WWE WrestleMania 33: Assessing The Potential Of All 14 Matches

11. Dean Ambrose Vs. Baron Corbin - Intercontinental Title Match

Ambrose Corbin
WWE.com

The Dean Ambrose Vs. Baron Corbin rivalry has seen the two men attempt to murder one another in various backstage segments, which, hopefully, will inform which type of war the two men will wage.

Corbin, unlike Nia Jax and the Realest Guys In The Room, has actually justified his promotion to the main roster by improving - but he's not quite at the level of being trusted with a lengthy singles match on the biggest stage. Ambrose has fallen behind in the pecking order, but not to the extent that he becomes the victim of the shock squash trope of which 'Mania is so fond.

If WWE does give this the ten-minute no add-ons treatment, it's hard to envisage it rising above the forgettable. As good as a motivated Ambrose is, he's not that good. The build has surely telegraphed some form of stipulation affair, one which might even bleed into and cut away from the main 'Mania card a la the Hardcore Title hijinks of WrestleMania X8.

It would serve Ambrose's zany persona well, avoid exposing Corbin's limitations, and thread some gripping connective tissue into a card that will inevitably give fans multiple reasons to tune out - sheer exhaustion chief among them.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!