Dean Ambrose: Not Main Event Material?

[Aeon Mathix]

"According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, many top WWE executives are not buying Ambrose as a main event player just yet. While they have acknowledged that he seems to be gaining a solid organic fan base, they do not believe that he has proved that he deserves to be one of the top guys in the company as of Aug. 20, 2014."

Source:
http://www.wrestlingrumors.net/perception-dean-ambrose-eyes-wwe-officials/27276/

As alway, take reports on the internet with a very small grain of salt, but IF this is in fact true what are your thoughts on the company's view of Ambrose?

Me personally, I see the guy as every bit of a main eventer as anyone else is right now. I even go so far as to say he should get the Wrestlemania main event against Lesnar over Reigns if they go that route. Is there a chance in hell of that happening? Probably not, as Reigns is their next golden boy and there seems to be a perception over the years that Vince is extremely partial to pushing the homegrown boys and not people who have made a name for themselves elsewhere. There could be the disbelief that Ambrose would not pose a threat to Lesnar, but if they can make Punk believable against him, Ambrose certainly isn't out of the question.

I say this all because in my opinion, Ambrose has impressed me the most out of the Shield. He had the total package in my eyes and if this is true it makes me wonder why they view Rollins as more of a main eventer than Ambrose.

Thoughts?

 

[GeneralKarim]

O cmon..Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns have barely been singles stars for a few months. To me this is just one of those bs reports that Meltzer comes up with for some drama.

They are not yet main event stars. Even tho they are pushing Reigns like crazy he is still not a main event star. His singles runs has been the least impressive of the 3 but he is doing decent overall. Rollins and Ambrose had basically match of the year(?) on RAW. Stuff like that doesn't go unnoticed.

I doubt the company sees either one of them as main eventers atm. Just cause they were untouchable as the Shield doesnt mean they are the same as singles stars.

I like all 3 of them and even tho I didnt really know of Ambrose before this, he's the one who really impresses me out of the 3. All of them have strong points and they all are main event material.

We just have to be patient and wait and see; as I am curious how they will do after their feud ends and we see them clash with other personalities.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Dave Meltzer pens an article that says WWE officials do not see a guy that they haven't made a main eventer yet a main eventer yet. If that is all it takes to be a dirt sheet writer sign me up. WWE officials also feel like Ambrose should dress the way he does right now and play a character named Dean Ambrose.

Let's not push a guy too fast. We enjoy what he has been doing why are we so anxious to change that? Let him develop more of a back story and character. Let him grow as a wrestler who learns how to win matches, not an unstoppable juggernaut. Wasn't this part of the beauty of Daniel Bryan's ascent? He developed to the point where we really started to feel like he earned his WM moment. Doesn't Ambrose feel more like that type of guy as opposed to Reigns who may need a mega push to be noticed?

Plus, WWE is already putting Ambrose in movies. They are really high on the guy.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Too early to tell. Right now, he's involved in a feud that's tailor-made to his strengths; a personal war against a former friend with whom there's reason for Dean to have heat. They brawl, not wrestle....and it could be that's what Ambrose does best; we haven't really seen him do anything else as a single. His few individual matches as US Champion weren't as inspiring as his program with Rollins, imo.

Main event? It depends on what happens after he's done with Seth. If the guy can stir up fan interest when working with other people, that will be the key. He still might not be spotlight material, but at least he'll have a shot.

 

[laodaron]

Its not too early to tell. As of right now, Dean Ambrose is not an main event star. He may be a main eventer and be at that level in the future, but who knows? He isnt oje right now. Neither is Dolph Ziggler. Neither is Kofi Kingston. How is this news?

 

[Diss]

Too early to tell. Right now, he's involved in a feud that's tailor-made to his strengths; a personal war against a former friend with whom there's reason for Dean to have heat. They brawl, not wrestle....and it could be that's what Ambrose does best; we haven't really seen him do anything else as a single. His few individual matches as US Champion weren't as inspiring as his program with Rollins, imo.

