Triple H vs. Dean Ambrose: Winner and Reaction from WWE Roadblock 2016

In his final test before facing Roman Reigns in the WrestleMania 32 main event, Triple H defeated Dean Ambrose Saturday night at Roadblock to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

With WrestleMania on the horizon, The Lunatic Fringe and The King of Kings put on a match worthy of main-eventing the Showcase of the Immortals. It showcased technical-chain-wrestling prowess from both competitors, submission holds and even controversy, per WWE, as Ambrose hit his Dirty Deeds finisher on the WWE's Chief Operating Officer, but his feet were under the bottom rope:

Ambrose attempted an elbow drop off the barricade to Triple H through the announce table, but The Game moved out of the way. Ambrose beat the 10-count, but he slid right into a Pedigree for the three-count and retained the title, per WWE:

The Game seemed poised to waltz into the showcase of immortals unimpeded, but that changed a couple of weeks ago on Raw when The Lunatic Fringe decided to challenge him for the world title.

Triple H ultimately accepted, but not before Ambrose suffered a severe beating at the hands of The League of Nations. The King of Kings destroyed the unstable Superstar as well, which added even more heat to their budding rivalry.

While few truly believed Ambrose had a legitimate chance to win at Roadblock because WrestleMania's top matches had already been set and announced, the former Shield member made it clear he fully intended to muddy the waters by taking the title, according to WWE Universe on Twitter:

Triple H attempted to prevent Ambrose from even getting to Roadblock by forcing him to face Bray Wyatt on the go-home edition of Raw. Ambrose was attacked by the entire Wyatt Family, but he ultimately recovered enough to hit Triple H with Dirty Deeds and plant a seed of doubt in The Game's mind.

Reigns' absence due to a nose injury opened the door for the Triple H vs. Ambrose mini-feud, and there is little doubt the crowd was far more receptive to it, as pointed out by former WCW star Scotty Riggs:

That led to a great deal of excitement for Saturday's clash between the final two Superstars in the 2016 Royal Rumble, but the result was ultimately the same, with Triple H managing to get one over on his popular opponent.

Ambrose's loss certainly wasn't unexpected because of his impending Street Fight against Brock Lesnar April 3 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, but it could raise concerns about whether he'll have enough momentum entering the event.

Despite the fact Ambrose has arguably looked better than ever in recent weeks by standing up to The Beast Incarnate and Triple H, there is work to be done in the coming weeks in terms of making him appear to be a legitimate threat to Lesnar.

As for Triple H, a win over Reigns' best friend gives him added bragging rights and validates his title run prior to the WrestleMania main event.

While the idea of a major shakeup in the form of Ambrose winning the title from Triple H at Roadblock had many fans excited, WWE ultimately took the expected route instead.

That may be disappointing to some since Triple H against Reigns isn't necessarily the preferred main event as far as the WWE Universe is concerned, but if Roadblock's result garners The Game more heat moving forward, it could prove to be a major coup for the world-title angle.

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