Every Original WWE NXT Black & Gold Roster Member - Where Are They Now?

3. Dean Ambrose

Dean Ambrose NXT
WWE

What was he doing at the time?

Making waves, sort of. 

He lost to Xavier Woods on a dark match for one of the first NXT TV tapings, but it was time for him to appear on main roster screens rather than developmental ones anyway. Having drawn a lot of attention to himself thanks to an online feud with Mick Foley that threatened to spill over to television before injuries and schedules got in the way, he was suddenly in a bit of demand. Some storyline aggro with William Regal kept him in everybody's good books, and by the end of the year he'd snared a dream role as the craziest corner of a brand spanking new "Shield" triangle. 

What is he doing now?

Whether heel or babyface, WWE "comedy" drained him of his love pro wrestling to the point where he was happy to walk away from the market leader before the new challenger brand had even had a show. His arrival with All Elite Wrestling was kept quiet until the night of Double Or Nothing itself, when he debuted in emphatic fashion to shake up a main event scene made up of Kenny Omega, Hangman Page and Chris Jericho. 

As of 2026, he remains the company's loyalest and most reliable headliner.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for nearly 10 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 65,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live.