Analyzing Dean Ambrose as WWE Champion

Dean Ambrose is one of the more popular superstars in WWE and a self-proclaimed ‘iron man’ due to his consistent hard-nose, night-in-night-out work ethic. But is something missing from his current run as champion?

Dean Ambrose reached the mountaintop of WWE when he cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase the same night he won it on a weakened Seth Rollins to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. It was one of the more memorable conclusions to a PPV in recent history, with Ambrose receiving a thunderous ovation from the Las Vegas crowd that night.

By all accounts, it was the highlight of his career. Almost immediately, Ambrose jumped headfirst into two championship title defenses against Seth Rollins; one on Raw, and another on Draft night on the launch of SmackDown Live. Ambrose was subsequently the number one draft pick for Team Blue, effectively bringing the richest prize in the industry over to SmackDown. From there, Ambrose successfully defended his WWE Championship in a triple threat match against his former Shield brothers at Battleground, where in he pinned Roman Reigns cleanly. It would seem that the WWE Championship was in good hands with Ambrose heading into the New Era.

However, as red-hot as Ambrose’s first month as champion was, it cooled down quite significantly by SummerSlam. Although his feud with number one contender Dolph Ziggler made for interesting must-see TV with their excellent promos and in-ring segments together, the payoff match itself left much to be desired. Some may even consider the Ambrose/Ziggler WWE Championship bout at SummerSlam to be woefully disappointing, and failing to properly exhibit what both men are capable of when the lights are on brightest.

I for one, was hoping that the match would steal the show based on the anticipation and momentum that had been building up ever since the two first went at it on the mic. But the match ended up being a letdown, unable to match the intensity of their verbal jabs, much like the Triple H vs. Randy Orton match at Wrestlemania XXV.

must read: 5 Reasons Dean Ambrose Should Defeat AJ Styles at WWE Backlash

Once again, the WWE Championship was put on the backburner in favor of the likes of John Cena, a similar position the title found itself when it was held by CM Punk

But perhaps even more damning for Ambrose’s reign as WWE Champion is that his feud with Ziggler played second-fiddle to the John Cena-AJ Styles rivalry. Once again, the WWE Championship was put on the backburner in favor of the likes of John Cena, a similar position the title found itself when it was held by CM Punk. SmackDown only provided four matches to the SummerSlam card; although the Cena/Styles match unanimously won match of the night, it was expected that the WWE Championship match would also steal the show, given how few SmackDown matches there were.

Ambrose had his chance to truly cement himself as the top guy, the ‘kingpin’ as he is often referred to by Mauro Ranallo, of the WWE by going out there and having a title defense for the ages, on par with Austin vs. Undertaker in 1998, Brock vs. Rock in 2002, and Cena vs. Orton in 2007. Instead, his match with Ziggler fell flat on its face, at the second biggest show of the year.

Ambrose has now had two mediocre matches that failed to live up to expectations in the two biggest shows WWE has to offer

Ambrose had some excellent moments in 2016 such as his show-stealing bout with Kevin Owens at the Royal Rumble, as well as being one of the last two in the same Rumble match. He was in an emotionally charged WWE Championship match against Triple H at Roadblock. He won the Money in the Bank ladder match and cashed in the same night to capture his first WWE Championship. He went on to become the SmackDown #1 Draft pick. He defeated both Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns in the same night at Battleground. However, in the same year, Ambrose has now had two mediocre matches that failed to live up to expectations in the two biggest shows WWE has to offer : his no-holds barred street fight with Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania and now his WWE Championship title defense against Dolph Ziggler at SummerSlam.

Furthermore, Stone Cold Steve Austin accused Ambrose of resting on his laurels and being too comfortable. Is Ambrose better chasing the title or as the top man in the business? Fans connect to his gritty street-fighter mentality of clawing and scratching his way to the summit, however, upon reaching the pinnacle of sports-entertainment, audience reaction to him has been somewhat tepid, despite still being one of the more over stars in WWE.

At Backlash, Dean Ambrose will be once again defending his WWE Championship. This time, as a SmackDown exclusive PPV, Ambrose will undoubtedly be in the main event. However, now he is facing off against AJ Styles, the immensely popular and widely respected competitor who is fresh off of pinning John Cena clean in the potential match of the year at SummerSlam. Although he is the clear heel, the audience is much louder for Styles than they currently are for Ambrose. Once again, the WWE Championship itself, as well as its holder, find themselves in the shadows of yet another transcendent star.

Yes, he holds the WWE Championship and yes, he is wildly popular, but as of now, his reign has been largely forgettable

Dean Ambrose must have a tremendous main event worthy match with AJ Styles in order to validate his place in WWE. Yes, he holds the WWE Championship and yes, he is wildly popular, but as of now, his reign has been largely forgettable. Ambrose and Styles locked up one time on Raw prior to the brand split, and that match itself was for the most part, an unmemorable occasion. Ambrose must take his game to the next level and deliver a better performance than that. Especially considering that AJ Styles can pretty much have a great match with anybody, Ambrose needs this match more than Styles needs to win the actual title.

For as long as he is in WWE, Ambrose’s successes and failures will always be measured, fairly or unfairly, to his former Shield stablemates. All three have become WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Rollins had his WrestleMania moment and Roman has headlined two consecutive WrestleManias, while what was to be Ambrose’s shining contribution with Brock Lesnar ended up being a dud.

In regards to his Backlash opponent AJ Styles, Styles has had a tremendous match with a young Seth Rollins during his early indie career, and two incredible title matches against Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Payback and Extreme Rules. If Rollins and Roman were able to work well with Styles, Ambrose must do the same with the opportunity presented to him in the main event at Backlash with all eyes on him.

Next: Is Dean Ambrose Too 'Comfortable' in WWE?

How would you assess Dean Ambrose’s current reign as WWE Champion? Is it just another similar situation to the one CM Punk found himself in during his own 434-day run at the top? Or does the criticisms from Stone Cold Steve Austin hold weight? Can Ambrose stand on his own without Rollins and Roman? What can Ambrose and WWE do to bring the Lunatic Fringe back to where he was in the first half of 2016?