The Heel Turn WWE Must Book, AEW's Renewed Focus on Storytelling, More Quick Takes

A significant character change for Drew McIntyre could, and arguably should, be imminent.Credit: WWE.com

With WWE in the process of reshuffling the deck post-SummerSlam, several Superstars could use a fresh coat of paint, most notably Drew McIntyre.

The two-time WWE champion failed to unseat Gunther as intercontinental champion earlier this month and now appears to be entering a tag team with Matt Riddle. Even if the arrangement is meant to be temporary, it should be used to turn the Scot heel and hit the reset button with him.

Meanwhile, all eyes will be on All Elite Wrestling's All In extravaganza at Wembley Stadium this Sunday, and despite the card coming together mostly on short notice, the promotion's renewed emphasis on consistent storytelling as of late has been the difference-maker.

AEW has done an effective job of progressing stories weekly, whether it be Chris Jericho's falling out with his own faction or the ongoing saga between MJF and Adam Cole. Dynamite's pacing can be questionable at times, but the increased amount of compelling angles has been a welcome change.

This installment of Quick Takes will discuss Dynamite's recent improvements, restoring importance to the United States Championship, what WWE should not do with the men's Money in the Bank briefcase, and more.

It's been nearly four years since Drew McIntyre last worked as a heel, and at a time when his future with WWE remains uncertain, flipping the switch with his character might be the best thing for him at the moment.

The latest update from Fightful Select in early July indicated that the Scot had yet to sign a new deal with the company, which would explain why there don't appear to be any long-term plans in place for him.

Teaming with Matt Riddle for a bit is a perfectly fine use of his talents, especially if the endgame will see him turn heel on the former United States champion.

WWE has already run the "unlikely allies" angle with Riddle and Randy Orton, and they became one of the best, most entertaining tag teams in recent years. McIntyre and The Original Bro almost certainly won't share that same dynamic and thus going in a different direction with it would benefit both.

The Scottish Warrior told Stay Busy with Armon Sadler (h/t Joseph Currier of F4WOnline.com) earlier this month that he isn't interested in a heel run unless it makes sense for his character, noting that it would jeopardize the work he does with Special Olympics and other organizations.

If turning on the audience isn't in the cards for now, WWE must find another way to freshen up McIntyre and ensure he has meaningful direction.

AEW seemed to create a new top heel in Konosuke Takeshita coming out of May's Double or Nothing event, where he betrayed Kenny Omega and cemented his alliance with Omega's friend-turned-foe Don Callis.

The two were presented as the perfect pairing and received thunderous boos from crowds while walking to the ring without saying a single word. Callis continued to make life miserable for Omega in the weeks that followed, but The Cleaner's bad blood with Takeshita died down drastically.

After briefly crossing paths in Blood & Guts in July, Takeshita and Omega will be on opposite sides of another multi-man tag team match at All In. In other words, it feels as if the focus is on anything but their feud.

Takeshita has undoubtedly cooled off with the Omega vs. Callis program taking precedence. Omega vs. Takeshita will likely be added to All Out after All In wraps up, but the bout won't mean as much as it should due to poor follow-up on the Japanese star's hot heel turn.

It isn't impossible for him to rebound, but there should be more of an effort to get him back on track considering the potential he has to be a fresh face at the top of the card.

As tensions rise in The Judgment Day, it's been heavily implied on Raw since SummerSlam that the men's Money in the Bank briefcase is the root of their issues.

It's played a pivotal role in various matches and driven more of a wedge between holder Damian Priest and Finn Bálor.

Having Priest lose the contract to the Irishman, Cody Rhodes or anyone else would be a major mistake, though.

WWE hasn't had the strongest track record in recent years when it comes to the contract, so it's important it hits a home run with The Archer of Infamy holding it. He was worthy of winning it on July 1 and has wisely been booked as a main event threat since then.

There should be no rush for Priest cashing it in, either. Seth Rollins could easily reign as world heavyweight champion through WrestleMania 40, and if so, the Judgment Day member should still be in possession of the contract on the other end of the event.

If Wrestling Observer Newsletter's report about Priest's departure from the faction being imminent, then it should be with the briefcase in tow as he continues his ascent toward Raw's higher ranks.

The abysmal booking of Austin Theory in his time on SmackDown has done damage to the United States Championship and made it as much of an afterthought as it was years ago.

Rey Mysterio winning it on the August 11 edition of SmackDown was a nice step in the right direction, but it's going to take significantly more than a legend holding the title to make it feel coveted again.

The entire opening segment on SmackDown last Friday being devoted to determining a No. 1 contender to the title was an encouraging sign, but the LWO will prove to be the most important keys to the resurgence of the star-spangled prize.

Mysterio can defend against all comers and have quality matches, but the real turning point will come when Escobar grows jealous of his mentor, sets his sights on the title and betrays him.

An Escobar vs. Mysterio feud was always going to be what caused Escobar's singles career to skyrocket, but throwing the U.S. title into the mix will raise its profile considerably.

In the absence of Roman Reigns, it's imperative the U.S. Championship be treated like the top belt the blue brand desperately needs at the moment, with Mysterio vs. Escobar being its defining feud.

AEW has long been criticized for a lack of storytelling since its inception, and while the company has certainly told its fair share of stellar stories in the last four years, an argument can be made that Dynamite could do a better job of furthering them regularly.

The renewed focus on storytelling has been apparent of late with Chris Jericho's character development, Adam Cole and MJF forming a friendship, and Darby Allin and Nick Wayne's rivalry with Mogul Embassy being prime examples.

Allin getting television time on a weekly basis has given him more direction than he's had in a while and given Wayne something to do from the get-go. Jericho has also become a recurring highlight on the program with it not being known (until this past week, anyway) whether he would join forces with Don Callis or keep the Jericho Appreciation Society intact.

Above all else, the Cole-MJF angle has been exceptionally handled and has yet to lose momentum. The AEW World Championship finally feels like it's back at the forefront of Dynamite as it should be.

The hype for All In will face a greater level of scrutiny from fans due to its historical significance, but putting more emphasis on the storytelling will only help AEW have hotter builds to its pay-per-views in the long run.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.