Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens Is WWE's Alternative to Prototypical Superstar Feud

Dean Ambrose is not the typical WWE Superstar.  He's not tall, he's not ripped and he's not teeming with overconfidence.  Kevin Owens is also not the typical WWE guy and looks more like a nightclub bouncer than he does a pro wrestler.  Together they resemble an old-school tag team that very well could have flourished back in the territory days.

Therein lies the value for many fans when it comes to these two Superstars.  The fact is Ambrose and Owens' rivalry is not what we're accustomed to seeing, and that's a good thing.

Far too often has a feud in WWE gone the typical path of revenge and macho chest-beating.  While each has its place in professional wrestling and always will, it's a nice change of pace to see something different come along.

Neither Ambrose nor Owens is particularly vindictive, and they aren't very boisterous.  All they want is to fight, and that's exactly what they're doing.

This is what many fans have wanted for a long time, and in many ways, it's indicative of the company's image in 2016.  Gone are the days when seven-foot, muscled-up giants ruled the land. This is the era of the indie stars, the guys who came up the hard way working in front of 20 fans for less than $20.

Promotions like Ring of Honor have provided these blue-collar technicians, wrestlers who care more about getting their business done in the ring than wasting the entire first segment of the program on a boring promo.  

These stars are stars because they worked hard to become exactly that, not because that's what a company called them.  What matters to them is entertaining the fans and putting on the best match of the night; all the rest is just cake for them.

These are the talents of WWE's post-CM Punk era, and they're fitting in just fine.

This is what fans of WWE want now, and the feud between Owens and Ambrose is no exception.  It's not pretty; it's gritty, like them.  It's not classy or flashy; it's tough and smash-mouth.  Both Owens and Ambrose are fighting like they have something to prove, and it's that desire to kill it in the ring that keeps fans coming back for more.

The best part of this is that they're really the perfect opponents for each other.

Owens is not falling for Ambrose's crazy antics.  He's got no time for the wackiness that accompanies The Lunatic Fringe to every match he competes in.  Owens wants blood, and he wants it in the worst way.

Ambrose, on the other hand, is just being Ambrose, and that means he's throwing caution to the wind every time he crosses paths with Owens.  He's got the wild-eyed enthusiasm he always has, but it's tempered with a respect for Owens and the threat he poses.  

Ambrose knows KO is dangerous, but he also knows what he must do to beat him in a fight.

The combination of these two with a major title is proof positive that WWE has indeed changed gears from the days when giants walked their rings.  This is a brawl, a fight—it's something that the average male fan in attendance can relate to, and it's something that everyone can get behind.

John Cena and Ryback may look the part.  Roman Reigns may be the next phase of that evolved "look." But Ambrose and Owens are now the rule, not the exception.  They represent what WWE has become, and theirs is not the prototypical feud of past WWE eras.

This is working, and it's working on every level.  It's also very entertaining and, really, that's the point.

It's a feud that can be revisited as many times as WWE needs to, as it does not necessarily need a resolution any time soon.  Ambrose and Owens have really only begun to scratch the surface of what they can do, and as long as the company is willing to give them time to work, they should be able to get their rivalry over even more than it is now.

It's not pretty, and that's the best part.  It's what WWE is now, and it's exactly what many fans love about it.

Tom's work can regularly be found on Bleacher Report and his podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here