In January, WWE announced Dean Ambrose would not be renewing his contract that expires shortly after WrestleMania. It came as a shock to fans, even those who heard rumblings about it. The belief at the time was that creative frustrations decided to refuse a contract extension.
It was also surprising in many ways, because Ambrose has been with the company for a very long time, and has essentially become a WWE staple, with many people even forgetting that he had an independent run in the first place. Even so, it’s understandable from one point of view, because the storyline with Seth Rollins after he returned disappointed in more ways than just one.
It was supposed to be a heated, intense feud, but Ambrose’s heel turn was more or less butchered. It was expected to bring out a much darker and more sinister side of him, but instead, he was receiving injections to his backside and proclaiming himself to be the moral compass of WWE.
When it came to the big blow-off match between he and Rollins, it did nothing but disappoint, with Vince McMahon reportedly even furious about the match and how it went down. It didn’t work out too well for Ambrose, who would lose the Intercontinental Championship in less than a month.
However, one of the other reasons he could be especially frustrated is the fact that he’s been WWE’s undisputed Iron Man for the last few years except for 2018. He didn’t have any sick days. He didn’t have any days off, and until late 2017, he didn’t have any injuries either. It likely all added up and he was allowed to take extended time off.
And moreover, if you really look at it, out of the three Shield members, he was never really viewed on the same level as Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins were. For years after the Shield break-up, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins were the #1 and #2 stars respectively. This isn’t to say that Dean Ambrose didn’t find success, because he’s already a Grand Slam Champion, but even so, he was always “third”.
His run on SmackDown Live in 2016 definitely helped rejuvenate him as he was the face of the brand, but some feel he was taken from the brand too soon and dumped onto RAW.
While it is understandable that Ambrose requested not to renew his contract, many fans have already questioned as to whether it’s a work or not. Now here’s where the real problem lies – No one really has any clue as to what is true and what is storyline. In the beginning, after WWE made the announcement on their website and social media, they really didn’t acknowledge it at all.
In fact, Ambrose had just quietly turned babyface again and began to lose a lot more frequently, all but confirming that he’s on his way out. However, in early March, WWE officially acknowledged the contract situation on television, suddenly making people believe that he isn’t leaving.
Here’s the thing. WWE is doing all of this on purpose. From acknowledging it on television to multiple contradictory reports on the Dirt Sheets, it appears as though they’ve made sure to give out different information to different “sources” that subsequently feed it to the “insiders”.
WWE knows very well how such kind of a thing breaks out on social media and the dirt sheets, which is why they’ve made sure to make a conscious effort to completely throw off fans. In a way, it’s a good thing, because sometimes surprises are for the best. The Shield reunion that happened after Roman Reigns’ return is being billed as “one last time”, further adding to the intrigue.
Sometimes, it’s better not to know everything, and as much as the dirt sheets are going to scratch and claw to find answers, we won’t know the truth behind it until the post-WrestleMania period in April. Either way, it’s going to be an interesting period of time, and hopefully, Ambrose renews his contract, because WWE truly feels like the place that he belongs.
Moreover, he isn’t that old either, so there’s still a whole lot left for him to accomplish. Perhaps another heel run that makes sense this time, or a return to SmackDown Live. Either way, he can help and be one of the pillars of the company for years to come.
Read More: Update On The Future Of Dean Ambrose & The Shield Past WrestleMania 35
