WWE Raw: Burning Questions to Address After February 8 Show

The February 8 episode of WWE Raw may have been devoted to Daniel Bryan and his Hall of Fame-worthy career, but the burning questions that broadcast generated have nothing to do with the bearded Superstar.

Instead, they revolve around a heel turn by one of the greatest tag teams to ever compete, its sneak attack on The Usos catapulting it back into relevancy after months of serving as the punching bag for The Wyatt Family.

And what about the continued emergence of The Lunatic Fringe as the most popular babyface on the roster, his never-say-die attitude sparking a connection with the audience that cannot be manufactured, marketed or otherwise forced?

Finally, there is the man destined to be the marquee star of the industry, at least in the eyes of those in power. How can he be expected to excel when he is overshadowed and left to wallow in the background of a story?

These three questions not only defined Monday's broadcast, but they will lay the foundation for WWE's Fastlane pay-per-view.

1. Has Dean Ambrose Become WWE's Top Babyface?

Credit: WWE.com

World Wrestling Entertainment officials may try as hard as they possibly can to convince viewers and fans that Roman Reigns is the next big thing in professional wrestling, but it is becoming more and more difficult to deny the fact that Dean Ambrose is clearly more popular than his Shield brethren.

The Lunatic Fringe has gotten himself over as the scrappy underdog who does not know when to quit, as if the idea is foreign to him. He continues to fight, takes extraordinary amounts of pain but always manages to stick around like the thorn in the side that he is.

Monday night was a shining example of why fans gravitate to him rather than Reigns.

Having been felled by one F-5, Ambrose dared Brock Lesnar to come back to the ring and do it again. He insulted him, not unlike a mouthy grade school student may do to the playground bully. He took the fight to Lesnar, endured the beating and stood up for more.

It is exactly the type of storytelling that will lead Ambrose to making that all-important connection with the audience that cannot be forced or manufactured. And it will ultimately lead to the intercontinental champion becoming the biggest babyface on the WWE roster—if he is not already.

2. Will a Dudley Boyz Heel Turn Really Right What Is Wrong with Them? 

Credit: WWE.com

Monday night, The Dudley Boyz turned heel, beating down The Usos and putting them through tables following a victory over The New Day and Mark Henry. While something needed to happen to reignite interest in the legendary duo, it is hardly the change that needs to occur in order to completely freshen them up.

The biggest problem with The Dudley Boyz is that they are essentially the same characters they were 16 years ago. Fans unfamiliar with their work in TNA as Team 3D see today's Dudley Boyz and are left to wonder what exactly has changed since they rose to prominence as one of the top tag teams of their generation.

The answer is "nothing."

There has been nothing in the way of character development and no story has properly explored what makes them any more special than The Prime Time Players or Lucha Dragons other than their choice in camouflage for ring gear.

The heel turn is a nice way to change things up, to create some interesting matchups, but what Bubba Ray and D-Von really need is some reinventing. Until then, they are still the same great tag team that has, unfortunately, not figured out that it is no longer 2001.

3. Why Is Roman Reigns in the Background Heading into Fastlane? 

Credit: WWE.com

The most stunning aspect of Monday's Raw was not the outpouring of love from fans and peers alike toward Bryan. It was, instead, the fact that Reigns took such a backseat in the hype for the Triple Threat No. 1 Contender's match at Fastlane.

The majority of the broadcast centered around Ambrose standing up to Lesnar, all the while Reigns essentially sat back and watched, uninterested in engaging Lesnar in any physical encounter. Why WWE Creative would take that approach when the entire point of the match is to put Reigns over and launch him into a WrestleMania program with Triple H, is a mystery.

He has been done such a great disservice by WWE Creative on this road to WrestleMania that it is a surprise he is over at all. First he looks like a coward who steps out of the Royal Rumble only to return 30 minutes later. Then he slinks into the background, overshadowed by the two men he will battle at Fastlane, both of whom are infinitely more popular than he is.

Where the questionable booking ends is a question only Vince McMahon knows the answer to. When Reigns takes to the WrestleMania stage to battle Triple H and gets booed in what should be a rebel-versus-authority storyline of epic proportions, the company will have no one to blame but itself.