WWE Raw Results: Dolph Ziggler Rushed into Face Turn and Top Takeaways

Welcome to Baron Corbin's Monday Night Raw. Last week's Raw was dominated by the general manager elect as he took out both Elias and Finn Balor while mocking the already injured Braun Strowman. The expectation was the December 3 edition of the red brand would still be all about Corbin.

It was for the most part. The show was loaded with heels sucking up to the acting GM while faces did their best to foil his best efforts. It was another mess of a show that felt ham-fisted in its reliance on The Lone Wolf.

However, the show did have other interesting segments along the way. Dean Ambrose continued to change personas as he played mind games with Seth Rollins, and Heath Slater won a new job in WWE that he likely was not expecting.

It was an odd episode loaded with uninspired storytelling but solid enough wrestling to distract from the three hours to the point of at least being more watchable than last week. Moments on this show also seemed to matter more to the future of the brand.

These are the top takeaways from the December 3 edition of Monday Night Raw, which point to WWE's direction going into WWE TLC.

Rushing Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler Is an Expected Mistake

After the former Constable praised McIntyre and handed him a gold medal, Dolph Ziggler arrived to question why he was being left out of the festivities on the special night. After The Scottish Psychopath denounced The Showoff, Ziggler laid him out, setting up a match.

After Finn Balor sent McIntyre into the barricade, the former multi-time champion caught his supposed friend with a superkick and took the win. One of the few big potential feuds on Raw was the breakup between Ziggler and McIntyre. Both seasoned veterans with chemistry to spare, this was sure to be a hit.

However, in order to balance a roster starving for genuine babyface talent, The #Heel turned face on a whim and fought his former tag team partner. It was not surprising though given how Ziggler has been used over the years.

For a few months, The Showoff will likely remain popular, but he will disappear into the background as WrestleMania season arrived. This supposed money match is not valued by a brand that refuses to see Ziggler as more than a reliable hand.

This first clash between them was a great TV match and could lead to better contests down the line, but it is more likely McIntyre will avenge his loss in emphatic fashion soon and move up into the title picture.

Heel General Managers No Longer Work in WWE

Credit: WWE.com

Once again, the acting general manager of Raw was a heavy focus on the show. From a slanted video package that put over all that he has done for the brand to celebrating Drew McIntyre Appreciation Night, Corbin was all over this week's show.

Kurt Angle and Mick Foley were not great GMs, but they never actively hampered the product. Corbin has gone from a fine change in direction for a short time to a weight on the entire product every single week. The general manager elect has limited storytelling for months.

Satisfying the man in charge has defined basically every single heel's motivation for months while every face seems focused on rebelling against the authority. No one is allowed to tell a story separate from Corbin.

As both a mic worker and in-ring performer, The Lone Wolf has only seemed to regress with his acting especially standing out as his worst trait. He might be a fine midcard talent but has stood out like a sore thumb in a main-event role.

While Paige and Drake Maverick are great boons to SmackDown and 205 Live as face GMs, Raw's authority figure continues to prove that heel general managers only hold a wrestling show back.

Dean Ambrose Continues to Try Too Hard to Get Heat

Credit: WWE.com

Flanked by a gas-mask wearing gang, Ambrose arrived and ran down Rollins until the WWE intercontinental champion had heard enough. He stormed the ring, but ultimately, he was again laid out by his former Shield brother.

The Lunatic Fringe stated in his promo that he's the only one of his friends who never changed, yet he seems to be changing his gimmick every week. This week alone, he started as a stable-leading germaphobe and ended the night as the self-proclaimed moral compass of WWE.

Ambrose has taken an easy transition and made it unnecessarily complicated. Whether he is testing out gimmicks or just working a new metaphor with each week, the new heel is doing far too much to sell himself in his natural role.

Nothing though is more frustrating than Ambrose's attempts at cheap heat. He throws pot shots at the crowd in the middle of serious promos just to convince them to boo him, taking away from his own message.

The Architect is already far too popular for The Lunatic to attack and remain a fan favorite. He is booed repeatedly regardless of what he does. Now it is the time to embrace what makes him unique and not what every other heel is doing.

Health Slater as a Referee Is At Least Better Than No Heath Slater

At the demand of the acting GM, Slater was forced to fight Rhyno with the loser fired. After a surprise neckbreaker, The One-Man Band pinned the ECW veteran and saved his job. Backstage, Corbin announced Slater was taking on a new role as a referee.

Few wrestlers have done more with less than Slater over the years. From his surprise wins over the years against top talent to his incredible run as The Hottest Free Agent in Sports-Entertainment, he has charisma to spare that should get him more than a referee gig.

However, he has not done anything for so long that it is welcome to just see the popular star getting air time again. While Rhyno is a legend of the sport, he was not adding much anymore at 43 years old and likely only holding his partner back.

It will be interesting to see if The One-Man Band disappears into the background as a referee or genuinely gets involved in major storylines by trying to keep the peace.