Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins Will Be WWE's Next Iconic Rivalry

Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock, John Cena vs. CM Punk—few feuds have revolutionized the landscape of WWE quite like these ruthless rivalries have. In time, Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins will be the next unforgettable feud added to that legendary list.

Of course, it's far too soon to tell whether the long-running rivalry between Ambrose and Rollins will stand the test of time, but it's well on its way to becoming one of the most epic angles the WWE Universe has seen in years.

It all traces back to their origins in The Shield—and it's safe to say no faction in recent memory had been booked better than them for as long as they were together. From the moment they joined forces to the moment they split up, the trio of Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns had a near-perfect run.

They were as close as could be; they were brothers. Nothing could get between them, and their unity was what made them so successful, with several championships and accolades to their credit.

After running rampant on the roster for nearly a year-and-a-half, the dreaded day came to be on the June 2, 2014 edition of Raw: The Shield imploded by virtue of Rollins aligning with The Authority. In a business where very little comes as a surprise anymore, this was a genuinely shocking moment that shook WWE to its very core. 

Credit: WWE.com

While Reigns moved on to other endeavors, Ambrose was fixed on giving Rollins his comeuppance. He wouldn't rest until he had avenged his betrayal and forced his former friend to suffer for his sins.

Over the next four months, the two met in every match imaginable with each of their in-ring encounters ranging from great to exceptional. The most impressive part about their feud was that there was never a point where it grew stale.

The bad blood between Ambrose and Rollins was transparent and felt personal, two factors any iconic rivalry should have. Whether it was in the ring, on the mic or even in the parking lot, they hit a home run every time they crossed paths.

Their final match on pay-per-view saw Rollins defeat Ambrose inside Hell in a Cell, but not decisively; this only came after Bray Wyatt interfered and cost Ambrose the win, so a true victor was never decided.

Make no mistake about it: The feud between the former Shield cohorts is far from over, and that's part of what makes it so great. They can be rivals (and potentially partners again) for as long as they're both in the company through the next several years.

Personally, I see Ambrose vs. Rollins as this generation's Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels. Those two could have several matches on PPV in a row before going a full year before encountering each other again—and it still felt fresh.

Case in point: Similar to HHH and HBK in 2002, Ambrose and Rollins spent the better part of 2014 feuding with each other. However, after being separated for a while, the rekindling of their rivalry just recently doesn't at all come across like a repeat.

What separates it from a feud such as John Cena vs. Randy Orton is that it is ever-evolving. At first, it focused on Ambrose seeking retribution before transitioning to him preventing Rollins from cashing in his contract successfully and then finally him wanting his championship gold.

Plus, the story they're telling is simple yet effective: The Lunatic Fringe has never scored a big win over Rollins. Other than a one-off victory on the May 4 Raw, he has never beaten the former Mr. Money in the Bank in singles competition on a grand stage, making their upcoming encounter over the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Elimination Chamber all the more intriguing.

Only time will tell as to whether Ambrose vs. Rollins will truly be among the most iconic rivalries in WWE history, but from what we've seen from the former Shield brethren so far, there's a rather likely chance it will be.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website at Next Era Wrestling and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.

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