Dean Ambrose Needs a Great Showing at Fastlane to Build WrestleMania Momentum

Dean Ambrose is booked to face Bad News Barrett for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at Fastlane on Sunday, Feb. 22. The Lunatic Fringe will likely bring all the insanity and wild edge he has in order to win the belt, and that's a good thing for him. The fact is that Ambrose needs a great showing at Fastlane in order to build momentum for WrestleMania.

It's not that Ambrose doesn't have the crowd support to get a good roll going for WWE's big event on March 29. He's one of the more popular stars in Vince McMahon's locker room, and that's been the case since The Shield split up in 2014.

There's just something about Ambrose, something that sets him apart from both Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. Rollins may have the devious reputation and Reigns has a world of intensity, but Ambrose has that key intangible, that connection to the fans that so many other talents want.

Ambrose has a way about him that just begs for attention. His wild-eyed promos and his chaotic delivery in the ring captivate fans and keep them wondering what he will do next. He is the modern-day loose cannon of WWE, the one guy that is nearly impossible to stop watching.

The gimmick is there and the character has potential. But so far, Ambrose doesn't have much else.

The reason for that is WWE's apparent lack of direction for him. Ambrose has been featured in two high-profile feuds since mid-2014. The first one with Rollins ended with Ambrose on the losing end. The second with Bray Wyatt ended the same way.

While both feuds were entertaining and helped Ambrose mature as a singles star, the fact is that the time has come for him to start winning, and the best time for that to begin happening is at Fastlane.

Barrett is the ideal opponent for Ambrose, mostly because of the incredible contrast in styles. Ambrose is the wild card capable of anything and Barrett is the classy, devilish heel. Barrett is reserved, always in control of himself and the situation, which means that he is threatened by Ambrose's very existence.

Ambrose will turn Barrett's world upside down at Fastlane. The bringer of bad news won't know what hit him.

Of course, the finish has to be right. At this point, even a win by disqualification is better than what Ambrose has seen in the past. Their feud just began and it may not be in the cards for Barrett to drop the belt right now, but that doesn't mean he should get a pin at Fastlane.

Ambrose needs to look strong, and if he's going to gather any momentum, he needs to start on Feb. 22.

Fastlane is the last major event before WrestleMania 31, and that means that the groundwork for WWE's most important night of the year will surely be laid. All of the company's top stars will be on their individual paths to matches at WrestleMania, and Ambrose should be included in the mix.

Ambrose's popularity demands that he be featured prominently at WrestleMania. But in order for that to happen, he must begin a program to get there now.

Getting over because of his work and his character is not enough anymore. To be taken seriously as a viable main event star, Ambrose must start coming out on top. Overwhelming Barrett at Fastlane to the point that the champion actually retreats from the fight would be a great start.

Ambrose could spend the rest of the time between Fastlane and WrestleMania on March 29 hounding Barrett, pursuing him from one end of WWE to the other. It would be four weeks' worth of sneak attacks, stalking him in the locker room, outside the arena, wherever Ambrose could get the drop on him.

Barrett would become the most paranoid Superstar on the roster, afraid of his own shadow and ready to give up when he finally agrees to the match at Mania. It would be one of the most entertaining storylines in WWE and it would get Ambrose over even more than he is now.

And Ambrose should win the WWE Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 31. It would be a great way to end their rivalry and it would help establish Ambrose as a star that the company is committed to. He cannot continue to lose one feud after another. Eventually, he must begin looking strong, and this program with Barrett at Fastlane would be the perfect place to start.