Predicting When Dean Ambrose Will Turn Heel vs. The Shield on WWE Raw

Dean Ambrose returned in August after spending nine months healing from a triceps injury with noticeably more muscle, less hair, some new moves and the same grumpy attitude we have all come to expect.

While it seems like the biggest changes to his character have been cosmetic, Ambrose has also been unusually quiet since joining back up with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins in The Shield.

When the trio first arrived on the scene, The Lunatic Fringe was the mouthpiece of the group. He would do two-thirds of the talking, Rollins would say a few lines and Reigns would end with "Believe that."

Ambrose's mouth has gotten him into plenty of fights in WWE, so seeing him keep so quiet is making it look like he is planning something unexpected. 

The Shield is the most popular stable to come along in years. It makes sense why WWE management would want to capitalize on a reunion once Ambrose was ready to return, but don't expect this to be a long-term run for The Hounds of Justice.

The first time around, Rollins was the one who broke up the group by turning heel. The Big Dog isn't going to play an outright villain anytime soon, so the only person left who can cause another rift is Ambrose.

A heel turn would revitalize his career and put him back in the spotlight, but choosing the right time and place for a betrayal is key to making the storyline work.

Let's go through what we know right now in an attempt to pinpoint when he might turn on his brothers-in-arms. 

What We Know For Sure

WWE didn't want to have Ambrose return as a heel because reuniting The Shield is a great way for the company to print its own money with merchandise sales. Even with Reigns being so polarizing, the group remains popular.

If a heel turn is going to work properly, it has to be something of a surprise. That's why it won't happen until at least the middle of November.

The company's planned Super Show-Down event in Australia takes place on October 6. According to WWE.com, The Shield is already booked to face Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre at the show. 

Like the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia in April, this event is designed to give the people of Australia something on the same level as SummerSlam or WrestleMania without actually holding one of its biggest pay-per-views outside of North America.

Ambrose obviously won't be wrestling at the Evolution PPV since it is exclusively for the women's division, so that means the next major event to include the men after SSD is Survivor Series on November 18. 

When is the Right Time to Strike?

Survivor Series is a perfect opportunity for WWE to showcase The Shield. Management has used this event to push the competition between Raw and SmackDown in the past, so The New Day or Sanity would be ideal opponents in a traditional elimination match to keep the battle of the brands going.

Since we already saw Reigns, Rollins and Ambrose battle Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods at last year's event, Sanity is a better option.

Eric Young, Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe had a lot of momentum in NXT, but WWE has bungled their run on the main roster at every turn. Facing The Shield could be their ticket to turning things around.

Not only would a victory give Sanity the push it needs, but a match between the two groups would be the perfect place to have The Lunatic Fringe turn on his partners.

He doesn't necessarily have to align with Sanity. All he has to do is leave The Architect and The Big Dog high and dry or attack one of them to cause The Shield to lose.

His motivations could be as simple as wanting the Intercontinental or Universal Championship, or it could be something deeper like holding a grudge against Rollins for his original betrayal in 2014.

This would give the creative team more than enough time to build a new storyline leading to a match at Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 16.

Why This Needs to Happen

Not only does Ambrose need a way to put the spotlight back on himself after nine months on the shelf, but WWE needs more main event-level heels on the red brand.

Reigns, Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Finn Balor, Bray Wyatt, Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens and Jinder Mahal are the only former WWE champions on the Raw roster.

Ziggler and Mahal are stuck in midcard hell, Owens is possibly changing brands after quitting on Raw and the rest are babyfaces at the moment.

Braun Strowman is also a main event star, but unless he kicks a puppy on live television, he's not going to be seen as a full heel because the WWE Universe loves him so much.

WWE's flagship show needs a top bad guy and Ambrose is the best option. He can make the transition without changing anything about his character, and he has enough history with most of the other main eventers to create several long-term storylines heading into 2019.

A feud with Rollins or Reigns would propel him back to where he was before his injury and give the fans a villain who looks natural in the role. It's a win-win for everyone. 

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What do you think? Will Ambrose turn on The Shield? When do you think it will happen?