Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins: Winner and Reaction from 2014 Hell in a Cell

After months of pursuing Seth Rollins, revenge eluded Dean Ambrose once again Sunday night, as he lost to his former Shield partner at Hell in a Cell after interference from Bray Wyatt.

The Eater of Worlds and leader of The Wyatt Family interfered late in the matchup between the former friends just as Ambrose was ready to secure the win via a Curb Stomp on a cinder block. Instead, as NXT Diva Sasha Banks muses, Wyatt returned to produce one of the most memorable moments in recent history:

Before the interruption, Jim Ross noted that both men had a chance to make history in the main event of a major pay-per-view:

Ambrose did much in this pursuit following his entrance. As the Brooklyn Brawler captures, the Cincinnati native headed right to the top of the cage:

This, of course, led to a result that saw both men leave on stretchers, as WWE Universe illustrates:

Both men would continue, though, as the ebbs and flows of the violent altercation ultimately led to Wyatt's appearance and a wealth of new possibilities in the weeks to come, as Justin LaBar of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes:

Ambrose and Rollins were once part of the most dominant force in WWE alongside Roman Reigns. When Rollins decided to implode The Shield back in June, however, WWE's Lunatic Fringe made it his singular focus to gain retribution.

Unfortunately for Ambrose, he encountered plenty of speed bumps along the way. After losing to Rollins in a Lumberjack match at SummerSlam, Ambrose was put out of commission for a month when Mr. Money in the Bank Curb Stomped him on a stack of cinder blocks.

After returning with a vengeance to attack Rollins at Night of Champions, the former United States champion earned the right to take on his biggest rival at Hell in a Cell. Ambrose defeated John Cena in a Contract on a Pole match, which set the stage for a true grudge match within the confines of the cell.

Cena was diverted away from Ambrose and Rollins and put in a feud against Randy Orton. While WWE tried to bill the two matches equally, Scott Fishman of The Miami Herald labeled Ambrose vs. Rollins as the true main event:

"

Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins can go on 1st,4th,last. Doesn't matter.We know it's the real main event of #HIAC. #WWE pic.twitter.com/f7plAmDhdw

— Scott Fishman (@smFISHMAN) October 18, 2014"

Since the two rising stars have been going at it for several months, WWE had no real choice other than to let them duke it out in a Hell in a Cell match. This is the type of rivalry that was built to be resolved under such a brutal stipulation, especially between a couple of the most extreme Superstars in the company today.

Most fans were already looking forward to the match prior to the go-home edition of Raw, but WWE managed to add even more intrigue by having WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley describe the meaning behind Hell in a Cell.

As pointed out by Pro Wrestling Illustrated on Twitter, Foley was able to explain why Hell in a Cell could be a turning point in the careers of both Ambrose and Rollins:

With Rollins quickly becoming WWE's top heel and Ambrose already looking like the No. 2 face behind Cena, there is no question that their match had major implications. Even though Rollins came out on top, it likely isn't a stretch to suggest that WWE has equal confidence in them moving forward.

Both stars bring something different to the table, but there is little doubt that they are future world champions and potential faces of the company.

In fact, Chris Jericho recently tabbed Ambrose as WWE's next top guy in an interview with Brian Fritz of BetweenTheRopes.com (h/t WrestlingInc.com):

"

I'm not the god of everything but I have a pretty good track record of picking guys—I think (Ambrose is) the closest that they have right now to being the next face of the WWE. I don't think that's as important now with the Network and less emphasis on pay-per-views and that sort of thing. But as far as a guy who can come in there as the top babyface, I think Dean's your best bet right now.

"

Ambrose came up short on Sunday, but he performed so well that a loss—via dirty tactics, at that—will do little to curtail his steady ascent to elite status. If anything, it figures to cause the fans to rally behind him even more, much like they did with Daniel Bryan last year.

At the same time, Rollins' status as perhaps the next WWE World Heavyweight champion was cemented at Hell in a Cell. Sunday was the biggest encounter between Ambrose and Rollins thus far, but one can only assume that it is one of the opening chapters in what promises to be a storied rivalry.

Add Wyatt to the mix, and fans will be treated to an unpredictable path in the coming months as Rollins chases the belt and Ambrose meets someone equally as crazy in and outside of the ring. The three are entrenched in the spotlight from here on out, with Sunday night possibly acting as the beginning of something truly special. 

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.