Dean Ambrose Needs to Leave Shield Feud as WWE Champion

Dean Ambrose should get lengthy title reign with the WWE Championship.

Roman Reigns’ 30-day wellness violation suspension probably helped WWE decision-makers opt to put the title on Dean Ambrose. Now with Battleground set to be an all-out clash of the Shield and immediate last three WWE champions the odds aren’t great Ambrose retains. That would be a mistake.

The WWE stuck to their guns with Reigns keeping him solidly as the No. 1 face despite the vaunted WWE Universe loudly proclaiming ‘Anyone But Roman.’ Ambrose has long been the fans’ choice anyway. Giving Ambrose a chance to see how he’d cut it long-term as champ with a legitimate shot is definitely best for business.

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Just from a ‘enough already’ perspective giving Ambrose a chance to sink or swim would get the Internet critics off their back by letting him break through the world title glass ceiling. A quick, unmemorable reign will cut the legs off of Ambrose just like it did Randy Orton in 2004. And it took him years to be considered a legitimate world champion after his first ppv title defense to Triple H.

Given his bond with the fans even in the midst of going nowhere angles, questionable losses and lackluster feuds the fans never stopped believing in Ambrose. That credibility with the fans is invaluable. Stars like Zack Ryder and Dolph Ziggler can attest to the struggles to remain relevant after one too many bad feuds and losses.  

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Ambrose is a unique personality among the more cookie-cutter members of the roster. He’s a modern throwback to Rowdy Roddy Piper, Terry Funk and Brian Pillman. They kept people’s attention much in the same way Ambrose does now.

Of the Shield members, Ambrose is the most vulnerable/relatable. He’s not the pure athlete like Rollins and isn’t the powerhouse like Reigns. He has to rely on his guile and devil may care attitude to get wins. That average guy approach is why Ambrose connects with such a broad spectrum of the fans. In Ambrose they see a WWE superstar and now champion that looks just like them right down to the wife beater T-shirt and jeans. It certainly beats wearing a ‘bulletproof’ vest to the ring.  

Reigns has The Chosen One covering while Rollins already defeated most of the viable challengers anyway. As far as fallback options, the WWE could do a lot worse than their chosen one and 2015’s most dominant WWE superstar.

Ambrose, however, has a wealth of post-Shield opponents. Bray Wyatt could easily look to resume their feud and Brock Lesnar left him broken and battered at Wrestlemania. Just imagine how quick Paul Heyman could sell an Ambrose/Lesnar rematch. Not to mention the fresh opposition like AJ Styles and future NXT call ups like Finn Balor, Samoa Joe or Austin Aries.

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Worst case scenario for WWE, Ambrose doesn’t pan out and is better suited as challenger than champion. It’s not like he’d been primed as the man anyway. But if Ambrose connects in a way as champ that Reigns never could while having matches approaching Rollins’ reign, WWE could have a long-term option on top.