With Carmelo Hayes re-emerging on Raw last week and rumors of a Drew McIntyre return intensifying, it may very well be comeback season in WWE.
Like Hayes – who turned from babyface to heel upon his return – we could see some absent stars return to action with a change of heart and character direction, with several heels on the roster carrying the potential to turn babyface.
Here are some absent WWE stars that could turn babyface upon their return:
Naomi
One of the most anticipated WWE returns right now has to be former Women’s World Champion Naomi.
The Raw star has been on the sidelines since announcing her pregnancy in August 2025, and fans are eager to see her pick up where she left off over a year ago.
At the time of her announcement Naomi was the reigning Women’s World Champion and enjoying the best run of her career after turning heel earlier that year. While her heel work was stellar it’s going to be impossible to get fans to boo her when she comes back, especially if she finds herself on team Bloodline in their war with the 946.
A babyface turn will be achieved the moment she returns and knocks Jaida Parker’s lights out – something we could potentially see before the end of the year.
Josh Briggs
It has been six months since watchers of NXT will have seen Josh Briggs on their television screens, with his last match on the brand being a three-way with Keanu Carver and Jasper Troy back on April 7.
While fans still await his NXT return, Briggs did wrestle on the September 24 episode of Main Event, where he worked against fellow heel Big Cass.
There very well may be nothing to it, but perhaps this return was a signifier that WWE may be considering bringing Briggs back in a babyface role when he eventually does return to TV.
Rusev
After a fairly forgettable first year back in WWE, Rusev began to build a decent amount of momentum post-WrestleMania 42, when he formed a heel tag team with Ethan Page.
The pair worked well together as they both pursued the Intercontinental Championship, but an injury to Rusev back in July brought the pairing to an abrupt end.
We could potentially be seeing “The Bulgarian Brute” back in the mix soon enough however, as Rusev made his return to in-ring action during WWE’s Hawaii Live Tour – wrestling on back-to-back nights on October 16 and 17, the latter of which saw him team with Ethan Page.
Once he finally makes it back to TV, Rusev’s character could potentially be taken in a different direction however. Rather than aiding Ethan Page in his pursuit of the IC Title, Rusev could stand in his tag partner’s way and try and win the gold for himself.
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