WWE SummerSlam 2016: I couldn’t stand Dean Ambrose, until he taught me to love him

An amuse-bouche. The intermission in a play. A lingering build up before a bass drop. The third wheel. It’s hard to precisely characterize how I felt about Dean Ambrose before the WWE brand split, but all of these feel like they fit. His style, character and gimmick never resonated with me, and more often than not, turned me off his matches all together. It’s not thatAmbrose was ever bad, he was just... blah.

That is, until he became SmackDown’s first pick in the WWE Draft. Now he’s become one of my favorite superstars in just a few weeks’ time.

Since his arrival in WWE, Ambrose has been one note. Well, two different notes. He was a necessary part of The Shield people voted “most likely to be forgotten about when the team is over,” and transitioned into being angry and manic all the time. Neither of these were compelling, and the second — well, I found it pretty offensive.

The whole “Lunatic Fringe” Dean Ambrose was at best WWE’s lackluster attempt at making Stone Cold Steve Austin’s gimmick work again, and at worst it was a deeply offensive portrayal of mental illness that highlighted the company’s approach to sensitive topics the same way I approach Surgeon Simulator after some drinks. Roman Reigns got to be the unstoppable comic book hero who stole Superman’s punch, Seth Rollins was gifted being “the traitor,” which he played perfectly, and Dean, well, he got to run around being angry all the time and called a lunatic.

The moniker may have stuck, but Ambrose ascended when he was able to be freed of the shackles of Reigns and Rollins. He may have served as The Shield’s anchor, but in its aftermath they were weighing him down. Ambrose doesn’t have Reigns’ strength, or Rollins’ athleticism, but he has the heart they don’t. He’s believable in ways they aren’t. Every time I see Dean Ambrose I legitimately believe you could walk into a dive bar anywhere in the USA, see a Dean Ambrose sitting alone and immediately know that he is the one dude you can’t mess with.

When Ambrose went to SmackDown alone — after besting both Reigns and Rollins in a WWE Championship match at Battleground, no less — he was given the freedom to carve his own path. Sure, he’ll still be called “The Lunatic Fringe,” and JBL will prattle on about what a shame it is to have a “lunatic” as champion, but that’s not Ambrose today. In many ways he’s comfortably slid into the role vacated by the recently retired Daniel Bryan, and it suits him so much more than being a second-rate Stone Cold ever did.

It’s here where Ambrose can play up the skills he doesn’t possess. Where he can make himself unique by showcasing what he isn’t when compared to Reigns and Rollins. He’s the hard-working everyman who busts his ass all day for a few bucks, heads to his favorite bar, sits down and orders the same beer every single time — all the while everyone he is smart enough not to mess with him.

Deep down I know we’ll never get the kind of fourth-wall breaking drama CM Punk had when he was with the company, but Ambrose is gifted at picking apart someone on that level. Along with Kevin Owens, they’re the only dudes in the locker room who can pull that off. In the lead up to SummerSlam Ambrose has cut numerous promos on Dolph Ziggler. Painting him as the pretty boy who never lived up to his potential, turning the fan belief that Ziggler has never gotten a fair shake into energy to fuel this match by turning it on its head and saying his opponent doesn’t know what it’s like to fight through adversity, regardless of being doubted.

Honestly, Ambrose vs. Ziggler is some of the best storytelling WWE has done — ever. Casting Dean Ambrose in the role of “leader” of SmackDown has turned him into a hard-edged football coach. He constantly vacillates between giving legitimately good advice and threatening to kick your ass. It’s unpredictable, and it’s incredible in a way WWE writing rarely ever is, and it’s helped revive the oft-miscast Ziggler in a hurry.

For the first time in Ambrose’s career we’re being shown that’s he’s unpredictable, not just being told it over and over and over again. What he showed me over this time is that Ambrose is far better on the mic than I ever gave him credit for, and his work has allowed Ziggler to reach a position nobody else was able to propel him to. Now we’re left with the perpetual underdog holding the title, and the overlooked challenger finally getting the fire he’s needed.

This is the most compelling main event WWE has had in a long, long time, and it’s one of those beautiful moments in wrestling where I truly have no idea who’s going to win that match. That makes it exciting, and I have Dean Ambrose to thank for that. He went from barely a blip on my radar to can’t-miss TV, and for this fan that’s the biggest praise I can give anyone.