Dean Ambrose's Pursuit of Intercontinental Championship Boosts Title's Prestige

Through hand restraints and persistence, Dean Ambrose forced his way into a WWE Intercontinental Championship match with Bad News Barrett at Fastlane on Sunday.

The ardent hunger that he has shown for the title in recent weeks makes that strap of leather and gold feel more important. We may never get back to the days when the IC title was as significant as it was when Pedro Morales carried it around, but a story like this is moving things in the right direction.

Show enough stars seeking that championship, and it begins to move closer toward prestigious status.

Too often, WWE has seemingly forgotten to include a narrative of desire for would-be challengers. The IC champ and United States titleholder can go for weeks or months without defending their respective belt. Not having an unending line of motivated men looking to rob them of that prize is a mistake. 

For now, Ambrose is at the front of that line.

Credit: WWE.com

His initial motivation for wanting the title was silly. He said that after seeing former champs' pictures on the wall at WWE headquarters, he wanted his photo next to theirs. That's fine for a story about someone seeking an Employee of the Month award, but not an ideal genesis of a wrestling rivalry.

Despite that stumbling start, the feud has since picked up.

Much of that has to do with how driven Ambrose has been about his goal. After Barrett rebuffed his initial challenge, The Lunatic Fringe set out to get the champ's attention.

He first looked to knock off former IC champ Curtis Axel.

Ambrose defeated him on the Feb. 5 edition of SmackDown. Afterward, Barrett popped up on the big screen to tell him he was too much of a lunatic to deserve a title shot. When Ambrose rolled over Axel again, this time on Raw, he grabbed a mic and addressed his new, title-centered goal.

"There is an Intercontinental Championship match that belongs to me. And I will not stop until I get it," he said.

That's a refreshing change from how WWE has handled the title in the past. When CM Punk feuded with Axel, he never once mentioned wanting the IC title. They didn't have any title matches. Punk's focus was on revenge.

It never felt like Luke Harper really cared about being champion either. His recent bouts with Dolph Ziggler were more about The Authority punishing the babyface than Harper pursuing his goals.

Now WWE has a man who headlined three pay-per-views last year wanting the IC belt. He's not a midcarder the company is unsure of what to do with. He's a rising star and one of the most popular guys on the roster right now. 

Having him chase down Barrett with his intense eyes aimed at gold is not what Ambrose's biggest fans want for him right now, but it certainly helps the IC title picture.

WWE should have played up the idea that he was going through former IC champs to get to Barrett more. The company didn't mention that narrative until Ambrose was in a slugfest with Harper on Monday's Raw.

That battle did, however, showcase Ambrose as a formidable brawler. He suffered Harper's heavy hands landing on his body and came out of the fray as the victor.

This was a case of common-sense booking. Make the challenger look stronger by having him go on a winning streak. Have him climb the company ladder to reach contender status.

Now Ambrose has his title shot in hand. WWE's calendar forced the creative team to speed to that moment in that story rather than milk it over a longer stretch of time. This upcoming showdown, though, promises to be just the beginning of their feud.

On Monday's Raw, after Barrett's clash with Damien Mizdow, The Lunatic Fringe showed just how hell-bent he is on being champion. He tied Barrett to the ring post and forced him to sign a contract for Fastlane.

Credit: WWE.com

That's not legally binding in any world other than WWE's.

Regardless, the moment is a positive for the IC title. For someone to do that to another man, to be so caught up in the hunt like that, speaks to how prized a possession Barrett's championship is.

That element has been missing too often.

WWE would be wise to deny Ambrose a title win, at least for now. Having him lose at Fastlane would allow the company to continue the story of Ambrose charging toward the gold, being willing to take on any foe or go to any lengths to wear the same strap that Curt Hennig, Tito Santana, Randy Savage and Chris Jericho once wore.

Desire like that helps transform the IC title from afterthought to holy grail.