Does Dean Ambrose Have What It Takes To Become The Biggest Face In WWE?

[Hard Hit Prince]

This is my third thread (here) in less than 24 hours and it's gonna be the last until the others are fully replied, so I'm sorry if you guys think I'm being a pain in the ass. The subject in cause in this one is Dean Ambrose and the potential he has in becoming one of the biggest natural babyfaces in the company. At least in reaction and emotional investment (not really money investment... think Daniel Bryan's babyface run).

Dean Ambrose has been overlooked, he has been underrated and he has been overrated. Some people genuinely think he is really talented, others think he is way too crazy to let them "suspend" their disbelief. But, the fact of the matter is that you can create a connection with Dean Ambrose. His entire character doesn't make him "bigger than life", in fact it comes out as the "realest" guy you can have. He doesn't win all the time, he doesn't lose all the time. He kicks ass, until he literally can't anymore. He is not a wrestler nor he is a superstar, and that is evident in his clothes, in his promos straight to the point and in his motivations to fight.

He has not shown any greed to become the top dog or even the WWE Champion (If I had Renee I wouldn't care about anything else either). His feud with Seth Rollins proved that, because the guy only wanted to take the title just to stick it to his rival's face. However, remember the time when he "won" the championship and the reaction of the moment was fantastic. Even his facial expressions were priceless. I am just saying that the character development in Dean Ambrose has really been good and if WWE pulls the trigger he has all the tools to become a natural big hit, as far as being a babyface goes.

What do you guys think? Does Dean Ambrose have all the tools to become one of those 'overachievers' in wrestling, just out of audience demand? What's the next logical step for his career, turn heel or get pushed as a babyface? Will he ever put his name in the list of the WWE World Champions? When it's all said and done can he become a bigger star than Rollins and Reigns?

 

[Aeon Mathix]

Back when the Shield was around, I always read around various forums that many people were predicting Ambrose would be the breakout star and it seemed like that since the Shield debuted. I always believed him to be the most well rounded of the trio. Seth Rollins had the in ring ability, Roman Reigns had the "look", and Ambrose was pretty much a combination of it all with his mic skills being his standout. What happened with the fallout of the Shield was something I don't think anyone predicted. Seth Rollins is holding the WWE World Heavyweight Title and United States Title. If you had told me that back then that he would be holding those two titles together and be facing guys like Lesnar, Cena and Sting in main events, I would have asked for your dealer's number.

I'm not sure how planned Rollins being the one to turn was. I almost always believed it was setup just to be a swerve and they kind of then ran with it because I never saw Rollins being the biggest star of the Shield. Like not even close. I still don't think he is as great as he's built up to be and comes off mostly as a poor man's Edge or whatever, but I do know that he's good. I am just having trouble seeing him in this main event light, but that's my own opinion.

Dean Ambrose on the other hand has been pretty wasted all things considered. The guy basically became enhancement talent to everyone and their mother and was really the only one Bray ever beat decisively. I'm not talking like pinned him once and that was it, no Wyatt straight up beat him like 4 times. Kane has beaten Ambrose clean, Big show has, Orton, Rollins, etc. The guy is one of the most over people on the whole roster if not the most over and he's in booking where he loses almost everything? Why? A win over him doesn't even really mean anything anymore. It's frustrating because here's a guy who was the strongest of the Shield, can talk with the best of them, can wrestle, has a good look, is over, and you aren't using him to the fullest. He should have at least won that Hell in a Cell match and THEN have Bray Wyatt attack him. That would have worked SO much better for him booking wise even if Bray still needed to go over.

The point is, yes Dean Ambrose has STAR written on his chest and if booking permits, could go to great heights for the company as either a heel or face. He's one of those naturally charismatic guys that you can't teach how to be that way, they are just born with it.

 

[pepentorresHHH]

No

He lacks the backing of the office and the book to become the biggest babyface in the company.

