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According to a recent report from The Sun “The Lunatic Fringe” Dean Ambrose is expected to be coming back from his elbow injury in time for SummerSlam. Prior to his injury, Ambrose was a babyface and a part of a reunited Shield. If you remember, the storyline explanation for his absence was that Samoa Joe injured him after a sneak attack backstage. Unfortunately, it looks like this storyline will be ignored as Ambrose is on RAW and Joe is on SmackDown Live. So, what can the WWE do with Ambrose when he returns?
Here’s my list of five things that I think WWE could do with Dean Ambrose once he returns to action.
5. REUNITE THE SHIELD….AS A HEEL GROUP
It’s no secret that many fans want to see Ambrose return as a heel. He hasn’t been in that role since 2014, and not since The Shield broke up. It’s also no secret how many fans want to see Roman Reigns turn heel as well. The only issue is that Seth Rollins is red-hot as a babyface and turning him heel again is not the right course of action, especially since his wrestling style is more suited for a babyface. That is why I’m putting this option as #5 on the list.
That said, can you imagine a heel Shield dominating RAW? I even have a perfect storyline for this: Ambrose returns to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at SummerSlam, on the way to the match Lesnar is once again presented as a babyface, while Ambrose is purposely presented as the “funny Ambrose” that so many fans dislike. Rollins and Reigns interfere in the match and help Ambrose win the title. Of course, if they really wanted a negative reaction, they could replace Ambrose in the match with Reigns. This might even make more sense, with Reigns being unable to beat Brock and needing Ambrose and Rollins to help him get the job done. The next night on RAW, The Shield can start acting like heels by sucking up to Baron Corbin, and through him to Stephanie McMahon. They can even take out Kurt Angle for extra heat. This direction would also help the WWE build up new stars by having them deal with The Shield’s brutal attacks and standing up to the group. I don’t think that this idea will happen, but it’s something that the WWE can try if they want to freshen up their product and do something unexpected.
4. REUNITE THE SHIELD
Unfortunately for the fans that want to see a heel Ambrose, this is the most likely direction that the WWE will take. The Shield sell merchandise and Vince McMahon is yet to finally give up on Roman Reigns. Add a red-hot Seth Rollins and a returning Dean Ambrose (who will likely get a big pop when he finally returns), and they can just go back to what they were doing before Ambrose got injured. Ambrose can potentially team with Rollins again, and the WWE can form a group of heels to oppose them, for example Kevin Owens, Jinder Mahal and Sami Zayn. The Shield as babyfaces dominating RAW is not as fresh as it was last year and probably not as interesting either, but it is the most likely direction that the company will take once Ambrose returns. Personally, I feel that this could work for a few weeks but it’s not the direction that the company should be taking long-term. The Shield’s members are established singles stars now, and for the most part are being held back by being members of the group.
Next Page: 5 Things That WWE Can Do w/ Dean Ambrose When He Returns To Action (cont.)
