The ballad of Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose goes back a long, long time. In Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), the two men fought for the developmental territory’s heavyweight championship constantly. The two debuted together, and tore the WWE apart as members of The Shield. When Seth Rollins became Mr. Money in the Bank, he did so by stealing it from Dean Ambrose. Seth Rollins’ first feud as an individual was with Dean Ambrose. And when Ambrose cashed in his first Money in the Bank? It was on Seth Rollins. The two are on TV together again, and it’s happening in the nick of time.
The Seth Rollins/Dean Ambrose Program Came Just in Time
While there’s no question that Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins are talented, both men had been floundering. Ambrose’s act had gotten stale, losing to the Miz for months on end, and he didn’t seem to have any real direction. Rollins’ babyface run had been terribly misbooked, and his feud with Bray Wyatt made absolutely no sense. WWE botched the Triple H and Seth Rollins feud, and the character needed a new direction.
Rollins had talked about how he had changed and the ways that he regretted his actions with the Authority, but the words felt empty. Maybe that’s what WWE was trying to do with the Bray Wyatt feud, but it was so awkwardly handled that the point never really got across. Enter Dean Ambrose.
With The Miz and Friends as a common enemy, Ambrose and Rollins have found themselves on the same side again. After Rollins came into to save Ambrose from a beatdown, the Lunatic let the Architect know that he didn’t trust him, and that there wouldn’t be a Shield reunion. However, it was Ambrose that rushed down to save Rollins from the same fate later in the show.
The Next Step
The this week on Monday Night Raw, Ambrose opened the show, and he was calling out the Miz. However, instead of the A-Lister, Seth Rollins came out. And then the two men cut very passionate, very real promos. Seth Rollins apologized, which he hadn’t done since he betrayed the Shield, and Ambrose wasn’t buying it. So Rollins turned his back and offered Ambrose a chance to hit him with a chair. Ambrose considered it before tossing the chair aside. Rollins asked if Ambrose would be in his way or by his side when he took on the Miztourage, and that’s when the new heel faction came out.
They had the numbers game, and were able to dispose of the former friends, but this was clearly just to build the feud. And frankly, this feud doesn’t really matter. Unless Seth Rollins ends up as the Intercontinental Champion, this feud is a vehicle for a program between Rollins and Ambrose.
Ambrose hasn’t been a heel since the days of the Shield, and he’s due for a personality change. We’ve seen plenty of Rollins vs. Ambrose, but always with Rollins playing the heel. A heel turn by Ambrose could make for a hellacious match between the two at SummerSlam.
This would give Ambrose a much-needed edge, and for Rollins, he actually gets some character development. Nobody was more hurt by Rollins’ heel turn than Ambrose, so having Rollins chase redemption with his former friend is spectacular storytelling that should save his character.
