Desperately Needed Seth Rollins Heel Delivers and More WWE Raw Fallout

After a Survivor Series that saw the Chicago fans treat Seth Rollins like one of the biggest heels on the show, WWE Creative made it official Monday night on Raw, executing a heel turn that turned The Beastslayer into the lead villain on the red brand.

It could not have happened at a better, more opportune time.

The former universal champion's sudden turn headlines the biggest takeaways from this week's show, but it is hardly the only one.

Find out who else stole the headlines, why and what it means to the brand's immediate future with this recap of the November 25 broadcast.

Seth Rollins Turns Heel and All Is Right with the World

The try-hard babyface run of Raw's top star came to a screeching halt at the top of Monday's show as Seth Rollins took to the mic to blame his fellow red-brand Superstars for the flagship's underwhelming performance at Survivor Series.

After months of forced good-guy promos and irritatingly one-dimensional booking straight out of the mid-90s, WWE Creative finally took Rollins in a different direction, producing a public locker room meeting in which he berated his fellow Superstars, putting himself above them as if he was somehow better.

The fans reacted accordingly, booing him and his insults of the men and women around the ringside. By the time Kevin Owens dropped him with a stunner to a thunderous ovation, it was clear the man who once served as Raw's great hope against the overpushed part-timers had become the egotistical villain he once accused Brock Lesnar of being.

With The Beast Incarnate appearing only intermittently and AJ Styles firmly entrenched in the midcard for the time being, there is an opening at the top of the card for a consistent main event heel. Rollins fits that role perfectly, especially if the teased partnership with the dominant Authors of Pain develops.

We have seen Rollins in a similar role in the past, relying on J & J Security for backup as he cheated his way to victory after victory and, ultimately, the WWE Championship. It is a proven formula that WWE Creative appears poised to try to replicate.

Given the alternative, which includes mind-numbing rah-rah speeches and uninteresting programs, Rollins' turn is more than welcome. Here's hoping a better product results.

Yes, Charlotte Flair Can Thrive in a Feud Without a Major Singles Championship

For the longest time, it appeared as though WWE Creative had no confidence in a women's championship program unless Charlotte Flair was somehow involved.

Whether it was Raw or SmackDown, The Queen almost always found her way into the title picture, eventually drawing groans and boos from fans who grew tired of the second-generation competitor's placement in the top feuds.

Monday night, Flair battled Asuka in a match that saw The Empress of Tomorrow and women's tag team champion defeat her after spitting green mist in her eyes. The finish was indicative of the continuation of The Queen's rivalry with The Kabuki Warriors but, more importantly, proof positive that she can thrive in a program without singles gold at stake.

Flair is, arguably, one of the best workers in all of WWE. She has competed in some of the most significant matches of her generation and delivered in every one of them. She is an all-timer whose credibility and star power should be spread across the roster rather than in one area.

Putting her against The Kabuki Warriors not only helps elevate that talented team after an uneven start to their title reign, but it also elevates the belts in importance.

For Flair, it freshens her up, curbs the negativity surrounding her abundance of championship opportunities and creates intrigue as to who will join her in her battle against the villainous titleholders.

Pissed Off, Vengeful Rusev Brings Welcome Break in Soap-Opera Nonsense

After weeks of the worst promos, angles and creative content, the rivalry pitting Rusev against Bobby Lashley and estranged wife Lana received a shot in the arm Monday, thanks to a vengeful Bulgarian Brute.

Despite a restraining order, Rusev rushed the ring and attacked Lashley. He unloaded on The All Mighty, unleashing a month of frustration, heartache and anger on the former intercontinental champion.

Even as he had his hands cuffed behind his back, arrested for breaking the court-mandated order to remain 90 feet away from The Ravishing Russian, he still managed to bump Lashley off the stage in a spot that earned a favorable response from the Chicago crowd.

The angle worked as well as it did because fans have been waiting for that response from Rusev since the revelation of Lana's affair with Lashley. It is logical that a guy who just found out his significant other had cheated on him with another man would want to lash out and attack that guy—especially in a pro wrestling setting.

That it took this long to get to Rusev snapping is surprising. Now, it's time to set aside the overly dramatic promos and poor acting and give fans an emotionally intense match between Rusev and Lashley to finally pay off the feud.

Rey Mysterio's Win Sets Up Potential High-Profile Feud with AJ Styles and The OC

A year of lackluster booking on SmackDown has given way to renewed significance on the Raw brand for Rey Mysterio, who followed up a disappointing loss to WWE champion Brock Lesnar at Sunday's Survivor Series with a win in a Fatal 4-Way match against Ricochet, Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton.

By way of his win, he then challenged and defeated AJ Styles for the United States Championship. That victory earned him a second reign with the secondary title this year, but more importantly, it sets the stage for a relatively high-profile feud with Styles and The O.C.

Mysterio and Styles are two of the most celebrated in-ring performers of their eras, and rightfully so. They are hugely influential and responsible for some of the best matches of the last 15 years. Bringing them together, with a historic championship at the center of their program, is a wise way to elevate the importance of the U.S. title.

With WWE champion Brock Lesnar not around enough for that particular title to mean much on a week-to-week basis, the U.S. Championship has the potential to become the most coveted prize among the Superstars who are on the show every Monday night.

Furthermore, using Mysterio as a mentor to Humberto Carrillo, who lost his opportunity to challenge for the title after enduring a beatdown at the hands of The O.C. Monday, has the potential to make for some quality television—particularly if Carrillo eventually heels on the new champion, accusing him of stealing his shot.

The match potential is limitless, the storyline could be huge and the opportunity for WWE to make something truly special of the U.S. title is enormous.