Dominik Mysterio's Intercontinental Title blurs lines between allies and rivals

There was once a time when Dominik "Dirty Dom" Mysterio was the epitome of a heel in every aspect. Anytime he picked up a microphone and held it to his mouth, he'd be interrupted with an overwhelming amount of boos from any city he and the villainous WWE group, The Judgment Day, appeared in. 

That sort of heat is somewhat of a rarity now, as most of the modern-day villains of the squared circle receive their fair share of cheers despite their antics. 

Look no further than MJF, John Cena, Tiffany Stratton (as a heel during her saga with Nia Jax), Naomi and a list of others.

Unlike the names previously mentioned, Dirty Dom somehow found a way to get the WWE Universe to genuinely despise him through his masterful portrayal of smugness and arrogance. This spanned from his inception into The Judgment Day to recent times. 

But those days are seemingly over. Outside of the ring, Mysterio has gained widespread praise throughout his entire run as a heel, so much so that it's become impossible not to give him his flowers.

His big Intercontinental Championship victory received arguably the biggest pop of the night at WrestleMania 41. It could easily make any wrestling fan wonder if the best choice of action is to turn him face again.

Judging by Monday night's Raw, it's evident that Dom's Judgment Day cohort Finn Balor isn't happy with the direction the faction is going. His body language following Dominik's first championship defense tells the story of a jealous man. 

Safe to say, Balor's stint in The Judgment Day is seemingly coming to an end unless WWE plans on flipping the script.

If Dom does turn good, it may set up an interesting dynamic with the rest of the faction. Dominik and his on-screen girlfriend Liv Morgan don't seem to be showing any signs of a split. While WWE teased some tension after Morgan lost the Women's World Title a few months back, the dynamic duo is now tighter than ever. Mysterio is the IC Champ, Morgan is one-half of the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, and the rest of the members seem to be genuinely supportive, barring the aforementioned Balor.

Let's not forget that JD McDonagh recently made his return on Raw and added Mysterio in defeating Penta. Does the former NXT Cruiserweight Champion remain loyal to his longtime partner in crime, Balor? Or will he do the unthinkable and turn on him when he least expects it?

If the plan is to strike while the iron is hot with Mysterio, fans shouldn't be surprised to see he (and perhaps the rest of The Judgment Day) play at anti-heroes for the foreseeable future. However, if the aim is to extend what's already been a long-term story, maybe there's more to this tale than meets the eye.