Before he was pulled out of the men’s Money in the Bank match at the pay-per-view of the same name due to a storyline injury , Apollo Crews was enjoying more television time than he had gotten in previous months, seemingly getting a renewed push after substantial time in the lower-card scene. While it wasn’t clear at that time what could be next for him when he returns to Monday Night Raw action, a new report suggests that WWE has plans to turn the longtime babyface heel for the first time since he joined the company in 2014.
In a report published on Sunday, WrestlingNews.co ‘s Paul Davis noted that — per a backstage source — Crews has gotten more TV time recently due to repeated efforts to persuade WWE chairman Vince McMahon into giving him a better push. The insider added that the ultimate plan is for Crews to be booked as a heel, as he was supposedly due to turn on Chad Gable on SmackDown before he was moved back to Raw .
Davis further cited his inside source, adding there have been plans to book Montel Vontavious Porter (aka MVP) — the same wrestler whom Crews defeated to qualify for the men’s Money in the Bank match — as the manager of a stable.
While it isn’t clear whether Crews is also involved in these rumored plans, the WrestlingNews.co writer stated it “would make sense” if he and other underused wrestlers were included in this new faction, with the veteran MVP convincing them they can be bigger stars if they follow his advice.
. @The305MVP managed to get @WWEApollo FIRED UP on a whole new level! #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/QPYxbbkgT7
— WWE (@WWE) April 21, 2020
Also mentioned by Davis was the possible influence of Raw executive director Paul Heyman on McMahon. Crews, along with the likes of Cedric Alexander and Ricochet, is one of multiple superstars on the red brand who seemed to have lost favor with the WWE boss before getting more exposure in recent weeks.
“It looks like [McMahon] has been convinced to give them another chance with Crews in line for his biggest push since moving up to the main roster.”
Support for a potential Crews heel turn is nothing new, as Bleacher Report wrote shortly after WrestleMania 36 last month that the 32-year-old is better suited for a villainous role than his current one as a “smiling hero” who oftentimes loses despite his best efforts. The publication likewise suggested a team-up with MVP, who has the microphone skills that Crews supposedly lacks, as well as a past storyline where he was unsuccessful in recruiting Drew McIntyre and Edge as his clients.