Dean Ambrose Is Proving Himself to Be Main Event Talent

Dean Ambrose was the most compelling part of Monday's Raw, providing a glimpse of a possible future where he is one of the centerpieces of WWE itself.

The Lunatic Fringe is reliable in the ring, a mesmerizing mic worker and powered by an energy that forces one to pay attention to him. With Brock Lesnar not around and Roman Reigns out of action, Ambrose used Monday's Raw to announce that he could well be the company's next marquee star. 

WWE has made it clear that it believes Reigns is exactly that.

Seth Rollins and Ambrose are getting plenty of attention as well, but Reigns has been battling for the world title, taking on a top star in Randy Orton and being booked to win at a high rate.

Per CageMatch.net, Reigns has won 109 matches in 2014. Rollins has won 76, Ambrose has 89 victories and not even John Cena matches Reigns, coming in with 96 wins thus far this year.

Backing Reigns requires a projection into the future. One has to imagine that he will be ready for the spotlight come WrestleMania. Ambrose is already there.

Former WWE writer Alex Greenfield certainly thinks so:

That was clear during Raw's opening segment.

Pacing around the ring, Ambrose talked about wanting to get his hands on Rollins again. As usual, there was something electric about him. He issued his memorable lines with genuine passion and effective timing.

Call it "it" factor or charisma—Ambrose has plenty of it.

The scene soon involved The Authority and Cena. Ambrose looked at home on the same stage with them.

When chaos erupted between all those men, he chased down Rollins. Mr. Money in the Bank stole a van in order to escape, and Ambrose jumped into the moving vehicle, a reckless seeker of revenge.

It's that kind of moment that reinvigorates one's fandom. 

It helps that Ambrose is so gung-ho in times like these, that he is a rabid, hungry animal. This is partly why he's been so engaging throughout this feud and why WWE can be confident in elevating him in the future.

He later battled Kane in an unimpressive match. The lack of thrills those men produced shouldn't concern the company, though.

Not having great chemistry with Kane is no career-killer. Ambrose has spent much of 2014 showing off just how masterful he can be at brawling with WWE's best.

His bouts with Cesaro have been outstanding, especially his No Disqualification match with him on July 25. Ambrose and Orton put on an excellent show on the July 7 edition of Raw. And just before Ambrose went on hiatus, he and Rollins composed a masterpiece that may well end up being 2014's top match.

That's a match worthy of the main event, on TV or pay-per-view.

Becoming a top star is about more than just delivering in the ring, though. Connecting with the audience is key. If fans don't care why you're fighting, then mat acumen can only get you so far.

Ambrose has established that connection, becoming one of the most riveting figures on WWE programming.

He showed that off later on Monday's Raw. When fans think back on their favorite parts of the show, they are sure to point to Ambrose's opening promo, him leaping into Rollins' getaway vehicle as well as forcing The Authority to contain him in a closet.

As Triple H admonished Rollins, Ambrose came flying into the frame. The Lunatic Fringe tagged Rollins with right hands before Jamie Noble and the security team pulled him off.

Flailing and frenetic, Ambrose compelled.

He even ended up being the highlight of Orton vs. Cena. It's not Orton's coldness and predatory grin that had folks talking afterward. It wasn't Cena's comeback. It's hard not to be numb to those things—and to a point, those two wrestlers in general—with how often we have seen them before.

As PWTorch's Benjamin Tucker points out, Ambrose is something different, something new:

It would be smart of WWE to take advantage of that fact going forward. The company seems dead set on anointing Reigns as the next top guy, but Ambrose continues to make his case that he should get that nod instead.

Reigns' last two pay-per-view matches didn't feel like integral parts of the shows. Other contests were easier to get excited about.

Ambrose's likely collision with Rollins at Hell in a Cell could conceivably be the main event, even over Lesnar vs. Cena III. It's the rivalry with the most juice right now. It was already the easiest one to get amped up about, and then Ambrose pulled off a Shawshank Redemption move.

He somehow escaped being confined to a closet and popped out of what Rollins thought was a stack of cinder blocks.

The biggest pop of the match came courtesy of Ambrose taking out his enemies outside the ring. His heroics engaged. His continued pursuit of vengeance was one of the best things about a night hampered by rematches and uninspired booking.

The show closed on Cena and Ambrose standing side by side in the ring, having chased away the evil-doers. That image of veteran and emerging star together is perhaps a peek into the future, one where Ambrose resides on the same tier as Cena.

Standing that close to the center of the spotlight is a good fit for Ambrose.