Dean Ambrose defeated Seth Rollins on Sunday at TLC to become the new Intercontinental Champion. With as popular as Rollins is these days, why have Ambrose earn the clean pin to win the title?

The former Shield brothers battled one-on-one in a grudge match prior to the main event on Sunday. For weeks, Ambrose suggested he was being overlooked and that he had Rollins' number. It turned out that he was right and when all was said and done, he was declared the winner and new champion.

What will happen with both competitors moving forward, especially considering there are big changes coming to Raw? Here are the reasons WWE may have chosen to give the title to Ambrose on Sunday.

He's Earned It

Sometimes we tend to overlook the obvious. Thinking there might be some grandiose idea as to why WWE chooses to do what they do, fans tend to look for reasons to suggest something as big an Intercontinental Title change would take place when the reality is, the person who won it simply deserved it. That may be the case for Ambrose who has been at the top of his game recently.

Since coming back from injury and turning heel with the news Roman Reigns would be out of commission for the foreseeable future, Ambrose has been one of the few entertaining parts of Monday night programming. He's fully committed to this new character turn and been delivering some of his best material in months, maybe years.

For all we know, this could simply be a reward for his hard work, especially when you consider the rest of Raw has struggled.

Related: Seth Rollins Discusses The Timing Of Dean Ambrose's Heel Turn

Rollins Is Getting Bumped Up

It is possible the change in title holders has less to do with the new champion and more to do with the previous one. Rollins is a star in WWE and currently Raw is lacking in star power. The Universal Champion is nowhere to be found and Braun Strowman is out of commission, as is Roman Reigns. Many of the company's big names are over on SmackDown Live and Rollins is one of the few people who might be able to carry the red brand with so many stars away.

Add to that, Rollins has been on the radio lately calling out Brock Lesnar and his lack of appearances on WWE programming. This could be the beginnings of a feud between the two with an eventual match to take place at WrestleMania 35. If so, having Rollins hold the Intercontinental Title doesn't make a lot of sense.

Related: Raw Winners & Losers: Ambrose Shines In the Absence Of Stars

Vince's Shakeup

One thing that was frequently discussed and promoted at TLC on Sunday was Monday's future appearance by Vince McMahon who has promised to shake things up. This title change may be the start of something bigger that has more to do with the Raw brand than it does these two competitors.

If Vince is planning a Superstar Shakeup or a draft of some kind, one of Rollins or Ambrose could be moving to SmackDown Live and Tuesday nights. It would make more sense to move the Intercontinental Title holder than it would a guy like Rollins who will be battling in the main event scene on Raw. Or, if Rollins heads to SmackDown, some extremely big names from the blue brand might be coming to Mondays in an effort to get ratings back up. WWE has been known to move titles to different shows, just not the heavyweight belts.

Next: WWE TLC 2018: Asuka Wins SmackDown Women’s Title With Help From Rousey