Montez Ford Details Why Street Profits’ Heel Turn Plans Were Shelved

WWE’s Street Profits, consisting of Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins, joined forces with Bobby Lashley last summer, adopting the name “The Pride.” Initially portrayed as villains on WWE television, The Pride underwent a shift back to their heroic personas towards the end of last year.

During a recent appearance on Busted Open Radio, Ford delved into the reasons behind their aborted heel turn. Ford shared that despite their attempts to portray themselves as villains by attacking fan favorites like The Brawling Brutes and the Latino World Order, fans simply weren’t buying it.

“A couple of months ago, we were trying to … make the fans not like us,” Ford said. “They just [said], ‘Nah, we’re not having it.'”

Ford believes WWE’s creative team took the right decision to abort the heel turn as he noted that when fans are genuinely invested in a storyline or a character, their reactions come from the heart, and wrestlers should strive to work for those authentic responses. He further stated that wrestlers are trained to elicit reactions from the audience, and if they receive a strong positive response, it’s wise to embrace it.

“When the fans are passionate about something, when they want something, when they demand it, for the most part, they’re so intent with it,” Ford continued. “You know that passion is real because it comes from the heart. They have every right to feel that way.”

Moving onto discuss the ongoing storyline involving Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and The Rock, Ford said the situation can be viewed from many different sides, explaining the varied reactions that The Rock is getting from fans. He said that though The Rock may get cheered while clearly acting as the villain, as long as the crowd is engaged and reacting strongly, it isn’t much of an issue.

What’s your take on Montez Ford’s comments and the Street Profits’ transition from villains to fan favorites. Do you agree with WWE’s decision to embrace the audience’s reaction? Let us know in the comments below!