5 Biggest Winners & Losers From WWE SmackDown Live (9 Aug)

1. Winner: Dean Ambrose

Dean Ambrose is really growing into his role as WWE Champion, and it’s hard to think of a wrestler who has benefited more from the 2016 Brand Split. Away from Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, Ambrose is the undoubted star of the show for the first time in his career, and he’s shining brighter than ever.

After pulling off a masterful performance with last week’s character work, Ambrose continued building tension with Dolph Ziggler, his SummerSlam opponent, this week. After eating a superkick when trying to save Ziggler during his fight with the Wyatts, The Lunatic Fringe was rightly angry, and being placed in a tag match with his number one contender didn’t help matters.

The unlikely duo were able to defeat the Wyatts in the main event, but as promised, Ambrose had his revenge. Shortly after Ziggler had sealed the win, Ambrose left him lying on the canvas with Dirty Deeds, and with one week of build left, Ambrose is in the driving seat headed to SummerSlam.

This week’s actions not only play to the subtle heel notes that Ambrose has exuded recently, but also work well towards building belief in Ziggler as a challenger. WWE have done a sterling job in both putting Ambrose on a pedestal and rebuilding Ziggler’s ailing career to this point, and their match has become one of SummerSlam’s most hotly-anticipated clashes.

The momentum may shift again before the PPV, but for now, Ambrose is SmackDown’s undisputed ace.