8 Best Candidates To Face WWE Champion Dean Ambrose At SummerSlam 2016
Who will challenge the Lunatic Fringe at the Biggest Party of the Summer?
The SummerSlam card is beginning to take shape. Only two matches have been officially announced in the shape of Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton and the WWE Universal Championship match between Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor, but the seeds for a number of other matches have already been planted.
With John Cena vs. AJ Styles also expected, the Biggest Party of the Summer has three huge matches around which to build. So where does this leave Dean Ambrose? The Lunatic Fringe may be the WWE Champion but he is clearly far from the top guy in the company, at least in terms of positioning.
With the brand split now in full effect, the list of potential opponents for Dean Ambrose's championship at SummerSlam is worryingly short. SmackDown has a far thinner roster than RAW, and as a result there is a dearth of credible challengers to the blue brand's top title.
Still, someone has to challenge Ambrose, right? WWE isn't going to have their second biggest show of the year pass without the WWE Champion in action at all, so someone will step up to the plate between now and August 21st.
But who will that be? Here are eight options WWE could (and should) consider.
8. Ryback
Okay, I'll start with the least likely of the eight. Ryback hasn't been seen in World Wrestling Entertainment since losing to Kalisto at Payback back in May, being sent home from RAW the next night following a contract dispute. The assumption is that Ryback will be released once his contract runs out, with the Big Guy making noises along those lines on Twitter.
Everyone and their dog is expected Ryback's release to be announced at some point in the near future, but what if the Big Guy and the WWE have found some sort of middle ground and kept it all very quiet? His 'free agent' status also positions him as a sought-after individual in story at least, and would represent a coup for SmackDown Live.
Vince McMahon reportedly loves himself a guy who is willing to stand up for himself, so a Ryback return can't truly be ruled out.
Ryback has frequently been there or thereabouts in WWE, and whilst him challenging Ambrose wouldn't set the world alight it would at least be a surprise.