This week we’re doing the lunatic fringe, one of the biggest wrestlers in WWE’s ‘New-Era’ and also one of the original members of The Shield - Dean Ambrose.
Thanks to everyone that participated on the voting last week I really appreciate. There will be another poll at the end for next weeks superstar, at the bottom of this list – Please vote. It seems most people are interested in retired wrestlers/legends so I’ll make that the theme for next weeks list. These collection of matches comes from Dave Meltzer (his matches feature his ratings for matches rated 3 ½* Stars and matches that I believe that are also good too (these matches will be included in honourable mentions). If you have any suggestions for matches that could be included simply privately message me or add a comment on this and I will considerate it. Please read the entire list before commenting saying I’ve forgotten a match when it’s already on the Honourable Mentions. Also since a few people have commented on these posts saying 'stop throwing lists at us with no information' so on a few matches I’ve added a little bit of a backstory for new fans/fans of who haven’t seen the matches, some match details do contain spoilers, so you have been warned, but really if you’re getting up in arms about a match spoiler from several years ago that’s not my problem. I have also tried to add a link to each match as well, videos come from either WWE Network, YouTube and Daily Motion. Lastly, and most importantly, I used Meltzer’s ratings as a guide but make sure to make your own opinion (or rating in this case) about the matches. Just cause he gives something a 3, doesn't mean that it isn't a 5 to you! If you do not like this list because I’ve based it off ratings, that is not my problem. Alright, now lets start the list:
2010:
- Jon Moxley, Akira Tozawa, Gran Akuma & YAMATO Vs Hallowicked, Jigsaw, Masato Yoshino & Mike Quackenbush - Dragon Gate USA Freedom Fight 2010 - 3 ¾ (Can’t find link, sorry.)
- Jon Moxley & Akira Tozawa Vs BxB Hulk & Homicide - Dragon Gate USA Freedom Fight 2010 - 3 ¼* (Can’t find link, sorry.)
2012:
- The Shield Vs Team Hell No & Ryback – TLC 2012 - 4 ½* - This was The Shields debut match and it really proved to audiences who didn't know the three members just how great they were and how they were gonna take the WWE to greater places. Arguably also one of the best matches in WWE for that year.
2013:
- The Shield Vs John Cena, Ryback & Sheamus – Elimination Chamber 2013 – 3 ¾* - With Cena winning the Royal Rumble that year officials behind the scenes at WWE wanted Cena to win this match leading into his rematch with The Rock. Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns went to Vince's office and refused to lose to Cena and really showed guts that day and really showed that were not to be messed with.
- The Shield & The Wyatt Family Vs CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes, Goldust & The Uso’s – Raw 18/11/2013 – 3 ¾* - Really fun 12 man match leading into Survivor Series 2013, highly recommend for a fun rewatch as well as it pre-shadows the future Wyatt/Shield matches.
2014:
- The Shield Vs The Wyatt Family – Elimination Chamber 2014 – 4 ¼* - This match was highly anticpated even since the NXT days in early 2013, may people were so hyped for it. So when the Wyatt Family debuted in WWE in mid-2013 people were waiting for initial match off between the two. After months of teasing it, the match finally came to fruition at Elimination Chamber. One of my favorite matches from 2014 wish they would’ve saved it for ‘Mania 30.
- The Shield Vs The Wyatt Family – Raw 03/03/2014 – 4 ½* - Just like the first match, this match held up to expectations and showed us the ‘first split’ of The Shield but also lead to the boys growing stronger together.. Even if it was for a few more months.
- The Shield Vs Evolution – Extreme Rules 2014 – 4 ½* - Two of the most famous WWE groups with 6 great wrestlers going at it all at the same time – a good way to show the Past Vs the Future. They would also go on to face them at the following PPV, Payback and it really showed Evolution passing the torch to The Shield.
- Dean Ambrose Vs Seth Rollins Vs Rob Van Dam Vs Kofi Kingston Vs Dolph Ziggler Vs Jack Swagger – Money in the Bank 2014 – 4 ½* - This was Dean Ambrose (as well as Seth Rollins) first match as a single competitor in WWE after The Shield had split up. It’s also the start of the Rollins/Ambrose feud which lasted for over two years. If anything check out Ambrose’ sick superplex from the top of the ladder to Rollins.
- Dean Ambrose Vs Seth Rollins – Summerslam 2014 – 3 ¾* - This was the first time these two men would face each other on a WWE PPV and they put on one of the best Lumberjack Matches of all time.
- Dean Ambrose Vs Seth Rollins – Hell in a Cell 2014 – 4* - There are very few modern day Hell in a Cell matches that I watch and think ‘they actually deserve to have this type of match’. This was easily the feud that deserved to have this – a blood feud about one brother betraying the other and no other way to settle it than with the most demonic structure. Also a few really nice spots in this match including starting on top of the cage. There was also a lot of speculation for this match started a few weeks before the PPV, the speculation was would Rollins/Ambrose main event or would Cena/Orton main event – thankfully the right decision was made.