I respect everyone who likes Ambrose. You Like who you like. Me, Myself and I don't see the hype. I think he is ok in the ring and the mic but I've never been wow`ed by him or his work. But if he keep working hard and the people stay with him i don't see why we couldn't win the belt a couple of times

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Dean Ambrose definitely has what it takes to be the biggest face in WWE.

In my opinion, there are 5 main areas one has to access to determine how good (or bad) a professional wrestler is.

1 - Character - 9/10 - Ambrose's character is one of the best in WWE. He's a mentally unstable attacker who is constantly trying to defy authority and break the rules.

2 - Mic Skills - 7.5/10 - His mic skills are also really good. He connects with the crowd.

3 - In-Ring Skills - 7/10 - His in-ring skills are also really good. He understands ring psychology and how to sell.

4 - Crowd Reaction - 9/10 - Ambrose gets some of the loudest crowd reactions in WWE today.

5 - Presence - 7/10 - When Ambrose is on the screen, people care. Bad booking has hurt him a little.

Review

Using this system, Ambrose gets an 8 out of 10. Unfortunately, I don't see him being a consistent main eventer or face of the company. When he is in the main event scene, it is definitely justified and feels right. Booking has hurt him (and practically everyone), but he is over enough and talented enough to overcome that and have a nice long career as an upper mid-carder and occasional main eventer.

 

[justinept]

No one can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that he doesn't have what it takes. Stunning Steve Austin didn't ooze 'top baby face.' Neither did Mankind - or Cactus Jack, for that matter. Daniel Bryan and Bret Hart never had the charisma most associate with a top baby face - even while they were the top baby face. Rocky Maivia's peers didn't think the guy even belonged in a wrestling ring.

But things changed. Guys tweaked their characters, the audience connected with their situation, the WWE heightened it, and everything took off. Really, it has to be a perfect storm for a guy to be a top baby face - and a lot of that perfect storm boils down to luck.

So I'm going to answer this in the present tense because I can't say with any level of certainty that Ambrose can't become that guy, but I can say that from what I've seen - he isn't that guy yet. There's something about the guy that feels insanely fake as a face. It's like he's just trying to think of the dumbest thing he can say just to get a laugh. I'm not a fan of that style because it doesn't come off as genuine.

This is to say nothing of his wrestling ability or even his potential to make positive tweaks to the character in the future. It's just saying that right now, the character we see on TV each week has not shown the potential to be a top baby face.

 

[Aquaman6686]

No. I just don't see the "it" factor in Dean Ambrose. He's decent in the ring, his mic work is mediocre, his slurring of his promos makes him sound like a drunken fool, he constantly gets himself disqualified in big matches, and his cartoony facial expressions kill the illusion of the competition. He overacts to an extreme and it ruins the matches.

 

[Vintage]

Nope. he's crash holly 2015. WWE's Eric Young. I think that in of itself is self explanitory.
He'll get cheered.. he'll have decent matches with the right opponents..he'll be on TV.. but you won't be able to take him seriously

 

[ASKane]

There are too many guys better than Ambrose for him to get anything other than a thank run with the title like what Christian got. Reigns, Owens, Cesaro, Balor, Neville, Wyatt, Apollo and Samoa Joe would all be ahead of him in terms of guys I wanna see with the belt. I think Ambrose's character is fun and entertaining but only in the chase role from the midcard, his moveset needs massive alterations and despite getting a good crowd reaction needs to prove to WWE that he makes money.

Ambrose will likely be the next Ziggler, crowd likes him and will get a run or two but is a career midcarder which is still a good thing.

 

[Heartbreak_Kid_707]

In one word, no

In more words..he's got Stone Colds dress (sort of) and the fans love him because he reminds them of the casual fan. They think "hey if he can become a star anybody can" he's okay at best in the ring skills. As an upper mid carder, not the main baby face. He can't carry the company. He's a fad that will pass before the year is over. Jonathan Good isn't that good.

Most importantly, if he doesn't stop the stupid ridiculous faces he will never been nothing more than a novelty act..

