Dean Ambrose Has Proven That He Deserves a Main Event Slot

It's no secret that, since the breakup of the Shield, Dean Ambrose has been somewhat underutilised by WWE.

Despite getting himself over with the WWE Universe, Ambrose has not received the main event-level opportunities that have greeted his former colleagues Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. Both of those men featured in the closing moments of WrestleMania, whilst Ambrose was a bit player in the opening match.

At WWE Payback, however, Ambrose finally got his chance to shine.

He took part in the Fatal 4-Way match for the WWE Championship and felt like a genuine contender throughout.

Ambrose looked evenly matched with three of WWE's top stars, coming close to victory on several occasions. This is a remarkable achievement given that he was repeatedly losing to perennial midcarder Bad News Barrett only a few months ago.

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Recently, the Lunatic Fringe's main purpose has been to work wild stipulation matches. Whilst there is no doubting his talent with a kendo stick or steel chair in his hand, this is not the best way to utilise a man who has such a powerful connection with the WWE Universe.

WWE would benefit from deploying Ambrose in a main event role.

In the absence of Daniel Bryan and with John Cena adding a sheen to the United States Championship, WWE needs a sympathetic main event babyface.

Randy Orton is entertaining but lacks sympathy from fans, whilst Reigns is a thoroughly divisive figure. Ambrose, however, is almost unanimously loved by WWE fans and can put on a good match with any top-level heel.

There’s also the factor of history. Rollins is currently WWE champion, which presents an opportunity for Ambrose and Rollins to rekindle their feud from last summer, which culminated in a wild match inside Hell in a Cell.

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The blow-off to that feud was slightly marred by the interference of Bray Wyatt. The Ambrose vs. Rollins story is one that deserves a definitive ending, which is something that a main event program going into SummerSlam could certainly achieve.

It seems clear that Rollins has a date with a returning Brock Lesnar, given that the Beast Incarnate has unfinished business with the champion. However, Rollins could really benefit from a hot feud in the run-up to that match.

Ambrose is his most viable option in that respect given the pair’s proven chemistry and built-in storyline.

More importantly, Ambrose needs to remain in the main event mix in order to cement himself as a player capable of working in that arena. The likes of Reigns and Orton can drop outside of the main event for a while and be inserted again at any time.

This is not true for Ambrose, who could find himself losing momentum if he is shuffled back down to the midcard in the aftermath of Payback. He needs to continue to pursue Rollins.

At Payback, Ambrose proved to the WWE Universe, and hopefully to the company’s top brass, that he can hold his own against the best performers the company has to offer.

Ambrose has been busting his body for the WWE cause for a long time now, and he deserves all of the opportunities that have been offered to his former Shield brethren.