Will Fans Pay Respect or Boo Dean Ambrose During Final Days on the WWE Roster?

In about the span of a day, Dean Ambrose became the most interesting story in WWE. 

Funnily enough, he could be leaving. 

The audience knowing a Superstar could be leaving the company is always a wrinkle that has the potential to produce unexpected results.

Thanks to social media and otherwise, audiences are more in tune with the product and the goings-on behind the scenes than ever before. That Ambrose is a storied champion and a big figure in WWE history only complicates matters. 

Some of the above would explain why WWE handled the situation in a completely different manner than usual.

Rumors about Ambrose leaving the company spread quickly, and WWE went out of its way to release a statement about the topic, whereas in the past it wouldn't have addressed it at all.

That his role on that particular episode of Raw seemed like he wouldn't even show up on television again only made the whole ordeal more entertaining. 

Which might explain why Ambrose was back on television on the February 4 edition of Raw. 

Maybe this was the plan all along. But Ambrose lost to Seth Rollins in what felt like a this-feud-is-over-forever match, got interrupted trying to cut a heartfelt promo then got shoved around by Nix Jax. The rumors and statement followed, then he showed up this past week and put over EC3 after an entertaining promo and loss. 

Fans clearly liked the segment and weren't too frustrated with Ambrose losing, but how the reactions evolve could get interesting from here as he works his way toward WrestleMania. 

Make no mistake, Ambrose deserves the affection of fans. He's one of a few rare Grand Slam champions, putting him among the likes of Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero and Edge.

He was a staple of one of the best factions of all time, cut killer promos regularly, was involved in one of the best revenge tales in company history, could make something out of nothing with someone like James Ellsworth and had a superb Money in the Bank cash-in: 

To name just a few things in a storied career. 

Now, we're looking at a scenario where WWE could use Ambrose to put over up-and-coming talent regularly. He got eliminated by Aleister Black in the Royal Rumble, is at least offended by the idea of Nia Jax putting hands on him and took the loss to EC3. Maybe none of this leads to a match at WrestleMania, but even the most casual of fans can see and respect when a well-known guy is trying to pass the torch. 

WWE's future hopes with Ambrose shouldn't come into the equation, by the way. If the company wants to get him back down the road for a possible Shield reunion or otherwise, fans by that point aren't going to care if he spent his last few months losing matches on his way out the door. 

It's Dean Ambrose, after all, which is a testament to the strong body of work he's done throughout his career, not just his tenure in WWE. It certainly had its rough patches—especially since his botched storylines this time around—but the fan reaction will always be there. 

But there is, unfortunately, another side to this coin.

Ambrose fatigue could easily set in over the course of a few months if he doesn't have any direction outside of taking losses to new folks. The sting of his failed return is still there, as is the bigger sting of a botched feud with Seth Rollins. 

As fans might recall, the initial Ambrose return looked so promising. His return pop and intimidating, silent stature were superb: 

But as fans know, it went downhill quick. He got back on the mic and eventually turned into the goofy villain holding his nose at fans instead of the quiet type the return sold him as.

His heel turn on the night Roman Reigns announced he had to step away set him up as one of the most hated villains ever given the real-life tie-ins, yet it fizzled fast and the payoff match was a dud. 

Simply put, some fans aren't going to buy into the redemption tour. It is easy to speculate part of the reason WWE was so quick to put out a statement and control the narrative surrounding Ambrose is because, for the first time in a long time, there is a competitor in AEW who can steal talent.

The last thing WWE wants as Ambrose finishes his contract is fans at live shows and on television chanting another promotion's name whenever he hits the ring, giving a competitor free fan mindshare. 

As always seems to be the case outside of rare flashes in the pan like Becky Lynch, it will all come down to how WWE handles the situation. Presumably, if WWE uses Ambrose to sell fans on newer stars and let him simply be himself on his way out the door, fans won't have a reason to revolt over the situation. 

If done well, fans will also find Ambrose one of the most perplexing and entertaining elements of WrestleMania because the whole ordeal blurs the line between real and fake.

The potential for one of the best stories in the modern era to unfold is right in front of WWE with Ambrose again—but the company has to get it right.  If WWE gets it right and Ambrose does his usual solid work, his goodbye tour—if it's even that—should have fans cheering.