10 Reasons To Be Optimistic Following WWE Draft 2016

2. Dean Ambrose Is A Made Man

Daniel Bryan SmackDown
WWE.com

The Lunatic Fringe may have been drafted behind his former Shield brother Seth Rollins, but that doesn’t diminish the fact that WWE have just legitimised him as the company’s undisputed top babyface.

Dean Ambrose’s push was always going to be diminished with Roman Reigns around. Despite the WWE Universe’s complete rejection of Reigns as “The Guy”, Vince McMahon continues to promote him as the golden child, and no volume of negative crowd reactions is likely to change that any time soon.

The WWE Champion already stood streaks ahead of Reigns as the company’s most popular wrestler, and his days of playing second fiddle are over. It’s something that fans have been clamouring for for years, and while Ambrose could yet lose his belt at Battleground, he’ll forever benefit from being free of the ambiguity and divisiveness that Reigns’ miscast alignment brings to the main event scene.

SmackDown is full of devious, treacherous personalities for Ambrose to play off. Once his business with Reigns and Rollins is concluded, WWE would be printing money with an Ambrose/Styles feud. Ambrose vs. Wyatt has already been done, but there’d be a renewed interest should Bray finally receive that long-awaited main event push.

Ambrose will also benefit from a creative standpoint. Exploding televisions, hotdog carts, and holographic children have been the bane of Ambrose’s character, and reduced the Lunatic Fringe to rodeo clown status at times.

There should be no such issues on SmackDown: former NXT writer Ryan Ward has completely revitalised the show since his promotion back in March, and Ambrose will be a prime beneficiary of the blue brand’s logical storytelling approach.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.