WWE Raw Results: Ronda Rousey Unleashes and Top Takeaways

On the heels of a newsworthy Money in the Bank pay-per-view, WWE delivered an episode of Raw that spawned new rivalries, added heat to old ones and resulted in a new champion being crowned.

The in-ring action was sacrificed for the creation of new, exciting programs and character development that will aid the overall quality of the brand's television as Extreme Rules approaches.

A blockbuster show with a red-hot angle at the top of it, it left viewers with several significant takeaways.

Ronda Rousey Unleashes, Enhances Star

Ronda Rousey has been spectacular thus far in her WWE career, but until Monday, she had earned criticism for being far too smiley and happy to be there than someone of her badass background should be.

Faced with an angle that would require her to be pissed off and vengeful, Rousey excelled.

She hit the ring seeking revenge for Alexa Bliss' opportune Money in the Bank cash-in that left her the victim of Little Miss Bliss' briefcase and without her first championship in WWE.

Rousey powered past general manager Kurt Angle, took the fight to Bliss and even pummeled her superior with the briefcase. To put an exclamation point on the segment, she hoisted a lifeless Bliss overhead and slammed her through the announce table, drawing chants of "YES!" from the fans in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

To that point, Rousey had done a fantastic job of keeping the fans on her side, an unenviable task for Superstars perceived to be part-timers taking opportunities away from full-time performers. Monday, she won them over, proving she can be more than the smiling and timid newcomer by embracing her inner fury and beating the unholy hell out of anyone in her path.

It was a star-making segment that took Rousey's already-blazing star and somehow made it burn brighter.

The 30-day suspension that Angle levied as a result of Rousey's actions only serves to keep her fresh while setting up an explosive return when the time comes.

Of all the Superstars on the Raw roster, including former champions like Finn Balor, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, it is Rousey who may be the most popular babyface on the entire brand, and that is a testament to both her dedication this early in her career and her booking by WWE Creative.

Elias Is More Compelling, Dangerous Than Ever Before

Elias came within a one-count of winning the Intercontinental Championship at Money in the Bank before Seth Rollins reversed his rollup and grabbed hold of his tights. A disheveled Elias sat in the center of the ring Monday night on Raw and went straight into song, repeatedly asking, "what would Elias do?"

There was something haunting about the manner in which Elias strummed his guitar, a lost soul seeking meaning in the WWE Universe. His solution? Call out Brock Lesnar and petition for an entry into the multi-man No. 1 contender's match at Extreme Rules.

There were no catchphrases. The sinister songster did not play to the crowd. He sang his entire song and stared intently into the camera, as if to connect with the people at home as much as he had those in attendance.

It was the first hint that the Elias we see going forward may be more focused and dangerous than ever before. 

That is not a bad thing by any means.

Elias has been stellar and still knows how to manipulate the audience into reacting how he wants them to, as he did by throwing in the dig at Grand Rapids Monday night, yet he needs that ruthless edge to him to be accepted at the next level.

Calling out Lesnar is a step in the right direction. Ramping up the intensity and showing some of that ruthless aggression Vince McMahon once referenced in a memorable promo will only help his cause.

Bayley vs. Sasha Banks Is the Rivalry That Keeps on Giving

It has been three years since Bayley and Sasha Banks tore the house down in the rings of NXT, defining an entire era of women's wrestling with that brand and earning their reputations as two of the best workers in the industry.

Since then, they have stood across the ring from each other and side-by-side in tag team matches, but they have yet to wage war as rivals, rekindling the intense dislike for each other that fueled their original feud.

After months of teasing, fans finally saw the fracture of their friendship Monday night, as a frustrated Banks shoved Bayley to the mat and walked out on her following a loss to the Riott Squad. An intense backstage brawl followed, and their contributions to the show concluded with Bayley watching her now-former friend drive away, leaving all of their good times and comradery in the past.

The intensity the women demonstrated in the backstage brawl made for compelling television, while their story, when not interrupted by uneven creative, has been one of the most interesting on the entire show. We already know what they bring in the ring.

Now they will have the opportunity to build off their considerable backstory and add new chapters to their story.

And it will be the fans who benefit.

Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre Closer to Modern Shawn Michaels and Diesel

The minute Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre formed their union on the night of the Superstar Shake-up, they drew comparisons to Shawn Michaels and Diesel. Ziggler had been compared to HBK for the entirety of his career, while McIntyre's height and ominous presence reminded longtime fans of the stoic bodyguard portrayed by Kevin Nash.

Monday night, the comparisons gained more support as Ziggler defeated Seth Rollins to capture the Intercontinental Championship, not unlike Michaels did when he beat Marty Jannetty to regain the same title in 1993. In that case, Michaels benefited from the presence of Diesel, who interfered and helped his charge win the gold.

Ditto McIntyre, who played a key role in the outcome of Monday's match.

Ziggler's victory is not one fans have not seen before. He has held that title before, many times, but always performs admirably with it. He is a superb in-ring competitor whose work speaks for itself. He can deliver against any Superstar, of any style or size, and steal the show.

What his win does, though, is create a scenario in which McIntyre continues to have his back before realizing that The Showoff is garnering all the spotlight and championship glory when in reality, it should be him.

He and Ziggler will go their separate ways, just as Michaels and Diesel did, and the two will have matches that wow fans and ultimately enhance McIntyre's star ahead of a massive singles push.

Kevin Owens Is Awesome as the Manipulator

Kevin Owens has spent weeks trying to find a Raw Superstar to align himself with The Prizefighter as he attempts to climb back to the top of the brand. No one would partner with him to take out Braun Strowman at Money in the Bank so Monday, he petitioned The Monster Among Men himself to join him in a marriage of convenience.

It did not go so well.

Owens found himself in the grasp of the Money in the Bank winner but was able to slither his way to safety before ultimately teaming with Constable Baron Corbin to defeat Strowman and Finn Balor in the night's main event.

That the character continues to search for that backup suggests his story will ultimately culminate with another Raw Superstar joining him. Before then, the WWE Universe should sit back and enjoy watching Owens attempt to manipulate everyone and thing in his way in hopes of getting what he wants.

At his best, Owens is the cerebral villain who knows which buttons to press and how to get the desired outcome. The most honorable of babyfaces may have denied his attempts to befriend them for now, but someone will bite, just like Sami Zayn and Chris Jericho before them, and the result will be a renewed Owens ready to achieve greatness on Monday nights.