WWE SummerSlam 2016: 10 Things You Might Have Missed
2. Dean Ambrose Flips The Script
Dean Ambrose has spent the bulk of his feud with Dolph Ziggler running down and belittling The Show-Off. One of the feud’s most interesting aspects has been watching the two babyfaces effortlessly straddling the alignment line: Ambrose’s has leaned heavily on heel-ish tendencies throughout his lengthy diatribes, while Ziggler’s sudden superkick attack hinted towards his own turn last week.
The feud has been based around Ziggler’s apparent focus on “stealing the show” rather than “getting on Ambrose’s level,” and Dean’s willingness to point that out. Ziggler, Dean argued, would never become WWE Champion because he was too distracted by his desire to show-off, and Dolph was out to prove him wrong.
SummerSlam saw them flip the script completely, however. It was Dean who worked a flashier in-ring style, while Ziggler largely kept things simple and gritty. Ambrose openly mocked, goaded, and “showed off” to Dolph throughout the match’s early stages, with Ziggler operating with the kind of focus Dean had spent weeks claiming he lacked.
It was an interesting switch-up on the feud’s entire narrative. Perhaps Dean had gotten so wrapped-up in his own agenda that he’d grown cocky, and adopted the very qualities he’d previously derided Dolph for.