11 Best Elements Of WWE TV In 2016 (So Far)

3. Dean Ambrose's Journey To Championship Glory

dean ambrose seth rollins
WWE.com

Dean Ambrose may be WWE World Heavyweight Champion now but his journey to the top prize in the industry was not nearly as simple as the cashing in of a briefcase that landed him the gold at Money in the Bank. No, for The Lunatic Fringe, his journey to the top of the industry was an exhausting one that began earlier in 2016 at the Royal Rumble.

Ambrose came seconds away from winning the championship in that 30-man match but found himself eliminated by Triple H. Weeks later at Battleground, he and Brock Lesnar lost a Triple Threat No. 1 Contender's match to Roman Reigns. His loss in that match was rendered meaningless when he challenged The Game for the WWE title in Toronto at Battleground and, again, came within inches of capturing the championship.

At WrestleMania, he was demolished by Lesnar, then engaged Chris Jericho in an underwhelming feud that bogged down midway through and limped to a conclusion at Extreme Rules in a lacklustre Asylum match.

Through it all, Ambrose's popularity never waned. He was always one step away from achieving greatness and in June, he finally did. First, he won a strong ladder match to earn himself a championship match, then cashed in on longtime rival Seth Rollins to win the gold.

Contributor
Contributor

Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.