Main event? It depends on what happens after he's done with Seth. If the guy can stir up fan interest when working with other people, that will be the key. He still might not be spotlight material, but at least he'll have a shot.

my original intent was to reply in this thread saying it's good they don't consider him a main event player since there is precedence of people getting pushed too fast and fizzling out, ala Ryback and even Reigns. I was also going to add that he is one the most engaged, energetic, passionate and strong characters WWE has.
Then I read the above post and have to completely agree with Mustang Sally. This fued with Seth is spot on perfect really for both men. It brings out the best in Ambrose. The crazy lunatic bit plays well based on the storyline here. Lets face it in this day and age it's not about how good of a worker you are but how good of a character you are and if you entertain. If his gimmick works well in his next fued then he might be on to something.
All that being said how does the WWE not consider him a main event player and yet have him main event the last raw.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Its not too early to tell. As of right now, Dean Ambrose is not an main event star. He may be a main eventer and be at that level in the future, but who knows? He isnt oje right now. Neither is Dolph Ziggler. Neither is Kofi Kingston. How is this news?

Right. If he isn't a main eventer now but may become one in the future, he's got a chance to make it but it's unknown at present whether he will.

In other words, it's too early to tell.

 

[laodaron]

That doesn't make sense since he's currently not a main eventer, he's not main event material. He may be one in the future, but the report isn't talking about the future. The report is talking about right now, and he's not main event material right now. Therefore, its not too early to tell anything about his current appeal to be a main eventer.

 

[Mustang Sally]

That doesn't make sense since he's currently not a main eventer, he's not main event material.

Our disagreement seems to stem around the word "material." I'm taking the dictionary definition that describes material as "Something that is to be refined and made or incorporated into a finished effort" which I'm applying to Dean Ambrose as: He might (or might not) have the stuff to be main event material in the future........while you seem to be saying if he's not a main event performer now, he doesn't have the material.

Essentially, we're saying the same thing; that we don't know whether he'll have it in the future or not.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

This is one of those reports that I have trouble putting a lot of stock in. WWE might not be huge rush to push him and are taking their time. He's obviously over with fans and while he's ultimately come up short, thus far, in his feud with Seth Rollins, the losses came about in ways that were designed to protect him. If WWE officials weren't all that high on the guy or didn't think he was bringing much to the table, I doubt they'd have bothered to protect him. Plus, as has already been mentioned, he's already set to star in WWE's next film. He was probably written off TV this past Monday for a while in order to film his scenes for the movie.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

Too early to tell. Right now, he's involved in a feud that's tailor-made to his strengths; a personal war against a former friend with whom there's reason for Dean to have heat. They brawl, not wrestle....and it could be that's what Ambrose does best; we haven't really seen him do anything else as a single. His few individual matches as US Champion weren't as inspiring as his program with Rollins, imo.

Main event? It depends on what happens after he's done with Seth. If the guy can stir up fan interest when working with other people, that will be the key. He still might not be spotlight material, but at least he'll have a shot.

Right he's actually involved in a proper feud, with a backstory. God forbid the creative team put that much effort into other feuds, especially midcard title feuds instead of just letting those guys rot in purgatory, jobbing in meaningless non-title matches.

Whatever Ambrose moves on to next, it's up to WWE to actually put him in something meaningful instead of him just having pointless matches without any reason for the crowd to care (like they've mostly done with Ziggler, Miz, Kofi, Cesaro).

 

[Aquaman6686]

None of the former Shield members are anywhere near ready to be legitimate top talents. I wish WWE would stop shoving rockets up guys' asses to shoot them to the top, and I wish fans would stop bitching and moaning for WWE to do that even MORE often. A slow, steady build is the proper way to establish a true main eventer. Rocketing them to the top never works in the long run.

