Dean Ambrose Must Not Take the Fall at WWE Payback 2015

Dean Ambrose will get his first shot at the WWE world heavyweight title at Payback 2015 on May 17. He will wrestle in a Fatal 4-Way match against Randy Orton, Roman Reigns and champion Seth Rollins.

It should be a great encounter, as all three members of The Shield will face off against each other at a marquee event. Adding Orton will prove to be a huge boon for Payback’s main event.

Despite the high-profile match, there’s a strong chance Ambrose could take the loss at the main event. For his sake, this cannot happen.

The Lunatic Fringe earned his opportunity by defeating Rollins on the May 4 Raw. Rollins was only scheduled to face Orton and Reigns in a Triple Threat match chosen by the fans. Kane, Director of Operations, had other plans.

He set up the bout, to Rollins’ dismay. Ambrose rolled up Rollins for the three-count, and as a consequence he’ll get his first WWE title shot at Sunday night's main event.

It’s a huge step for Ambrose’s career.

He’s already been in the main event before. Ambrose and Rollins headlined last October’s Hell In A Cell event, as both men fought in the infamous structure. Ambrose also main evented last December’s Tables, Ladders & Chairs with Bray Wyatt. They used all three of those weapons to inflict more pain on each other.

Ambrose lost both of those matches but didn’t lose momentum. The matches were chaotic, as predicted. The fans still supported him up to this point.

In fact, Ambrose finally ended a losing streak at April’s Extreme Rules, defeating Luke Harper in a Street Fight to return to winning ways. Losing at Payback would be the worst time to stop his momentum.

Granted, Ambrose should not win the title yet. It’s not his time. However, he has the most to lose by being pinned or submitted in this marquee bout.

Ambrose has been the main event by himself twice in his career, and once as a member of The Shield. He has very little just experience on the big stage compared to his opponents.

Rollins slowly worked his way into main event exposure and high-pressure situations since his split from The Shield. He’s earned his spot representing the WWE as its champion.

Reigns just closed out WrestleMania 31 against Brock Lesnar (Rollins interrupted the match, cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase and pinned Reigns). Plus, Reigns is still WWE’s future. He’ll get his chance soon enough, but he shouldn’t be the fall guy.

This leaves us with Randy Orton, the most tenured of the four. Orton is already a 12-time world champion and a proven main eventer. Orton can take the hit and wouldn’t be affected by the loss.

Dean Ambrose will most undoubtedly be the fan favorite come May 17. Fans go wild for the edgy WWE Superstar whenever he appears in the ring. Losing at Payback would disappoint the fans and could cause them to lose faith in The Lunatic Fringe.

This can’t happen for a company that needs to make new stars for the future.

Come this Sunday, Ambrose doesn’t have to win. But considering the stakes, Ambrose cannot be the one pinned or submitted in the match.