 

[Rhodes2TheFuture3313]

You guys are crazy!!! The Ambrose Asylum exists because the FANS including me LOVE Dean Ambrose. I loved him when he debuted w/the SHield. I said he was gonna be a huge star. Seth Rollins has had a great run. When Ambrose "Won" the WWE WHC that crowd exploded. Not for the moment, but because Dean Ambrose won. Nevertheless I don't feel the Office will get behind him to be "THE MAN". I think the next GUY is Seth Rollins believe it or not. He's starting to get a 50/50 split reaction. I'd liken Ambrose to Chris Jericho. He'll get a couple of World Title runs be insanely over with the WWE UNIVERSE whether he's face or heel and be entertaining ALL OF THE TIME. I still haven't lost faith in Roman and he'll get another shot at the top sooner rather than later.

 

[Navi]

The case of Dean Ambrose is a strange one. Here's a guy who has tons of experience coming out of the indies, and the development program. He's put into a group with another strong candidate in Rollins, and someone with not much experience Roman Reigns.

As the Shield they were really the perfect wrestler. Rollins the high flyer, Ambrose the brawler and Reigns the muscle. When they split up everyone expected Ambrose to turn heel and join the Authority. He has shown that he doesn't play well with others though, and I believe Rollins was second choice. Let's face it Rollins needed it the most.

Reigns always had the look and was Vince's choice to become the next face of the WWE. We saw that little experiment fall to pieces right before our eyes. So out of the three members Rollins became the number one heel, and they are still trying to get Reigns over as a fan favourite. Ambrose unfortunately has been lost in the shuffle and it's a shame. He has natural charisma, get huge reactions from the crowds and it is being wasted.

If you go back and watch his matches as Jon Moxley, he is an incredible talent, and has only shown a portion of what he can do while in the WWE. If they really cut him loose, he would surpass both Rollins and Reigns by leaps and bounds. I sincerely hope he does get the chance as it would be a huge shame to let it go by.

The WWE seems to have developed a habit of taking great talents and not maxing out their potential. Cesaro and Wyatt are two examples of that. They would rather push a tired old Sheamus on us than someone we actually want to see.

 

[The Yes Guy]

I genuinely think Ambrose has what it takes to be one of the top guys in WWE.

It's just that I think he'd connect a lot lot more as a heel than a face.
Whenever I see his promos, he feels like a natural heel. He'd work really well if he adopts a 2008 Jericho persona.

And they will turn him heel. Seth will simultaneously and gradually turn Face with Ambrose turning heel.

If you look at yesteryear's superstars, they've all had one thing in common. Exceptional Mic skills (maybe with the exception of Bryan). And that is Dean's greatest strength.

He'll definitely make it to the top but it'll take some time. Say a couple of years or less.

 

[Heartbreak_Kid_707]

He does have great promos but his comical faces are too much. His character is a badass and hhis looks are more Santino. He needs to loose the goofing off faces ..

 

[the_peoples_adam]

I dont think so right now..
With the inflow of more talents i dont think DEAN can be the biggest face of the WWE with his current gimmick to be honest..
Sometimes he gives gestures like some zombie with his hands that i find unnecessary..

But The Shield three will always be there on top of the game at least for the next 5 years coz they where destined and molded out for that.
REIGNS will without doubt be the next face of the company maybe from WM 32 when he beats CENA..Rollins will be a fan favorite who consistently turns face and heel coz he has that ability and he is a character who doesn't care about what the people think of him as a face or heel and that's the type of Wrestler that people loves the most..
So ROLLINS n REIGNS will run the place for next 3-5 years and dean will be there at upper midcard with them but not a BIG face..