 

[JamJam]

Yeah, I wouldn't worry about Ambrose at all. You can't push all Shield guys to the moon. I think it's safe to say that it's too early to tell just because he's only been in one singles feud. However, if his NXT rivalries are anything to go by, he'll reach the main event sooner rather than later.

After this, I sort of hope he feuds with Bray or Randy Orton. Bray needs a feud where someone can match how sadistic he is while Orton is pretty much a really good wrestler to be in the ring with. Look at how good Reigns looks with a win over Orton. So yes, anyone of the Shield guys are main event-worthy. End of story. It's just a matter of when will they reach the main event spot.

 

[waylonmercy]

Ambrose/Reigns/Rollins all will be rewarded for their dedication and hard work. They will be given a slow build so that they can be top stars for decades not years. They do not want to push them down our throat by pushing the panic button. Ambrose will be given all the opportunities to develop into a main event player with THEIR hopes of him being one of the best psychological wrestlers in their history. This report that they do not feel he is a main event player just yet is probably of great truth. None of the 3 are main event players and need to carve out their own legacy. Their time together in the Shield was exceptional exposure for what is coming. They are all believable main event potential players and as they develop all three will reach the main event level.

I credit HHH for having a remarkable wisdom and seems to be making a lot of great decisions. Even Sin Cara who was a flop, flopped because of Sin Cara. He was sloppy in and out of the ring and spent too much time injured. Imagine if he was very polished. He could have had a great pay day against Rey Mysterio passing the torch. I feel more and more each day that HHH's vision is being more apparent with so much strong talent in NXT who can and will make an impact for WWE.

 

[Pedigree1]

Look at Dean when he was in the shield.. Out of all the stars in that group,pretty much I was saying that he had the most potential to be the biggest star out of the group.. He is a excellent talker on the mic,just looks the part.. He looks like a wrestler.. Dean is an unfinished product,it really is too early to tell how good he will be..

He is not limited in the ring unlike his counterpart Roman.. Dean is a bright star,dont forget Triple H believes in him to be a huge player in the company.. The way he lost though it took essentially Kane and Seth to defeat Dean both at Summerslam and this past monday night! He already will be in WWEs next major motion picture! So big things are in store for Dean

 

[MartialHorror]

I think Ambrose has more leading man potential than either Rollins and Reigns. I've explained my issues with Reigns many times, while Rollins...He can deliver in the ring and is doing great in his heel role, but I don't know if he will be as compelling as a face-singles competitor.

Ambrose worked as a craven heel, an unstable psycho and more recently he has showed his comedic abilities. Plus, he can deliver great matches. If he fails to be a main eventer, it's because of WWE"s management...or maybe his name.

Roman Reigns is a cooler sounding name than Dean Ambrose. He sort of needs a nick-name like "Stone Cold", but it might be too late for that now.

 

[JJ15776]

I think Ambrose has more leading man potential than either Rollins and Reigns. I've explained my issues with Reigns many times, while Rollins...He can deliver in the ring and is doing great in his heel role, but I don't know if he will be as compelling as a face-singles competitor.

Ambrose worked as a craven heel, an unstable psycho and more recently he has showed his comedic abilities. Plus, he can deliver great matches. If he fails to be a main eventer, it's because of WWE"s management...or maybe his name.

Roman Reigns is a cooler sounding name than Dean Ambrose. He sort of needs a nick-name like "Stone Cold", but it might be too late for that now.

I don't think I've ever gone from completely agreeing to violently face palming while reading the same post quite like this. Firstly, WWE management has no control over who the crowd cheers or boos. They have little control over who makes it and who doesn't. All they do is tell guys when to go out to the ring. At that point, it's up to the superstar or diva to make the crowd care about them. There's no gimmick management can give them, no match they can book, no script they can write that will make the crowd care about a guy they're not going to care about or stop the crowd from caring about a guy they care about. That all depends on what the wrestler does in the ring and with a mic in his hand. Blaming WWE management for a wrestler's failure is like blaming the director and producer when an actor does a terrible job in a movie. It makes no sense. Regardless of the role, script, or cast, either he's a good actor or he's not. Either a guy can connect with the crowd or he can't.

