Best Booking Options for Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens at WWE Royal Rumble 2016

The next major show on the WWE schedule is the 2016 Royal Rumble, and there is a serious focus on what will happen with Dean Ambrose and the Intercontinental Championship moving forward.

Since Ambrose won the title from Kevin Owens, the two men have been involved in a brutal war. Add in the involvement of Dolph Ziggler, and the fight for the title has been one of the best parts of WWE programming.

Here are the best booking options for Ambrose, Owens and the Intercontinental Championship.

Ambrose vs. Owens

Ambrose and Owens are two of the most talented performers on the WWE roster right now, and letting them engage in an extended feud would be a dream come true for many wrestling fans.

The key will be to attach a legitimate storyline people can get behind.

Throwing soda and popcorn is a terrible way to continue an angle, but how the program has been booked since—with Owens desperately trying to get the title back and Ambrose not backing down—is exactly what the WWE Universe needs to invest emotion into the storyline.

From an in-ring perspective, Owens and Ambrose can have amazing matches on Raw, SmackDown or at the Royal Rumble, but that alone won't convince people to care. Character development and storyline progression, though, can make anyone enjoy this angle.

If Ambrose and Owens continue to battle in a serious feud that gets personal, this could be the perfect way to end 2015 and usher in 2016.

Triple Threat for IC Title

Ideally, Ambrose and Owens will be given the chance to shine on their own, but the subtle teases of a Ziggler heel turn should have fans excited. The character development could make a Triple Threat for the IC title at Royal Rumble a Match of the Night contender.

Ziggler kicked Ambrose in the face last week on SmackDown, and there was hope that it would lead to something interesting. While WWE barely mentioned it on Monday’s Raw, the commentary team during Tuesday’s live show did bring it up.

With Ambrose as the clear face and Owens as the quintessential heel, Ziggler will have the chance to be a deeper character who is fighting for an admirable reason but using questionable means to get there.

In a world where shows like Breaking Bad are held in high regard, inserting a conflicted Ziggler into a clear battle between Ambrose and Owens would make for a smart addition to the Royal Rumble card.

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