Dean Ambrose Injects Needed Energy into Payback Main Event

Adding Dean Ambrose to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at Payback cranks up the voltage at the main event. A Triple Threat now becomes an electric Fatal 4-Way thanks to a live wire joining the fray.

The choice to add this madman to the title bout creates new storyline options and gives fans something they have yet to see. 

Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns had promise, but fans had watched these three men go at it in some form several times over the past few months. There was a holdover feel to the marquee bout as well.

It served as the means to end Orton's rivalry with Rollins and fully engage in Reigns vs. Rollins going forward. The expected outcome was for the champion to somehow outsmart his foes and escape with the title.

Rollins will still be the betting favorite to win at Payback, but adding the unpredictable Ambrose to the mix creates more doubt about The Future of WWE surviving. 

Credit: WWE.com

It's an addition that few saw coming. Even when Kane announced on Monday's Raw that if Ambrose defeated Rollins in Montreal, he would earn his way into the Payback main event, it didn't seem like WWE would choose that route.

The Triple Threat was already set. Ambrose hadn't been in the title picture up to that point. This was likely just a way to create some suspense on Raw.

Instead, that stipulation served to create suspense at Payback. Ambrose and Rollins battled in a tremendous bout, one that adds to their already impressive collection of standout clashes together. 

J&J Security intervened when the match seemed to be wrapping up. Despite the chaos they brought to the ring, Ambrose pinned the world champ. Stunned at the result, Micheal Cole shouted, "Ambrose is going to Payback!" 

And with that, the complexion of Payback's top match is drastically different. 

The bout benefits from added subplots. Ambrose and Rollins' rivalry is one rich with hate. To pen another chapter in that story is smart, but there's more to savor here.

Ambrose also has to go up against his former partner in Reigns. That's a first. That alone drives up the interest level here.

WWE's potential paths are plentiful. This title match could also be the catalyst for an Orton-Ambrose feud. Ambrose and Reigns may partner up for portions of the contest. An Ambrose heel turn is a possibility on top of that.

Regardless of how WWE plays this, history will be made. The men who once comprised The Shield will tear each other apart for the first time. As WWE's Kyle Edwards points out, it will also mark the first time in a year since these former brothers-in-arms were last involved in a match together:

"

Payback 2015 will mark the first @WWE PPV where all former members of the Shield will be involved in the same match since Payback 2014. #RAW

— Kyle Edwards (@KyleEdwardsWWE) May 5, 2015"

In addition, Payback now offers hope (as slim as it may be) that The Lunatic Fringe could walk out of Baltimore with the world title in hand.

The unexpected move to a Fatal 4-Way bolsters the match and the pay-per-view. Renee Young did well to capture the excitement of the company inserting Ambrose into the top match:

"

Oh snap!! Dean Ambrose added to the main event at #payback! 

— Renee Young (@ReneeYoungWWE) May 5, 2015"

And Ambrose is not just a fourth gladiator in a high-profile battle. He is one of the most exciting performers in WWE today. When comparisons to Brian Pillman and Roddy Piper come your way, you're most certainly doing something right.

His frenzied energy elevates the bout. Things naturally get wilder when a match goes from a three-way scuffle to a four-man affair, but Ambrose is especially madcap. 

Look for him to fly out of the ring, to brawl with a grin on his face and add to the chaos in Baltimore that night.