10 Times WWE Failed To Make Dean Ambrose 'The Guy'

10. Stripping Him Of His Jon Moxley Character

From the get go, Ambrose was at a disadvantage, being unable to use the Jon Moxley character that had flourished on the independent scene and got him noticed by the big leagues in the first place. Back then, WWE wasn't as generous at letting stars from the indies keep their original names: Tyler Black, Kevin Steen, and Prince Devitt being just a few examples. They may have relaxed on it a little now, but Moxley predates that window and had to settle for the less cool 'Dean Ambrose' name.

It wasn't just the name that Ambrose lost however: it was the entire essence of who he was. While there may have been some glimpses of the old Moxley early in his tenure, they quickly fell by the wayside, giving way to the 'The Lunatic Fringe' - who was a far cry from his original dark and sadistic persona. Dean was goofy and puerile most of the time, mainly being played for comedy and lacking the bad ass edge he needed. Pet plants and stolen hot dog stools did no favours.

Sure, WWE is PG rated now with a younger audience, but there is a middle ground between X-rated promos and slapstick antics. With the Jon Moxley name in tact, and a bit more creative freedom given, who knows where Moxley would be today? Possibly still in WWE as a top guy as opposed to working for the competition - which has no qualms about letting him be himself.