While still in the infant stages of development, this year’s WreslteMania event isn’t exciting me the way I hoped it would. While I understand that World Wrestling Entertainment is fighting an uphill battle with half of their top soldiers missing in action, I can’t help but feel like they could be doing a better job with the talent they have, instead of relying on the McMahon Family. Despite this show feeling more like a second tier event rather than the highlight of the year, WWE does have one match that has seemed to be pleasing to all manner of fans; the no holds barred street fight between Brock Lesnar and Dean Ambrose.
By now most fans know that the original plan for Lesnar was a match with Bray Wyatt in Dallas. While fans were excited to see that first time ever contest, things changed when the WWE booked a triple threat main event for Fastlane featuring Brock Lesnar, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns. During the build up, WWE took notice of how well the crowd responded to the interaction between Brock and Ambrose. Calls were made, and now we have a showdown that might just steal the show on April 3rd. As fans, our first instinct is to predict who will win. Some of us choose to ask the question of who should win, and it is there that a debate seems to have risen. Both sides have compelling arguments, so let’s examine both sides of the coin and try to determine who is more deserving of victory at WreslteMania.
Why Dean Ambrose Should Win
Despite what some would consider a lack of support from management, Dean Ambrose is undeniably one of the most popular acts on the WWE roster. His lunatic fringe character has connected with rebellious fans who wish they were as fearless as he, and his skills both inside the ring as well as on a microphone make him a well rounded performer and easy to like. A win here against one of WWE’s biggest stars would go a long way towards elevating Ambrose to the next level, and next level talent is something WWE could really use at this moment.
Anybody following Dean’s history will know that this no holds barred contest at WrestleMania is his kind of fight. Before coming to WWE, Ambrose was a main stay of Combat Zone Wrestling, where as Jon Moxley he engaged in some of the most astounding, and frankly horrifying acts the company has ever seen. Even as a member of the more sanitary WWE, Dean has engaged in multiple matches that involve ladders, tables, chairs, canes, and whatever wasn’t nailed down. A street fight is right up his alley, so from a logic stand point, Ambrose should pick up the victory.
Let us not forget that while Brock Lesnar might not be at RAW the night after WrestleMania, Dean Ambrose will be. He will also be there the next week, and the week after that one. Ambrose is a full time employee and having him lose will hurt his character more than Brock. Lesnar can always come back and be a threat, while Dean needs to start picking up some major victories, lest he be seen as a chump by the fans who continue to support him, despite his less than stellar win/loss record in the past two years.
Why Brock Lesnar Should Win
The Beast Incarnate has become a force of nature in WWE over the last two years. More importantly, he has become a box office draw. People pay money specifically to see him destroy competitors. They love to see him conquer. They love watching him take opponents to Suplex City, and they love watching him win. This is a man who broke the Undertaker’s streak. To have him lose to Dean Ambrose would certainly take away some of the mystique that he has spent the last two years building.
Brock Lesnar is a beating machine. The scary thing about watching him throw wrestlers around like sandbags is that his regulation contests feel more brutal and vicious than a hardcore match. Think about what it feels like to have a three hundred pound barbarian toss your entire body weight onto the back of your neck. Now compare that with a chair shot from the noodle armed Dean Ambrose. There is no question that from a logic stand point, Brock Lesnar is the man who will be walking out of Dallas the winner, while Ambrose will be lucky to walk out at all.
While Dean may need to be at RAW following WrestleMania, when Lesnar does decide to return, he should be waiting for a main event spot. Like it or not, Brock Lesnar has become what Andre the Giant was back in the territory days, and back then, promoters did everything they could to protect Andre’s legacy as an unstoppable force. The booking of Brock Lesnar is one of the few things WWE has done correctly over the last few years. Why would you want to jeopardize that for a guy that the crowd will either get bored with, or WWE will eventually waste?
Does It Really Matter?
The truth of the matter is, there are compelling arguments on both sides of this coin. When it comes right down to it, the most valuable thing about this match might not be who wins or loses, but the fact that fans actually care about that outcome, enough to debate it among each other, and themselves. While the rest of WrestleMania’s card has left fans feeling underwhelmed or with mixed emotions, this match is the only one that I have seen unanimous excitement for, which is the name of the game when it comes to selling tickets.
As of this writing, there has been talk of Dean upsetting WWE World Heavyweight Champion Triple H in Toronto during the WWE Network Roadblock special. This would provide a means to make the main event of WrestleMania not Triple H vs Roman Reigns, but Dean Ambrose vs Brock Lesnar. Considering the reactions towards both matches, that might not be such a bad idea. Whether it has the title on the line or it doesn’t, there are still plenty of fans who will consider Lesnar vs Ambrose the main event, no matter who wins.
