Is Powerhouse Hobbs destined for a babyface turn in 2022?

Powerhouse Hobbs is just as explosive as his nickname might lead you to believe. This 6'1", 270-pound barrel of gun powder might just be ready to explode as we move into the New Year.

Already considered a prized prospect and one of the true big men of the AEW roster, Hobbs has had the benefit of being under the tutelege of Taz. The ECW legend recruited him into Team Taz and has acted as the young star's manager and mentor ever since.

There's no doubting that Hobbs has benefitted from being associated with a group that also includes two other youthful standouts, Ricky Starks and Hook. The three of them have combined to make for a formidable trio, and behind the devious direction of Taz, they are an even more dangerous.

Hobbs looks like he could be a legitimate heavyweight contender in AEW

Hobbs, a former football player, began training to become a wrestler not long after high school and has always been a fan of pro wrestling. As he's developed over the years, the 30-year-old has become the prototype of the perfect power pack: He's compact and explosive, and punctuates all of his moves with an extra bit of force behind them. The bad news for his future opponents is that he still hasn't reached his full potential yet.

Thus far, Powerhouse Hobbs has been sheltered a bit as part of Team Taz, affording him the chance to develop slowly while being the enforcer of the group. But in time, he needs to have the opportunity to show if he can sink or swim against the best in All Elite Wrestling.

With his look and athleticism, he should be fitted for gold around his waist at some point in the next year. Whether it be as part of a tag team or as a singles star.

Powerhouse Hobbs is much more suited to being a babyface in AEW, and he should make that switch sometime in 2022

A turn for Powerhouse Hobbs, followed by a sustained winning streak, would be a perfect set-up for him to have a TNT title run. From there, he would be established as a legitimate contender and a marketable fan favorite.

Hobbs is the type of wrestler the AEW crowd would get behind as he is viewed as one of their own. While fans who support the promotion have welcomed all the former WWE stars, they have a soft spot in their hearts for the kids that they consider 'home-grown talent'. To them, Hobbs is one of their own, so his progression would have a lot of passion from the audience behind it. And that's never a bad thing.

Hobbs should be put in the driver's seat in the coming months, but he will have to break away from Team Taz to grab that brass ring. This is AEW's time to kick his career into another gear, and a babyface turn would not only freshen up his character, it would be like introducing a whole, new wrester to the roster.

Powerhouse Hobbs appears to be a blue chipper in every sense of the term. It's time to take him off the sidelines and put him in the game in 2022.