 

[OYDK]

I see him as more of a big player heel in the future than I do a face, kind of like Chris Jericho. As a face, he'll get the mid-card feuds, the mid-card titles, and may challenge for the big belt without winning it (like Jericho). As a heel however, I can see him being more of a main eventer with more than a few title runs throughout the years (again, like Jericho). As a face, we've seen almost all we're going to see out of Ambrose and yet WWE is still unwilling to completely invest in him. Even though he's over like crazy, has a relatable gimmick, and excels on the microphone, WWE has shown us with his current booking that he is not what they're looking for at the moment.

Ambrose has only been around for a few years, I think eventually he'll get his title opportunities whether as a face or heel... I just think they would come much sooner if he were to turn.

 

[Blade]

He's really good at what he does, and he's fine where he is. I never want to say never, sometimes a certain angle or repackaging or promo can turn a career midcarder into a genuine contender for the world title. But Ambrose is still pretty far off. And if he is ever going to be a top guy, it's going to be as a heel, without a doubt.

As much as I hate the term, Ambrose is a B+ player. But that doesn't mean he can't have a great career. He's only 30. Most wrestlers would give their left nut to get to where Ambrose is by 30. And I think he knows it, he doesn't seem like the kind of guy to complain.

 

[Prince Vee]

For some reasons WWE has taken the mic so far away from him. Apparently it seems like they doesn't want him to be the top face of WWE but yes he does have the potential. I reckon it's a plot for him to turn heel in the near future.

You see, Dean Ambrose's strongest spot is his promos but for some reasons they had taken him away from cutting those promos. I wonder, if it's because they don't want him to connect with the crowd. They just want him to be the second fiddle for Roman Reigns.

 

[L@RISANO]

I believe all 3 of the SHIELD guys will be huge stars within the next couple of years as the likes of Cena and Lesnar will slowly start to be phased out by then with these guys being at the forefront alongwith a couple of other younger guys.


With the SHIELD having been a rousing success, Rollins' heel turn was great for him as he was the one many thought would fade away from the Main Event level when they broke up.

Roman had 'the Look' and his continued improvement means that he will definitely be in an around the Main Event for years to come.


Ambrose's mini-Main Event run from NoC 2014 alongside Cena and Rollins showed his abilities quite well, especially in terms of entertainment value, which is a big thing for the more casual fanbase. Even now, he continues to garner great reactions from practically every arena visited thus WWE is basically in auto-pilot with him as their Main Projects at current are Reigns and Rollins.


Will he be a "bigger star" than Reigns and Rollins? All 3 will be stars, but only time will tell who is the biggest out of the trio. That mostly will depend on character and storyline build going forward more than anything.

 

[mkw1962]

I like Dean and think he would have a better shot at going further if he was a heel. He probably will never be the face of the WWE but he can be a good upper mid-card wrestler. As a heel maybe he will win the World Title once or twice, and heel or face he will win U.S. or Intercontinental gold a bunch of times. He just has had bad booking for sure and coming up with guys like Seth (the man right now) and Roman (Vince's choice for face of the future) it is tough to see where Dean fits in. He is like the 2015 version of Chris Jericho, and also in the same boat as Dolph. Now that I think about it he probably could win the World Title maybe once, but he will never be the face of the company that spot is for Seth or Roman.

 

[TDFG]

One thing the three Shield guys have is that they could easily fit in as a face or a heel.

Ambrose has what it takes for sure, I'd give him another run as US Champ for a while before giving him a World Title run.

I like how WWE has held off on Reigns vs Ambrose, it could be the big feud in years to come if they don't pull the trigger soon.

 

[xTheStraightEdgeAtheistx]

Honestly, no. Now I love Ambrose to death, but the biggest face of the company, at least in my books, needs to be able to do all the media and while WWE has made me hate this phrase, be the face of the company. Dean's mass appeal comes from how crazy and unpredictable he is. Media would treat him like joke. Now I think he could be a solid main eventer, he really shouldn't be the poster boy. Bang for my buck, Seth Rollins would fill that role much better. There's an interview with the two of them from their Shield days and while I found Dean very entertaining, I would imagine anyone switching onto the show and thr hosts would get a bad image of wrestling. Seth meanwhile made it seem big time.
All that aside, I could see an Austin/Rock situation, where one is the wrestling fans idol and the other, while a big face in their own right, is used to draw in mainstream because their more accessible.

