Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins: Recapping the Road to SummerSlam for Both Stars

The shocking betrayal of his Shield brethren by Seth Rollins ignited a heated, passionate and hate-fueled rivalry between him and Dean Ambrose that has dominated World Wrestling Entertainment television for three months and resulted in some of the most wild and chaotic brawls the company has seen in years.

In the process, Ambrose has become a wildly popular babyface and the type of antihero that would make "Stone Cold" Steve Austin proud, while Rollins has become The Authority's golden boy and Mr. Money in the Bank.

At SummerSlam on Sunday, they will write the latest chapter in their feud when they clash in a highly anticipated Lumberjack match inside Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Emotions will be running rampant as the men who once considered themselves brothers clash in one of the night's marquee bouts.

In preparation for the contest, relive every major moment from Ambrose and Rollins' road to SummerSlam with this special look back at their incredible feud.

Seth Rollins' Betrayal (Raw, June 2)

The wrestling world was shaken to its core on the June 2 episode of Monday Night Raw when Seth Rollins shockingly betrayed Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, initiating a heel turn that would see him become Triple H's latest hand-picked member of The Authority.

The moment drew harsh criticism from fans who believed The Shield had just reached its zenith and was as hot as ever. Why split them up at their peak, they asked.

As it turned out, it was the right booking decision. It got fans talking about the product and created three singles stars that the company could ride into the future while simultaneously benefiting from their success.

Rollins and Ambrose engaged in a heated rivalry that dominated WWE programming and became the centerpiece of Friday Night SmackDown. Fans responded to the simple yet effective wrestling booking, and Ambrose became a bigger star as a result.

Rollins was instantly public enemy No. 1, and WWE had a hot heel on its hands.

Why, Seth, Why? (Raw, June 9)

"I didn't sell out, I bought in," Rollins told fans in response to their chants of "You sold out!"

It was a watershed moment for the performer, whose motivations for his recent heel turn had been unexplained and unclear for a week when he took to the ring for his promo on the June 9 episode of Raw.

Championing his efforts as the Architect of The Shield, he took credit for the success of the group and claimed that, after knocking off Evolution at Payback, there really was nothing left for the Hounds of Justice to do, so he decided to take his future into his own hands.

The promo got off to a bit of a sluggish start but picked up as time went by. It ultimately solidified Rollins as a selfish, egotistical heel who cared only about himself and his own ambitions rather than the betterment of a group he (supposedly) single-handedly built from the ground up.

Rollins Enters Money in the Bank (Main Event, June 17)

The Money in the Bank pay-per-view has developed into one of the most popular on WWE's pay-per-view schedule, thanks largely to the gimmick matches of the same name that wow audiences and lead to some memorable moments.

The allure of the Money in the Bank briefcase, which contains a guaranteed contract for a WWE World Heavyweight Championship, called Reigns' name, and on the June 17 episode of WWE Network's Main Event, Rollins revealed that he would be the first entrant in the match for the coveted briefcase.

It was yet another instance of The Authority watching out for its latest recruit. If Rollins had won, it would have ensured that Triple H and Stephanie always had a Plan B in their back pocket. More importantly, it would have set him up to be the face of WWE if Randy Orton had failed to regain the top prize in wrestling.

Interestingly enough, Dean Ambrose was not among the match's original participants, thanks to Rollins and the COO's vendetta against him.

That would change on the June 23 episode of Raw.

He's In, Too (Raw, June 23)

Just days away from the Money in the Bank Ladder match, Dean Ambrose found himself without a spot in the popular contest. What better way to change that than by continuing to be a thorn in the side of his former teammate?

After another attack on Rollins, Ambrose got what he was looking for when the newest member of The Authority demanded that Triple H add Ambrose to the match so that he could keep an eye on him." It was a logical move on Rollins' part. He understood that he had no chance of winning the match if he had to watch over his shoulder for Ambrose instead of having him in front of him at all times.

By choosing to give into Rollins' demand, Triple H ensured the continuation of the feud between the two former teammates for the time being.

Mr. Money in the Bank (Money in the Bank, June 29)

Credit: WWE.com

Fighting through a dislocated shoulder, Ambrose showed tremendous toughness as he returned to the ring late in the Money in the Bank match to punish rival Rollins and come within inches of retrieving the briefcase.

Unfortunately, last-minute interference from the Demon Kane led to a huge chokeslam to the Lunatic Fringe and the end of any chance he had to emerge from the match victorious.

Rollins' victory, assisted by The Authority, added insult to injury. Ambrose was forced to watch the tape of Rollins' win over and over again. Just the image of Rollins holding what was rightfully Ambrose's was enough to ignite a fire and make whatever hatred Ambrose had for his former friend that much stronger.

