After suffering unfathomable pain and punishment in a Last Man Standing match earlier in the night, Dean Ambrose entered the Royal Rumble and found himself staring across the squared circle, his shredded tank top the perfect representation of his beaten body. Yet, as he looked into the eyes of the most politically powerful opponent he would ever have, he realized that he was but a few moments away from capturing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, unifying it with the Intercontinental Championship he successfully retained earlier in the night. Exploding across the ring and erupting with fists of fury upon the body of his opponent, Ambrose had the fans behind him, living vicariously through the scrappy underdog he had become. But, alas, he could not overcome the determination of the crooked authority figure he shared the squared circle with, once again done in by "the man." It is a story WWE continues to go to, perhaps expecting to one day pay it off with the Lunatic Fringe rising to the occasion and becoming the biggest babyface star in the industry. Or, perhaps the company books him in that position because it is fully aware of the connection he has with the audience and knows it can generate the desired reaction with him in that position that they simply cannot with someone like Roman Reigns. Either way, it was incredibly effective and brought the Rumble match to a molten hot conclusion.
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.
