WWE Raw Results: Bayley Finally Turns Heel and Biggest Takeaways

The June 25 episode of Raw brought with it a red-hot main event, the latest chapter in the budding rivalry between Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley and the long-awaited heel turn for one of the Women's Revolution's most important figures.

Bayley unleashed on Sasha Banks and elevated what should have been a filler episode of Raw to a newsworthy one.

What joined Bayley's change in attitude as the biggest takeaways from Monday's broadcast?

Find out below.

Bayley Turns Heel...and Not a Minute Too Soon

For the better part of six months, fans have waited eagerly for Bayley to lash out at her best friend Sasha Banks and initiate a heel turn that would freshen up her character.

After a ton of patience on their part, those fans were rewarded Monday night with a heel turn that saw Bayley brutalize Banks, reference the years of frustration and heartache while talking trash to the Boss and tell the multi-time women's champion, "you ain't s--t!"

It was a defining moment in Bayley's journey to greatness in WWE and one that absolutely needed to happen.

WWE Creative very easily could have turned Banks and gone the predictable route. Bayley would've stayed exactly the same. She would have been the sympathetic heroine yet to really strike a chord with audiences of the main roster and probably would have continued to struggle creatively.

As a heel, though, the creative avenues the writing team can take the character are wide open.

No longer willing to sit back and let everyone take her kindness and love of wrestling for granted, Bayley exploded.

Where the story goes from here should have fans genuinely excited.

Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley Is the Feud We Didn't Know We Needed

Who would have thought a program pitting Roman Reigns against Bobby Lashley would breathe some life into Reigns and give Lashley a second chance to impress the WWE Universe on his return?

As witnessed Monday night, Lashley presents Reigns with a legitimate challenge to the throne of No. 1 contender. In what was his strongest performance on the microphone to date—though that isn't saying much—Lashley expressed the same exhaustion with Reigns' place in the main event that fans have for years.

Reigns fired back, reminding those same fans that the last time Lashley was in the main event, he bolted.

The verbal exchange played well with the audience and, for the first time, a Lashley-Reigns match felt like one the fans were genuinely interested in seeing. 

There is still plenty of time for WWE Creative to ruin the build to the match, but it can take comfort in knowing it struck the right chord Monday night. There's now real anticipation for a match between two guys who do not possess the most explosive personalities.

The Authors of Pain Should Never Run from Anyone. Ever.

The Authors of Pain returned to television this week and destroyed two unknown competitors in an entertaining demolition. Then, in a moment that suggested Vince McMahon has never watched a single episode of NXT, Akam and Rezar were run out of the ring by Titus Worldwide, who engaged the massive heels in a backstage promo earlier in the night.

It was a moment of tone deafness that will only serve to hurt The Authors of Pain more than helping them as they embark on their main-roster run.

In NXT the team was fearless, dominant, destructive and seemingly insurmountable. To have them run off by a C-level team that has not been able to establish any sort of momentum or even win more than they lose is a slap in the face.

They will likely beat Titus O'Neil and Apollo Crews when the time comes, but it will probably be a more competitive match than it should be, and therein lies the problem: The Authors should dominate en route to their eventual title opportunity.

Not struggle with a team such as Titus Worldwide that has no real credibility with fans.

Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler Tear the House Down, Preview Massive Tag Match

Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler tore the house down in the main event for the Intercontinental Championship, delivering a fantastic match marred only by the finish, which saw Drew McIntyre interfere and draw the disqualification.

Roman Reigns made the save, stood alongside Rollins and watched as Ziggler celebrated as if he had won the match, flashing a smile while holding his title. The ordeal hinted at a high-profile tag team match at some point in the near future, which would do wonders to elevate the credibility of Ziggler and McIntyre as a unit.

Rollins and Ziggler are two of the most consistent workers in the industry. Pitting them against each other is a smart way to ensure the quality of the in-ring product while helping to further elevate the prestige of the Intercontinental Championship.

McIntyre has been presented as an unstoppable force since his return from injury. Putting him in the ring with Reigns, who is perceived to be the top star on the Raw brand, will only force fans to accept the Scot as a legitimate main event-worthy competitor.

A hot heel act, two of the most popular stars on the roster and plenty of time between now and SummerSlam to tell their stories should help make for some quality television on Monday nights.