Gauging the Potential for a Dean Ambrose Heel Turn

His momentum stagnant, Dean Ambrose has to be hoping for change, for a storm to come rushing in and reshape the present.

A heel turn is often the solution fans pine for when a WWE star slides from the spotlight. In Ambrose's case, it wouldn't just be change for change's sake, though.

Turning heel frees Ambrose to deliver more mayhem, to fully tap into his character, and opens up opportunities while the roster is so babyface heavy.

The transition from hero to villain would be easy for The Lunatic Fringe. He doesn't even play a conventional babyface; he's an edgy antihero with his own set of rules. For him to grow more sinister would take only baby steps.

The switch would rejuvenate Ambrose. 

It would allow him to go after a whole new set of enemies, ones with gold in their possession. Daniel Bryan holds the Intercontinental Championship, and John Cena is the current United States champ. Ambrose got a one-off title shot against Cena on the Raw after WrestleMania, but both of them being faces keeps him from entering a full-fledged feud with him.

Credit: WWE.com

And as long as Bryan is the IC titleholder, it will be the heels who get the majority of cracks at him.

Changing teams also forces WWE to find fresh pairings for Ambrose. He has already battled a good number of the high-profile heels over the past year.

Bray Wyatt outlasted him. Seth Rollins escaped him. Bad News Barrett moved on from him once Bryan won the IC title.

After The Lunatic Fringe gets done slugging it out with Luke Harper, his options will be limited. A heel turn opens the door for a rivalry with Bryan, Cena, Roman Reigns or Randy Orton. It's a fresh start, one that feels increasingly necessary as WWE doesn't seem to know what to do with him.

The heel role is one Ambrose has long been comfortable with. 

During his time with The Shield, he excelled as a sneering predator. He was convincing in his mercilessness, and the heeldom suited his mental instability.  

While Ambrose has done well to transfer much of that energy to his time as a babyface, he can only go so far. Even the darkest heroes have their lines. Erasing those lines and letting Ambrose call upon his inner Joker expands the paths he can take.

And he can travel deeper into villainy than he did with The Shield. The members of that crew thought they were delivering justice—or least they convinced themselves as much.

A more sinister character would have him do more than simply revert to his old self. To have Ambrose be more vicious would have him call upon the elements of his persona that made him so well-known on the independent circuit.

When Bryan was still known as Bryan Danielson and Ambrose was still Jon Moxley, The Lunatic Fringe showed off his fangs for the camera. He delivered a haunting performance, one where he was simply mesmerizing.

(Warning: Video contains mild NSFW language.)

This version of Ambrose led to him being the talk of the Internet. He chilled. He enthralled.

The role of a deranged lowlife fit him snugly. 

Allowing him to head down that road again is smart. As popular as he has been, WWE hasn't been able to find spots for him during his unstable antihero stage. While Rollins and Reigns have risen to the top, Ambrose sits on the edge of the spotlight.

Have him go heel again, and he can more easily emulate men such as Brian Pillman. The late star was a babyface at times, but he was at his best when he was a rabid dog with no morals. 

Ambrose can be exactly that. 

While it's often a narrative crutch, the heel turn is something WWE should consider here. It would add spark to Ambrose's career.

Suddenly, he could potentially find himself in line to dethrone Cena or test Bryan. He could have his inner demons unleashed, a heel turn allowing him to explore the darkness where he first made his name.