As Mr. Money in the Bank would find out in the weeks to come, cashing in on a prone John Cena would be far more difficult than he could have imagined, courtesy of Ambrose and his determination to punish Rollins for all of his wrongdoings.

"I'll Be There..." (Raw, June 30)

After seeing his dreams of winning Money in the Bank and eventually becoming WWE World Heavyweight champion evaporate, Ambrose vowed to make Rollins' life a living hell just 24 hours after the violent ladder match that left the Lunatic Fringe's shoulder a complete mess and his psyche in even worse shape.

Ambrose promised to stop at nothing to prevent Rollins from successfully cashing in his Money in the Bank contract and becoming the top dog in the industry. "I'll be there," he warned Rollins and wasted little time proving it.

Later in the June 30 broadcast of Raw, champion John Cena was left lying in a heap following a violent assault. Triple H, desperate to get the title off the neon-green-wearing good guy, waved Rollins to the ring. He handed the briefcase to the official and appeared on his way to winning the championship Cena had worked so hard to attain just a night later.

Then Ambrose appeared, cutting Rollins off and brawling around the ringside area with him.

It was the first instance of Ambrose costing his hated rival the opportunity to wear heavyweight gold, but it would not be the last.

Backstage Assault (Raw, July 14)

The July 14 episode of Monday Night Raw kicked off with Roman Reigns and John Cena nearly coming to blows despite being partners in the night's huge six-man tag team main event. Ambrose appeared on the video screen and convinced his partners to calm down and to focus on eliminating The Authority. 

While his appearance drew a huge reaction from the audience and his involvement in the main event may very well have overshadowed that of his partners, Ambrose found himself unable to compete following a vicious and brutal beating administered by Randy Orton, Kane and Rollins.

"Is that all you've got?" he asked defiantly, his ribs wracked with pain but his pride strong.

It was not all they had, as he found out when Rollins left him lying unconscious following a sickening Curb Stomp.

The assault would take Ambrose out of the match and leave him sidelined until SmackDown four days later. More importantly, it ensured that he would be less than 100 percent come Battleground and his match with Rollins six days later.

The Non-Match (Battleground, July 20)

Credit: WWE.com

Battleground was to feature the first of the singles matches between Rollins and Ambrose, but as history tells us, that was not the case.

A backstage attack by Ambrose drew the ire of Triple H, who ordered the Lunatic Fringe thrown out of the arena. The match was off, he determined, and fans everywhere were left dismayed by the blatant bait-and-switch booking technique.

Rollins made his way to the ring later in the night and ordered that the official declare him the winner by forfeit. The official did, and Rollins gloated...until Ambrose appeared from out of nowhere and continued his attack from earlier in the night.

The two former Shield members brawled around the arena before taking their fight outside in the parking lot, where Ambrose again came from out of nowhere to beat down his opposition.

While many were unhappy with the lack of a legitimate match, the individual segments did serve to further the feud, leading to a much higher-profile contest at SummerSlam.

May the Odds Be Never in Your Favor (SmackDown, August 1)

Having found himself on the receiving end of several numbers disadvantages, Ambrose struck back on the August 1 episode of SmackDown, introducing a steel chair to his Handicap match against Kane and Seth Rollins. He proved that he is the most dangerous loose cannon in WWE, regardless of how many guys he is booked against.

He sent Rollins scurrying and then unleashed hell on Kane, blasting him with the weapon and standing tall to the delight of a WWE Universe that had grown to love his toughness and determination to repay Rollins for his betrayal.

While it may have taken place on SmackDown, the match/segment was certainly one of the more important moments in Ambrose's development. No longer was he willing to sit back and take a beating. He unleashed months of anger and frustration on his opponents, showing The Authority that he was unwilling to allow their petty games to derail him from getting what he wanted.

Beat the Clock (Raw, August 4)

The August 4 episode of Raw featured a Beat the Clock series between Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins in which the Superstar who defeated his opponent in the shortest amount of time would be allowed to pick the stipulation for their match at SummerSlam.

It took Ambrose more than 15 minutes to knock off Alberto Del Rio, setting the mark for the competition. Rollins, originally slated to face Rob Van Dam, was given a gift in the form of a match against Heath Slater. Surely, he could beat the glorified jobber in less than 15 minutes, right?

Wrong.

Ambrose appeared at ringside, ripping up the Money in the Bank contract and trashing the briefcase with a variety of food items, including soda and popcorn. This provided a distraction that Slater capitalized on. He defeated Rollins in one of the biggest upsets of the year, humiliating the Superstar and leaving Ambrose with a decision to make.

As we found out four days later, Ambrose chose a Lumberjack match, hoping to keep Rollins in the ring with nowhere to run when they finally settle their differences on August 17.