. People assumed he came back heel this year which wasn't the case, he was just getting his edge back he lost after taking tough L's against Kross and Gargano