Dean Ambrose Needs to Deliver at the Royal Rumble to Regain Momentum

Dean Ambrose’s career has been blighted by inept and laughably bad booking over the last few months, and if the company wants the star to turn things around, he has to have the vital chance to deliver a solid performance at the annual Royal Rumble pay-per-view this week. 

Ambrose will compete in the annual 30-man Battle Royal, of course. A victory for the star—and thus a spot at the WrestleMania 31 main event—would be fantastic. But his fans have to be realistic: Daniel Bryan or Roman Reigns is far more likely to emerge triumphant from the Wells Fargo Center.

Credit: WWE.com

They are the ones with the booking team firmly behind them. Bryan, in particular, is a natural winner of the event given his “comeback” storyline.  

However, while we can (probably) rule out a win for the wrestler, he still has a good opportunity to shine in the bout, particularly if he enters early—maybe at No. 1 or No. 2—and lasts a decent length of time.

Ambrose would be a big asset if he were booked to be in the match for most of its duration. While he’s suffered from bad writing in recent times, his in-ring work has never been better.  

Credit: WWE.com

He's one of the best wrestlers on the roster—arguably only Seth Rollins and Bryan are better. If WWE allows him to go out there and do what he does best, he will thrive.

And as fans have seen in the past—Chris Jericho's tremendous and memorable performance in the 2013 Royal Rumble springs to mind—even if a wrestler doesn’t win, a strong in-ring showing will nonetheless allow him to make his mark and be all over the highlight reels.

Ambrose could very well be the cornerstone of this year’s Battle Royal. If anything can get his wayward career back on track, that will.

Ideally, the former Shield member will make it down to the last four or five participants and then perhaps have victory snatched out of his hands by Rusev, Big Show or some other high-profile heel. This could even lead to a potential match at WrestleMania 31. Rusev vs. Ambrose sounds like a wildly interesting option.

If WWE writers want to redeem Ambrose, it’s time for them to eschew shoddy and Russo-esque booking when it comes to the performer—no more holograms, exploding television monitors or wacky psychiatrists. Just let him loose on the mic, and let his in-ring work shine as brightly as a beacon.

That is all the company has to do.