What's Next for Dean Ambrose After Win vs. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins?

The underdog, and the new face of SmackDown, prevailed at WWE Battleground 2016 when Dean Ambrose emerged from his clash with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins still clinging to the WWE Championship.

The title picture set to surround Ambrose promises to be a frenzied, crowded one. One of SmackDown's key narratives will be the chase for the gold that he made sure at Battleground would stay with the blue brand. 

The Lunatic Fringe no longer has to worry about his former brothers from The Shield. Raw drafted both Reigns and Rollins. That three-way battle is over for now.

Instead, an old rival will resurface.

Another emerging star on the SmackDown brand is the most logical option as Ambrose's opponent for SummerSlam. Ambrose fans need not worry about the champion revisiting his past, though. The wild-eyed babyface is due for a sustained stay on the mountaintop.

SmackDown in the Spotlight

Early on, SmackDown will be as much a star in Ambrose's story as him.

WWE is trying to reestablish the blue brand as more than just its "B" show. SmackDown now airing live is a big step with that goal in mind. And at Battleground, the company chose to keep the WWE title in Ambrose's hands, meaning that SmackDown will boast WWE's only world champion—for now at least.

After his win, the SmackDown roster rushed into the ring with Ambrose and congratulated him. The Usos lifted him on their shoulders. SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon exploded with joy.  

As Jesse Collings of Wrestling Inc pointed out, "The focus became more on the fact that SmackDown had the championship and not that Ambrose retained."

Backstage, Ambrose said, "The WWE champ's working Tuesdays from now on." 

This all reads like a concerted effort to get the brand over. Ambrose is poised to be a big part of that continued effort. Expect him to be the centerpiece of SmackDown and to be presented as the underdog that represents the underdog show.

His promos are sure to feature mentions of his brand. Announcers will paint him and the title he holds as a special attraction one can only see on Tuesday nights.

That's great news for The Lunatic Fringe, as there won't be any danger of WWE neglecting his reign.

The Swamp Comes to SummerSlam 

Rollins and Reigns won't be able to force a rematch with Ambrose. As Raw Superstars, they now exist in another world. That leaves the champion without a clear challenger.

The top SmackDown stars will clamor to get a crack at him. In the first chapters for SmackDown following the brand split, that will mean establishing a new hierarchy.  

Count on lots of wrestlers talking up how much they deserve a title shot and on several matches becoming proving grounds.

Bray Wyatt will outlast everyone in the race to be the No. 1 contender. A process of elimination leaves The Eater of Worlds as the last best option.

Nick Gator of The Gator Pit podcast tweeted that he predicts Wyatt will face Ambrose at SummerSlam:

It's hard to argue with him. Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar will be facing each other at the marquee pay-per-view. John Cena and AJ Styles are in the thick of a feud that likely culminates at SummerSlam.

That leaves a long list of unproven names like Baron Corbin as potential challengers.

WWE has certainly bungled Wyatt's booking over the past few years, but he is miles more fitting to face Ambrose than Corbin or another newcomer. It has always felt like The Eater of Worlds was on the verge of moving into the top tier.

With less competition courtesy of the brand split and WWE wanting to portray the present as a New Era, Wyatt will get a shot as a headliner.

That will have him and Ambrose revisit their 2014 feud. Their history gives WWE a starting point for their storyline. The company can be confident about these foes' chemistry together, too. Ambrose and Wyatt made for compelling adversaries the last time around.

A Long Time on the Throne

Ambrose will enjoy a long reign as WWE champ. 

The heavily pushed Reigns is no longer a danger to him. The same goes for Rollins, who proved last year that he was more than capable of holding the top spot in the company.

And two major potential threats, Lesnar and Cena, promise to be busy for the near future with other rivals.

Besides, WWE is due to slow things down with the title scene after a rapid-fire few months. The title has moved around a ton of late. 

Wrestler	Length of Reign	Date Won
Seth Rollins	220 days	March 29, 2015
Roman Reigns	10 minutes	Nov. 22, 2015
Sheamus	23 days	Nov. 22, 2015
Roman Reigns	41 days	Dec. 14, 2015
Triple H	70 days	Jan. 24, 2016
Roman Reigns	77 days	April 3, 2016
Seth Rollins	2 minutes	June 19, 2016

Ambrose's time as champ, at 35 days as of Monday, per WWE.com, is surprisingly longer than three of the last seven reigns.

The WWE champion hasn't held onto his belt for more than three months since Rollins' first go-round. His rule only ended when he tore his ACL and MCL last November. Who knows how long The Architect would have kept the belt?

It's time for another stretch where the champion keeps fending off his foes. WWE will look to give fans a change of pace after so many quick turnarounds with its titleholders. 

The surreal sight of The Lunatic Fringe holding up gold each week is one we're going to have to get used to.