Dean Ambrose’s Heel Turn Took a Giant Step Forward on Raw

During Dean Ambrose‘s nine-month absence from WWE, every WWE fan with an internet connection proclaimed that he’d be turning heel upon rejoining the fray. And we may be very close to that moment.

WWE spent the beginning middle and end Raw on Monday feeding the idea of Ambrose bailing on The Shield. Things even went as far as the show closing with Ambrose choosing between The Hounds of Justice and Braun Strowman and Co. And now, what was once fan fiction is seemingly on the verge of becoming a reality.

So is Ambrose set to turn? Or is this all a misdirection to get Drew McIntyre to flip on Strowman and Dolph Ziggler? Maybe neither, maybe both.

After being painted as the odd man out, Ambrose did ultimately choose The Shield to close Raw. But the fact that Ambrose is already having to pick sides would foreshadow something drastic. Since returning from triceps surgery, Ambrose is far more menacing. On top of adding about 20 lbs of muscle, Ambrose is nowhere near the goofball he used to be and instead has adopted an all-business character.

Ambrose’s potential heel turn all depends on how WWE wants to use The Shield. Right now, they’re booked for the October 2 Super Show-Down, but won’t have another real pay-per-view until Survivor Series. That gives WWE nearly two months to have Dean Ambrose play Will He or Won’t He? Now that this theme has been introduced, it’s highly possible Ambrose turns before Survivor Series, but WWE may hold out until the November 18 show.

If Ambrose is the one to flip, we’ll guess it will mark the beginning of a WrestleMania feud with Seth Rollins. This was reportedly WWE’s plans before the injury last year and current rumors have WWE resuming that arch now that all players are healthy.

With all the smoke surrounding Ambrose’s morality, McIntyre too may be in line for a big change. He and Ziggler’s partnership has been close to ending on multiple occasions and may boil over well before Ambrose becomes a villain. There has been no shortage of reports indicating WWE is high on McIntyre with some claiming he’s next in line for a Universal Championship opportunity. We’ll have to wait to see how true that is, but McIntyre seems to be set for big things in WWE.

Regardless, it looks like the top of WWE’s card is destined for a major shake-up before WrestleMania 35. While Dean Ambrose is highly popular, him playing villain could make him an irreplaceable part of WWE’s circus.