10 Wrestlers Who Benefited Most From WWE Draft 2016
1. Dean Ambrose
Dean Ambrose, WWE Champion, went second in the 2016 Draft.
That’s not a great look on paper, particularly when you consider that it was his treacherous former Shield brother Seth Rollins that beat him to the top slot, but Ambrose was still the night’s biggest winner.
Firstly, he showed that Stephanie was wrong to overlook him by defeating Rollins cleanly and successfully defending his WWE Championship in the main event. This doesn’t just provide great momentum going into Battleground, but SmackDown’s top guy beating Raw’s top guy gives the blue show an early competitive advantage heading into the Brand Split.
Secondly, he has just established himself as not only the top babyface on SmackDown, but all of WWE. He might be the one carrying the belt around, but it’s hard to imagine WWE ever favouring Ambrose over Reigns if it weren’t for the Wellness violation. Now, Ambrose is entirely free of Reign’s negativity: he’ll no longer be held back for the Samoan’s gain, and even with John Cena and Randy Orton lurking in the shadows, it’s hard to imagine either veteran ever surpassing Ambrose’s popularity at this point.
Whether he leaves Battleground with the Championship or not, Ambrose is finally in the position of prominence that fans have been pining for ever since The Shield’s 2014 split. He’s at the top of the mountain, there’s nobody around to steal his thunder, and with a blockbuster feud with AJ Styles surely set to follow, The Lunatic Fringe should only soar from this moment onwards.