As for his name...seriously? Aside from the fact that Dean Ambrose is a fine name, obviously names have absolutely nothing to do with anything. You're not thinking about a person's name when they're talking or wrestling, which is when you decide if you want to see them again or not.

Aside from that, I think you're right in your analysis of all three Shield members. Reigns and Rollins both have their strengths and weaknesses, and while Ambrose has his flaws as well...I think there's something special about Ambrose. I think it was Bret Hart who said, not long after they debuted, that Ambrose just has the "it" factor. His mannerisms, his facial expressions, he does the little things. Even just the way he holds the mic is unique to him. He plays the 'lunatic fringe' character to perfection, when the announcers talk about how crazy he is, you get it. It's not forced, like Randy Orton's cold bloodedness or John Cena's relentlessness. Ambrose really seems nuts out there. It's awesome.

As for this report that the WWE aren't sold on him, yeah, I don't buy that at all. Aside from the fact that he's been booked like somebody they definitely believe in, like others have said, he's already starring in a movie. The last guy to get time off during a major feud to film a movie this early in their career, unless I'm missing somebody, was John Cena. I'm not saying he'll be the next Cena, but I think that shows the WWE have very high hopes for him.

 

[ShowOffHEEL]

Ambrose will be a main event talent without a doubt.
Whether that's as a heel or face remains to be seen, but it's a no brainer.

 

[mrfantastic111]

'Not Main Event Material?' - The guy literally main evented RAW this past week in a huge singles match, how are we even questioning this?

Ambrose Vs. Rollins reminds me of Edge Vs. Hardy back in 05'. Both guys are on the cusp of breaking out as World Title contenders, however lets hope that neither ends up with a Hardy-ish run.

This feud is old school and gritty and their matches are great. It main evented RAW this past week and I don't think anyone really cared that neither are currently World Title contenders. Why can't we just enjoy this?

*Edit* P.S: Half of Punk's reign as WWE Champ was on the midcard - you don't have to be World Champ to be a main eventer. The Shield were all over the main event scene.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

I think Ambrose has more leading man potential than either Rollins and Reigns. I've explained my issues with Reigns many times, while Rollins...He can deliver in the ring and is doing great in his heel role, but I don't know if he will be as compelling as a face-singles competitor.

Ambrose worked as a craven heel, an unstable psycho and more recently he has showed his comedic abilities. Plus, he can deliver great matches. If he fails to be a main eventer, it's because of WWE"s management...or maybe his name.

Roman Reigns is a cooler sounding name than Dean Ambrose. He sort of needs a nick-name like "Stone Cold", but it might be too late for that now.

Lunatic Fringe is a pretty good nickname and fits his character perfectly.
The reason they don't see him as a main eventer, despite being over and being incredibly entertaining both on the mic and in the ring (see: everything you need to be a main event player), is likely his body type. He's not "big". He's tall, but they'd probably prefer him to put on 30 lbs of muscle like Triple H did in order to be "main event material".

 

[royalroadweed]

I'm not buying this report. He and seth already main evented raw this week. Also he's starring in a wwe movie. He's also featured prominently in the summerslam documentary and the last issue of the wwe magazine. I don't think the wwe would have wasted this much time and resources on him if they didn't think he was main event material.

 

[SinCityBlitz]

It is hard to tell right now. Normally the next big guy is someone who comes up out of nowhere. Austin, Rock and Bryan are just some examples. If DA is to be the next ME guy, when his time comes he will seize the opportunity.

IMO all three of the former Shield members have ME written all over them. I laugh at the reports of RR having only 7 moves. Well some of the biggest names in wrestling were not ring technicians but they somehow became some of the biggest names of all time. Hogan, Andre, The Road Warriors, Ultimate Warrior, Austin(after the neck injury).