WWE Raw Results: Dean Ambrose Is Back with a New Look and Top Takeaways

On the final week before SummerSlam, the August 13 edition of Monday Night Raw was a big go-home show with the expectation that Ronda Rousey and Brock Lesnar would be in the building once more before their huge title matches.

However, the biggest news coming out of Raw was left until the last moment as Seth Rollins announced that he had flown in some help in form of his Shield brother Dean Ambrose. The Lunatic Fringe looked as good as he ever has, setting up a potential game changer at SummerSlam.

Rousey opened the show to continue building up momentum as an unstoppable threat, making it seem almost impossible that she could lose to Alexa Bliss. Bobby Lashley also continued to prove he needs someone else to speak for him with Paul Heyman certainly possible.

Brock Lesnar's Advocate seemed to reveal that he was playing the long game this week by setting up Roman Reigns for a Lesnar assault, but Heyman's actions still leave him with all the power for Sunday. Renee Young filled in for Jonathan Coachman on commentary and pretty clearly outshined him.

These final moments defined the Raw go-home show for the second biggest show of the WWE year. These stars especially may be giving strong hints of what to expect at the Biggest Party of the Summer.

Dean Ambrose Has Returned Looking Larger and Potentially More Dangerous

Throughout the night, Kurt Angle was worried that Rollins would not show up in time to sign the contract for SummerSlam, and Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre seemed convinced The Architect would not show. However, Rollins did, just in time to introduce the returning and more buff Dean Ambrose.

Ambrose will now be in Rollins' corner to counteract the threat of McIntyre in Ziggler's corner. This brings up some interesting possibilities on Sunday. While The Lunatic was always going to be the most likely candidate to help Rollins, his timetable for recovery was uncertain.

Now that it is clear he is healthy, no one knows exactly what Ambrose will do going forward. It was expected that Ambrose might turn heel before his injury, and it is possible that happens during the WWE Intercontinental Championship match.

It is still odd that this final Ziggler vs. Rollins match will have no stipulation, so the whole focus will be on what Ambrose adds to the match. If he helps The Man win his second IC title, that would make for a fine but unexciting story especially with the surprise of Ambrose returning already used up.

Something has to be done to end this feud for good, and Ambrose turning and basically starting his new run as a heel with a vendetta against the man who injured him would jumpstart Raw in a big way. Plus with Ambrose looking more in shape than before, he already has a new heel look prepared.

Ronda Rousey Cannot Lose at SummerSlam

Credit: WWE.com

Rousey opened the show to introduce Ember Moon, who faced Bliss. The Goddess brought private security to protect her from The Baddest Woman on the Planet, but Rousey took out all four men with ease. After Alicia Fox ruined the match, Rousey took out both heels and sent them reeling.

The momentum Rousey has built to this moment points in only one direction. It would not make sense for Bliss to win now regardless of what strategies she employs. The UFC Hall of Famer would lose too much in a loss now.

It still feels a bit early for Rousey to be women's champion, but she has more than delivered in her short run. With Mile 22, Rousey's highest billed movie role to date, releasing just days before the big event, WWE will only benefit from fully getting behind the mixed martial arts star now.

While this week did hint at the potential of Bliss vs. Moon down the line, that rivalry does not need the title to shine. Rousey may not need the championship either, but she would add a level of prestige to the Raw Women's Championship never seen before.

Evolution is only a few months away, and it would be a huge selling point to have Rousey headlining that show with so many potential rivals for the likely new champion from Nia Jax to Ruby Riott.

Bobby Lashley May Need Paul Heyman More Than Anyone Else

Elias interrupted his fan Ricky Roberts to inspire the aspiring musician to take out Lashley. After The Dominator mocked the local competitor, Roberts blasted him in the back with a guitar to little effect which Lashley responded to with a thunderous spinebuster.

While The Real Deal hits his offense with authority and puts on strong performances in the ring, he should not be talking on the mic especially as a face. This becomes more obvious every week in his feud with The Drifter. His attempts at jokes come off completely unnatural.

A silent destroyer is the best role for Lashley, and he can make that work perfectly with a manager by his side. Heyman could still be freed up soon despite his action on Raw this week, and it would be the perfect transition for him to help out another former MMA star.

Lashley cannot come off as completely threatening when he's stumbling over his words. The Advocate has already proven he can work wonders for heavyweights who are not comfortable on the mic. This pairing makes more sense than other more likely alliances like Heyman and Rousey or Reigns.

Paul Heyman Will Be the Deciding Factor on Sunday for Brock Lesnar

Credit: WWE.com

As Reigns was making his final declaration of victory, Heyman interrupted to seemingly offer The Big Dog assistance. However, as Reigns looked over a potential agreement, he was blinded by pepper spray with Lesnar appearing to pick up the scraps, planting his opponent.

This attack may have wiped out the storytelling of the last two weeks, but it would not be smart to count out WWE swerving fans once again on Sunday. It is clear that the big difference now between the past Lesnar/Reigns clashes and this coming one is Heyman's allegiance.

The Beast Incarnate was happy to accept his Advocate's help, but he still has shown in the past how little he respect The Walrus. It would be a big moment in the SummerSlam main event if Heyman cost Lesnar the title almost out of spite, playing on his client's arrogance.

For now, nothing is completely certain. Perhaps this was all just to make Reigns more sympathetic. He was blinded and potentially put in serious danger just before Sunday. It would be a big moment for most babyfaces even if fans will still not buy into Reigns completely.

No matter how anyone feels about this fourth clash of Raw's top stars though, Heyman's involvement does at least add some intrigue.

WWE Should Consider Replacing Jonathan Coachman with Renee Young

In her first big break as a commentator, Young took Coachman's spot on the commentary table this week, and she proved fairly natural in the role. While her lack of confidence in her first-time opportunity was clear, she naturally connected with Michael Cole and Corey Graves.

The truth is that upstaging Coachman is not that hard. The multi-sport analyst may be able to cover all kinds of events, but his knowledge of WWE is severely limited despite starting his career with WWE. His insights seem ill-formed too often.

Even if he was more connected to the show though, he would likely not match up to Young, who feels more connected to the product. She still has work to do to come off more natural working with the far more seasoned Cole and Graves, but her natural ability outshines most who have recently taken Raw's third spot.

Coachman took up the role that Booker T did not sound comfortable with, so it has been a while since there was a strong threesome on commentary for Raw. Young is already a better option, who can only get better with serious experience coming in the Mae Young Classic.