Dean Ambrose's Absence Has Made Him the WWE's New Poster Boy

In life, they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. And although some cliches from everyday life can't be transferred to professional wrestling, that particular saying certainly rings true when it comes to WWE fans.

Every time we get an unannounced return from a star who has been out of the limelight for months (or even years), then he immediately receives a huge pop from WWE spectators.

Whether it is injury, suspension or simply being absent due to other commitments, a spell away from the ring seems to do wonders for your popularity. Of course, the challenge then falls onto the star to maintain that level of popularity, which is something Batista (and WWE Creative, to be fair to him) failed to do earlier this year.

And on or around the upcoming Night of Champions pay-per-view, the WWE's brand-new ultrahero will be ready to thrust himself back into the spotlight and potentially save the company from a drab few weeks of live programming.

When The Shield split back in June, nobody could have foreseen Dean Ambrose getting such a prominent place on the WWE roster. Sure, there's been an army of fans cheering him on since his days on the indie scene, but the WWE's track record with fan favourites really isn't all that impressive.

But as it's turned out, Ambrose, who is away shooting WWE Studios' production of Lockdown, has benefited from some pretty dull action over the last few weeks. Ever since he "went missing" after Seth Rollins stomped his head onto a pile of cinder blocks, the company has almost limped toward Night of Champions.

The call for Ambrose to return as soon as possible has grown and grown each week. And by the time Raw went off the air this week (with a midcard feud closing the final show before a pay-per-view), fans were falling over themselves for Ambrose's imminent return to TV.

His absence has seen his popularity, which was already pretty impressive, shoot through the roof, and it's hugely exciting to contemplate what the WWE has in store for him when he returns. Naturally, a return to his compelling feud with Seth Rollins, which was practically holding the company's main event scene together, would be the immediate choice. But then again, the sky is the limit.

Unfortunately, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship scene doesn't seem to fit Ambrose at the moment, but that should be rectified in the coming months. What makes him so loved? Probably the fact that when he's in front of a camera, anything can happen, often with amusing results.

That night where Ambrose was last seen on TV was a real pivotal moment in his career. It featured that brilliant match with Rollins, and there was an incredibly amusing promo where he emptied a bucket of ice on Rollins' head. It displayed how the two have great chemistry and served as proof that Ambrose is incredibly versatile.

The WWE has a new hero on its hands after Ambrose's minibreak. The challenge now is for the booking team to use him wisely, because when his music hits for the very first time in a good few weeks, the reaction is going to be overwhelming.