10 Things We Learned From Post-Payback WWE Raw (May 1)
7. Mean Dean
Dean Ambrose's kids TV comedy always felt out of place on an AJ Styles-led SmackDown Live!, but his persona has adapted well to life on the freewheeling flagship broadcast.
Performances since a 'Superstar Shake-up' switch has marked a reversal in fortunes for the former Shield member, and he continued his upward trajectory with show-stealing verbal displays throughout the episode.
A rarity in the modern age, Ambrose's ability in recent weeks to walk the tightrope between silly and serious has given him a solid foundation to rebuild a career previously flagging on Tuesday nights.
The aforementioned interruption to conflicts between Finn Balor, Seth Rollins and The Miz was littered with over-familiar WWE writing team gags, but he admirably kept the segment on track and all eyes on his prize.
That crucial injection of logic into his verbiage brought gravitas to his whole performance, which allowed wider margins as he went off on comedic tangents. His line about having Kurt Angle's telephone number brought the house down, and his interviewer interaction with The Miz later in the broadcast was an unusually choice moment of mirth between the pair.