Dean Ambrose Continues to Prove He Deserves Roman Reigns' Spot Atop WWE

WWE has the casting all wrong; Dean Ambrose should be playing the conquering, top-of-the-card hero, not Roman Reigns.

As talented as Reigns is, and as much potential as he has, Ambrose is the better fit as WWE's No. 1 babyface right now. The Lunatic Fringe is more charismatic, more compelling and boasts a better connection with the crowd.

The pro-Ambrose evidence keeps rolling in.

Triple H's assault on Reigns last week sidelined The Big Dog for Monday's Raw. When Ambrose stepped in to serve as The Game's primary antagonist, fans got a glimpse of what a Triple H vs. Ambrose feud would look like.

Ambrose interrupted the WWE champ in the show's opening promo, pestering Triple H and demanding a title shot. While the moment didn't ever seem to shift into high gear, Ambrose was funny, looked natural and felt like a star opposite The Game. 

Wrestling Inc praised his performance:

It's not often fans or critics have been able to say that about Reigns' promos. The Samoan Superstar has grown as a talker but is still stiff and still not a dependable option in these spots. 

Meanwhile, Ambrose has a resume full of enthralling, electric verbal performances. When he urged Brock Lesnar to take him to Suplex City before Fastlane or addressed the fans after losing at last year's Money in the Bank event or even with something as small as a backstage interview following a loss to Kevin Owens, he has thrived.

WWE hasn't seen that kind of production from Reigns. He has mostly been underwhelming on the mic.

Beyond being a superior talker, Ambrose pulls the audience in more. While Reigns hears a split crowd when he enters the building, The Lunatic Fringe is greeted with roars. Fans still stubbornly resist WWE's push of Reigns but welcome his former partner in The Shield.

One saw that on full display at Fastlane.

When Reigns knocked off Lesnar and Ambrose to earn his place in the WrestleMania main event, the crowd offered the victor a mixed reaction. Cheers blended in with boos. This was not exactly a hero's welcome.

Credit: WWE.com

Online, many made it clear they would have preferred an Ambrose win. Anti-Reigns backlash erupted again. As Rob Crossley of GameSpot put it, "Fans turned apoplectic and amassed online to claim it was all a disaster."

There is no better indicator, though, how the WWE faithful feel about these two than looking at the difference in the response to Triple H throttling them on TV.

Last Monday, Triple H bashed in Reigns' nose until blood stained his wrist tape. Some fans cheered on the attack. Some chanted Triple H's name. WWE clearly had work to do in the generating-pathos department.

Fast-forward seven days, and The Cerebral Assassin was displaying his viciousness again. This time he battered an already injured and heavily bandaged Ambrose. Boos rumbled through the arena.

Whereas Reigns could win fans over and be the right babyface to position atop the company, the audience is indicating that Ambrose has already won them over.

The Fan's Podcast put it simply:

"

Dean Ambrose is the sympathetic babyface Vince is looking for. #Raw #RawNashville

— The Fan's Podcast (@TheFansPodcast) March 1, 2016"

Compare how fans reacted to Ambrose stealing the WWE title last year to Reigns winning the 2015 Royal Rumble. Compare Ambrose's showdowns opposite Triple H and Lesnar with Reigns goofing around as he and Chris Jericho mocked The League of Nations.

One of those guys looks like a work in progress. One of those men looks ready to be the centerpiece of the company right now. WWE is convinced Reigns is in the second category; Steve Austin, as he told Ring Rust Radio, instead believes "Reigns isn't quite there yet."

Luckily for Ambrose, he has a wealth of opportunities ahead of him to further make his case that the WWE title and a prime spot on the marquee should be his.

Not only is he going to get a chance to battle it out on the mic with the incomparable Paul Heyman in the coming weeks, but he's going to have a premier matchup with Lesnar and now a crack at Triple H for the gold at WWE Roadblock.

Expect him to keep his fingers tight around the brass ring at each step, the crowd longing to see him ascend.