Getty Dean Ambrose celebrates a victory.
Dean Ambrose surprised everyone when he appeared on Monday Night RAW. The WWE superstar has spent most of the year on the sidelines due to a triceps injury, but he came back just in time to help Seth Rollins face down Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre. With Ambrose’s return, however, many fans suspect that a feel turn may be in his future.
The prevailing theory from fans is that Ambrose will turn heel at SummerSlam 2018 after spending a lengthy stretch as a babyface. Narratively speaking, it would make sense. Rollins has never been more popular with the WWE and could use an opponent like Ambrose that could pose a genuine threat. Rollins’ latest spats with Ziggler and McIntyre have been decent, but they lack the energy of a long-lasting rivalry– at least one that fans will continue to be invested in. Ambrose, on the other hand, has a history with Rollins that could easily make for some compelling moments.
Of course, there’s always the chance that the WWE will delay Ambrose’s heel turn as a way of milking more dramatic tension from it. 411 Mania feels that it would be best to build Ambrose’s relationship back up with Rollins and the viewers, seeing as he just came back. Having him turn heel immediately might waste some of the narrative possibilities, and having him build a rapport with Rollins as an ally could make his eventual betrayal all the more tragic for the Kingslayer.
Another factor supporting 411 Mania’s theory is that the WWE has been taking their time with storylines as of late. One needn’t look further than the rivalry between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns for proof. The WWE superstars have been taunting and trash-talking each other for nearly four years now, and there’s doesn’t seem to be any end game in sight for either of them. Rollins’ feud with Ziggler (and by association, McIntyre) has gone on twice as long as anybody would have predicted when it was first introduced, and truth be told, its not exactly lighting each RAW episode on fire.
Then there is the matter of Ambrose’s timing. Had he just appeared at SummerSlam to stab Rollins in the back and claim the Intercontinental Championship for himself, that would be one thing. But the WWE saw fit to bring him back on Monday Night RAW, implying that they have bigger plans for him in the long run.
Now that’s not to say that SummerSlam won’t play a crucial role in furthering the Ambrose storyline. It’s likely that he will hint at his betrayal of Rollins in some way, or perhaps do some manipulating behind the scenes. It’s not so much a matter of IF Ambrose will turn, but more WHEN it will happen. We’d be surprised to see it happen at SummerSlam.
That said, keep an eye on him throughout the PPV event and on future episodes of Monday Night RAW. Rollins definitely has his work cut out for him.