Shane McMahon Represents the Perfect Babyface to Oppose Vince and Stephanie

The minute Shane McMahon's music hit on Monday's episode of Raw, fans inside the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit and watching on their television sets popped knowing something big was going down.

And much to their delight, the prodigal son has returned to save WWE from his father and sister, Vince and Stephanie.

Shane McMahon's attempt to seize control of WWE is about more than legacy. It is the real-life battle between the status quo and the will of the fans. And there's no better babyface to stare down the McMahon family than one of its own, especially one who's left the company to forge his own legacy.

Shane Succeeds Where Vince's Handpicked Superstars Can't

While two of Vince's chosen few (Triple H and Roman Reigns) will battle for in-ring supremacy at WrestleMania 32, the real draw for that pay-per-view is now Shane vs. Vince and Stephanie.

There's no better babyface to stare down the McMahon family than Shane, who left WWE in 2010 to forge his own legacy and found success in numerous other business ventures.

Even in the face of potentially the most daunting of circumstances—needing to face Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania 32—there's a genuine feeling that something is changing in WWE. In a single 10-minute segment, Shane was able to do what no Superstar on the roster has been able to for more than two years: Stand in opposition of The Authority and be believable doing so.

No WWE Superstar has been able to captialize on that feeling since Daniel Bryan was victorious at WrestleMania 30. Many have tried: CM Punk, The Shield, John Cena, Dean Ambrose, Reigns. All have fallen to Triple H, Stephanie and Vince.

Sure, battles were won, but The Authority always won the war. And maybe that'll be the case in this situation, too. But something feels...different.

Kayfabe Suspended to Bring Reality into WWE Programming

WWE knows something's broken, which is why Shane's promo felt a little too real in certain spots.

WWE stock is down since its high in early 2014 following the launch of WWE Network, as "investors have been expecting a faster ramp-up," according to Variety's Todd Spangler. The fact is the company hasn't been keeping casual fans around longer than their one-month free trials, upping churn rates.

Ratings continue to decline, and the three-hour format on Monday nights is causing viewership to drop off as the program extends to its late hour.

As Ryan Droste of Top Rope Press recently wrote, "very little of consequence" happens on a weekly basis, while viewers are "not intrigued by Raw" moving into its third hour.

Finally, injuries continue to mar the roster, thereby weakening the product. In the past 12 months, names like John Cena, Randy Orton, Sting, Seth Rollins, Cesaro, Daniel Bryan, Tyson Kidd, Nikki Bella and Rusev have gone down for extended lengths of time, with many of those Superstars sure to miss the industry's Super Bowl.

As noted by The Huffington Post's Stephanie R. Caudle, "Never has the company been faced with the injuries of so many main event stars at one time."

All these issues not only have an impact on the bottom line for WWE but also on the fans. Without the Superstars they know and love, the product becomes less exciting. Without those top-level Superstars to lean on, WWE Creative gets complacent.

It also doesn't help that the creative team has to figure out ways to get out of the corner it's boxed itself into when a performer gets injured.

WrestleMania 32 Becomes Must-See TV in 24 Hours

One night after WWE fans revolted following a subpar WWE Fastlane pay-per-view, those very same fans forgave the company they spewed vitriol at on social media just hours earlier.

The predictability of a Reigns-Triple H showdown gave way to not one but two unbelievable matches announced on Raw just hours following Fastlane.

Not only will Shane do battle with Undertaker at Hell in a Cell, but it was also announced that the Internet Wrestling Community's darling, Dean Ambrose, will face down sports entertainment's biggest draw, Brock Lesnar.

Less than 24 hours after Fastlane, fans forgave WWE.

It couldn't have happened without the return of a prodigal son. As For the Win's Simon Samano wrote, "All that talk about Wrestlemania potentially being a huge disappointment and a letdown without a good number of its top stars? Forget about it. This is just what Wrestlemania needed, and the road getting there just hot a whole hell of a lot more interesting."

Whether or not Shane McMahon defeats The Phenom in Dallas, he's already accomplished what Vince, Stephanie, Triple H, Roman Reigns or any other Superstar hasn't been able to do over the last two years.

He reignited interest in the brand.