 

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

Sure he does, there's no telling what can happen to his character in the next few years. Just listen to the crowd reaction the guy gets when his entrance music blares, its usually one of the best reactions of the night. With some help from the bookers and marketing, he could be the next Stone Cold Steve Austin. If you had this thread years ago and the title of the thread was.....

Does Stunning Steve Austin have what it takes to be the biggest face ever in WWE ?



How many - yes - answers would you have back then ? Not very many, he was the technical heel back then. He was a midcard level guy and that was it... nobody could've ever predicted the rise of Stone Cold - Steve Austin. Nobody.

So my answer remains that anything can happen with Dean Ambrose.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

I think he does. He's naturally gotten over on his own due to his charisma. It will all depend on whether or not the WWE machine gets behind him though. He's been chasing Rollins and the Wyatts for over a year now. But hasn't really gone over or had his big moment against either. WWE have clearly been behind Rollins and Reigns has been dubbed the "next one". So if they get behind Ambrose and give him a proper push with consistent booking, absolutely he could be the top or one of the top babyfaces in the company.

 

[MTL722]

Yes he could be the biggest face in WWE. The guy oozes personality but he's been on the backburner for too long now. Putting him back with Roman made him look weak. I really think it was just done so people would cheer Roman but that isnt happening and Ambrose continues to pay the price. Their whole BFF thing is a real buzzkill for me

He had a great run early in the year when he was shot into the main event picture and people really got behind him. Honestly, my biggest reason for why Dean could be the top face is my girlfriend.

I had introduced her to WWE back during Punks last run as champion. She LOVED Punk. He left and she immediately gravitated towards Dean. This is a girl who never watched wrestling except for some old Attitude Era matches that her family watched. How do you know if a guy can be a star? If he can steal the heart of the casual fan.

This guy has some Stone Cold in him. What finally got Austin to the top was what every guy needs to get on top. Its what Punk clamored for, its what made The Rock the star he is today, its what made Roman look like a big dumb goon. MIC TIME

Shave his head (i've always hated his hair), give him a mic and a cause, and youve got yourself a top face

 

[THTRobtaylor]

They've thrown arguably their best trump card at him now in a heel Jericho. That's what's been missing when he's worked with Wyatt and others and why the Y2J plan didn't work as well... With Ambrose they can attempt to go for that Shawn/Jericho vibe from 2008 - Jericho's body language as he left the ring was him morphing back into monotone, Best...In...The...World... Jericho, his little video after showed it even more.

All they need is the hook, and I think it should be... Renee Young...

Now I'm not normally one for this kind of feud, and we've just had Lana/Rusev etc... but Renee is Canadian, she'd have grown up "idolising" Y2J, so perhaps the only person Jericho "talks to" now onscreen is her, cos he knows she "gets it" and she likes that being an old fan, that causes issues with Dean... they can even do a variation on the old "knocking out the missus" but this time have Dean accidentally do it when he loses it or Jericho cause it but be that scumbag who "gets away with blaming Dean for it". I don't advocate a full "affair" storyline, Jericho wouldn't do it and it would be counter productive... but there could be shades of Hogan/Savage over Elizabeth in there... they could even frame it that Jericho thinks he is "protecting" Renee from the psycho that is Ambrose..

In the middle of all this, these two will have some very good matches... but I don't see it actually kicking off until Survivor Series... I think we'll see Roman, Dean, Jericho persevere until then with Jericho causing Deans elimination being the straw that breaks the camels back.

The thing Ambrose has been missing is that killer heel to play off (if they're gonna make him face) or that killer babyface to let him be the heel he can be... Jericho can be either of those in this situation or even both... I could see both guys turning at least once during this feud, but ultimately Dean coming out on top at Mania and beginning a major push.