Hell in a Cell Offers Career-Defining Opportunity for Dean Ambrose

Hell in a Cell is the stage on which Dean Ambrose can perform his magnum opus.

Per WWE.com, Ambrose will face John Cena at the upcoming pay-per-view with a chance to face Seth Rollins that same night inside the Hell in a Cell on the line. That creates an opportunity to have two of the best matches of his career and solidify himself as a main eventer.

An injury halted his momentum afterward, but Daniel Bryan had a similar path to glory at WrestleMania 30.

He battled Triple H in the early part of that show, grinding out a victory in a moving, violent match. The win sent him into the main event where he, Batista and Randy Orton closed WrestleMania with a memorable showing.

The same high stakes in Bryan's bout against Triple H will power Ambrose vs. Cena. The chance to complete his journey at the end of Hell in a Cell in as powerful a fashion as Bryan did awaits him as well.

An Ambrose win is the only real option here. For WWE to have Cena knock off Ambrose and siphon his thunder would be a mistake. Expect the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, to have all of its electricity fizzle out.

Should the company instead have Ambrose win his way into a grudge match with Rollins, the competition for 2014's best match is going to heat up.

The Stars

His critics will scoff at his "Five Moves of Doom," but there's no arguing that Cena is one of WWE's most reliable options when the spotlight is brightest. He's compiled a long resume of great matches which he has added to this year.

Against three different opponents, Cena has produced three one-on-one matches in 2014 that Dave Meltzer rated higher than four stars in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t ProFightDB.com):

• John Cena vs. Cesaro-Raw, Feb. 17 (4.25 stars)
• John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt-Payback (4.5 stars)
• John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar-SummerSlam (4.25 stars)

Chances are high that he will add his clash with Ambrose to that list.

The contrast of rebel and hero, edgy and clean-cut creates a dynamic similar to what Cena had with CM Punk. Both Ambrose and Cena's brawling skills should mesh well too. It will be a street fight with two larger-than-life characters.

And there is not a richer non-title victory in today's WWE than a win over Cena.

According to CageMatch.net's match statistics, he has had a winning percentage of .824, .951 and .891 in the last three years, including just six losses in 2013. Whether he's champion or not, defeating Cena boosts one's resume like little else.

Give Ambrose a definitive win here, and it puts him in rarefied air. He would join men like The Rock, Brock Lesnar and Bryan on a very short list. It's frustrating how much Cena wins, but it sure amps up the power of conquering him.

Hell in a Cell not only offers Ambrose a shot at beating Superman but could also further solidify him and Rollins as the future of the company.

WWE is clearly intent on making Roman Reigns the next big thing, but Ambrose is making a case for that label to be his. Going up against a rival with whom he shares a surplus of bad blood and has tremendous chemistry will help him do just that.

There hasn't been a more intense and captivating match this year than Ambrose vs. Rollins on the Aug. 18 edition of Raw. 

Maybe it's their similar indy backgrounds, the chemistry they developed as partners or just the merging of two young, great talents, but Rollins and Ambrose are magic together. 

The two former members of The Shield could top their Falls Count Anywhere effort thanks to the Hell in a Cell structure. The timing is perfect for these two rivals to collide in the steel cage, ensuring a climax to their feud that fans won't soon forget.

The Story

WWE has crafted the Ambrose vs. Rollins feud really well.

There were missteps, such as the failure to deliver an announced pay-per-view and Ambrose quick-drawing condiments on Monday's Raw, which leaned toward the ridiculous. Still, when fans look back at 2014, it will be Ambrose's pursuit of revenge that they'll remember.

Beginning with The Shield imploding on live TV, this story has provided lasting image after lasting image.

Credit: WWE.com

It has been the vehicle for Rollins' rise as a heel and for Ambrose's rise as an anti-hero. Ambrose attacking his old comrade has put him in the spotlight over the last few months and now has him lined up to be in Hell in a Cell's marquee match.

Ending this feud as effectively as it began will send Ambrose forward with handfuls of momentum.

Punk's rivalry with Jeff Hardy catapulted him. Orton's feud with Mick Foley did the same for him. It's now Ambrose's turn.

Capping off their narrative in the Hell in a Cell would be the perfect ending. Their Falls Count Anywhere match got out of hand. Their Lumberjack match couldn't contain them.

The enclosed, steel arena that is the Hell in a Cell is the only place left for them to go.

That place could serve as Rollins and Ambrose's proving ground. Without Lesnar and without Cena, it's going to be up to the young guns to be the headliners.

A hugely successful show featuring two instant classics will help WWE grow confident with the idea of The Lunatic Fringe as the face of the franchise. This is his test run as WWE's king, a chance for Ambrose to proclaim, "Give me the throne."