Dean Ambrose's WWE Championship Title Run Will Dictate Legitimacy of SmackDown

Dean Ambrose's drafting to SmackDown Live gave the program immediate relevancy. Many fans suspected the move would happen, mainly for this reason. After all, if the company wanted the revitalized blue brand to start on a high note, it needed WWE's top title.

But now that the new WWE Universal Championship is coming to Monday Night Raw, there is even more reason for SmackDown to get it right. All the pressure is on Ambrose to overachieve because, if he doesn't, SmackDown could fall behind.

There's every reason to believe he will do just that.

Ambrose is a star. He won the WWE Championship because he earned it, not because he needed it. Ambrose was doing fine without it; he was arguably the most popular talent on the roster and had been for quite a while.

However, when he finally became champ, it was obvious his status was going to improve quickly. Ambrose went from being the unstable wild card to being the man. 

The longer he holds the belt, the better he will become. A two-month title reign is not enough to establish anyone as a top guy in WWE, and the same is true of Ambrose. He needs time to build a reputation as the guy to beat in the company. He must be the standard-bearer who all other Superstars look to; this is the role of the WWE champion.

Ambrose is capable of becoming this guy. Some would likely say he's there now. So the champ is in place; now the booking must happen. 

As always, it is the booking that will make all the difference here. Ambrose can only go as far as WWE will take him, and that means he must start defending the championship against all challengers. If the company is indeed committing to him, his run must start with a bang.

Enter Dolph Ziggler, who will face Ambrose at SummerSlam on August 21. 

This is a great start for Ambrose, as Ziggler is a solid challenger for him. The Showoff will bring incredible athleticism and great ring psychology to the match. The fact that he is a perennial fan favorite will only increase the spotlight on the bout.

Ziggler's booking here is not only a wise decision, but it's also a surprising one.

Ziggler has been known as the people's choice, but not the company's choice. Fans have wanted to see him excel his entire career, yet every time it seemed he was finally getting a shot, he fell short once again. WWE could heavily promote this as a new lease on life for him.

This is a storyline that will write itself because, if they have chemistry, fans should be willing to go along for the ride.

While all of this is happening, SmackDown will get stronger. Ambrose vs. Ziggler will work because they will make it work and because it's built on a solid foundation. But for Ambrose to succeed, he must retain the title. Ziggler is a deserving challenger, and he may become champion again at some point, but that cannot happen against Ambrose.

Of course, when their match at SummerSlam is over, the rivalry could continue. This would only generate more excitement around the title, and that is good for SmackDown. 

Then Ambrose must go on to defend the championship against more challengers who will push him as Ziggler will. With each win, he will grow stronger and become a bigger star than fans can imagine.

SmackDown's roster is full of talent who can help carry the load, and at the top of the list is John Cena. But there is a shift in Cena's booking now, as he is no longer the full-time face of WWE. So unless this changes for some reason, SmackDown's fate is up to the guy at the forefront, and that guy is Ambrose.

SmackDown's success is predicated on the success of its champ. As long as Ambrose is in the driver's seat with the full support of WWE, he will win in the end.

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