During the rise of the Shield in the WWE over the past 2 years, there were some ample highlights put forth by Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. The combination of strength, athleticism and theatricality hit just the right notes with the WWE Universe who only grew to love them more as time went on. All 3 held titles during their run, solidifying their ‘yes, we are legit’ status but it always seemed to me that the Tag Team title run that Rollins and Reigns had was held in higher esteem in people’s eyes than Dean Ambrose’s run as US Champion. Part of the problem was he didn’t seem to have many title defenses during his 351-day run, though that was the longest reign for that particular title in many years.
The other part of the problem was the storyline painted Ambrose to be the weak link of the Shield. He was just the mouthpiece without the game to back it up next to the high flying Rollins and powerhouse Reigns. Before their vaunted feud with Triple H and Evolution, cracks in the armor of the Shield had already begun to show and both Reigns and Rollins were counting Ambrose as the odd man out. When Ambrose finally relinquished the US title in a 20-man battle royal, it was the end of the beginning for the Shield.
With the big push for Reigns already laid in the groundwork, sending Rollins over to the dark side by joining the Authority made sense. What would become of the odd man out? Would Dean Ambrose have a purpose in the WWE without the Shield? Here’s where the storyline switches. You see, Roman Reigns may still wear the colors and have the entrance of the Shield and Seth Rollins may claim ownership but the true spirit of the Shield, the never-ending battle against injustice, is all Ambrose.
Dean Ambrose (aka Jon Moxley, nee Jonathan Good) was a hardscrabble kid from Cincinnati who paid every due coming up thru the wrestling ranks, winning indie titles and having epic battles with some of the best in the business. His new, street fighter look matches well with his personality. While the Shield may have had a haphazard approach to what kind of justice needed to be served, picking fights with the big dogs, sometimes at a price, the only thing haphazard about Ambrose is his wrestling style. He’s like a berserker in the ring, showing off an impressive array of moves and sells that he wasn’t able to under the yoke of the Shield.
And Ambrose has lost none of his potency on the mic since the break up in fact, he’s running circles around his former teammates in that arena, painting Rollins as a mealy mouthed toady and Reigns, well, let’s just say has always been a 'less is more' guy. Reigniting his old FCW rivalry with Rollins may be just the ticket to put Dean Ambrose over as the new underdog tweener/defender that WWE Universe fans tend to gravitate towards. If he can stay healthy during his time at WWE, I can see him challenging for whatever title he wants – that’s IF he wants a title. Seems to me, he just wants to scrap with anyone in the yard. Watch out WWE, the real hound of justice is getting ready to howl.
Dave Parrish
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