2015:
- Dean Ambrose Vs Daniel Bryan Vs Bad News Barrett Vs Dolph Ziggler Vs Luke Harper Vs R-Truth Vs Stardust – Wrestlemania 31 - WWE Intercontinental Championship – 4 ¼*
- Dean Ambrose vs Roman Reigns Vs Seth Rollins Vs Randy Orton – Payback 2015 – WWE World Heavyweight Championship - 3 ¾* - This was the first tease of all three members of The Shield facing off against each other in a match, as well as that it allowed us to see the former members align with each other (even if it was for just a brief minute) to take out Orton.
- Dean Ambrose Vs Seth Rollins – Elimination Chamber 2015 – WWE World Heavyweight Championship - 4* - This match is a really good back and forth battle between the two former Shield members and it also gives us a preview of a Dean Ambrose World Championship win.
- Dean Ambrose Vs Seth Rollins – Money in the Bank 2015 – WWE World Heavyweight Championship - 4* - This match goes for approximately 30 minutes, it is a fantastic ladder match in the modern era and really brings a close to the feud between both men for the year.
- Dean Ambrose Vs Roman Reigns – Survivor Series 2015 – WWE World Heavyweight Championship - 3 ½* - If you’ve read this list you’d probably would’ve noticed A LOT of Ambrose Vs Rollins matches, but this is actually the first time that the other member of The Shield (Roman) would face off against Dean. It was set up perfect with Rollins unfortunate injury, a tournament was made to award the WWE Championship which saw these two meeting in the final.
- Dean Ambrose Vs Kevin Owens – TLC 2015 – WWE Intercontinental Championship - 3 ½* - This was Dean Ambrose first intercontinental championship win.
2016:
- Dean Ambrose Vs Kevin Owens – Royal Rumble 2016 - WWE Intercontinental Championship - 4 ¼* - A very fun and brutal Last Man Standing match to start the year.
- Dean Ambrose Vs Triple H – Roadblock 2016 - WWE World Heavyweight Championship - 4 ¼* - Who would’ve thought that at the start of 2016 Dean Ambrose would be the most over full-time wrestler that WWE had? He got an opportunity to face Triple H on a WWE Network special for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and it was a great match which gave us ANOTHER false Dean Ambrose World Championship win.
- Dean Ambrose Vs Alberto Del Rio Vs Cesaro Vs Chris Jericho Vs Kevin Owens Vs Sami Zayn - Money in the Bank 2016 - 4 ¼* - Adding Dean Ambrose to this match, and allowing him to win it made it official that WWE Officials (including Vince McMahon) had faith in him and was going to allow him to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion in the near future. This is also a really good Money in the Bank match which I recommend people to watch.
- Dean Ambrose Vs Seth Rollins Vs Roman Reigns – Battleground 2016 – WWE World Heavyweight Championship- 4* - The long-awaited Shield Triple Threat match and it was worth the wait because the match is fantastic; and really helped show how good all three men really are. However, I feel this match was overshadowed by the draft being the initial focal point instead of about their past with each other and the WWE Championship.
- Dean Ambrose Vs AJ Styles – Backlash 2016 - WWE World Heavyweight Championship - 4 ¼*
- Dean Ambrose Vs AJ Styles Vs John Cena – No Mercy 2016 – WWE Championship - 3 ¾* - This match is fairly recent but it definitely deserves to be on the list, one of the best Triple Threat matches in WWE history. Each man was able to get all their stuff in and they stole the show – and it helped with the new-era/anything can happen feel as it was the Main Event however it was the first match on the card. This is one of those matches I would disagree with Dave’s rating, I definitely see this match as a 4 - 4 ¼* calibre match.*
- Team Smackdown (Dean Ambrose, AJ Styles, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton & Shane McMahon) Vs Team Raw (Braun Strowman, Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins) - 4 ½*
- Dean Ambrose Vs AJ Styles - TLC 2016 - WWE Championship - 4 ½*
Honourable Mentions:
- Dean Ambrose Vs CM Punk - FCW 21/10/2011 - Before there was NXT, their was FCW which was WWE’s developmental territory. WWE wrestlers never usually made appearances their – well as the story goes Punk on his day off (who wasn’t even scheduled to wrestle) came down to FCW to visit the place and then he got challenged to match against Ambrose to which he accepted and put over Ambrose after the match calling him the future of the wrestling business.
- Dean Ambrose Vs Seth Rollins vs Leakee - FCW 05/02/2012 - A few months before these three men would debut together on WWE and become The Shield and 4 years before their Triple Threat Match at Battleground 2016 they would compete in FCW against each other in a tease for what we would get.
- The Shield Vs Randy Orton, Sheamus & Big Show – Wrestlemania 29 - Ambrose (as well as Reigns & Rollins) first Wrestlemania.
- The Shield Vs Team Hell No & Undertaker – Raw 22/04/2013 - The Shield were so over on WWE television that their entrance for this match/show was them arriving via Helicopter. It’s rare to get a match and appearance with Undertaker outside of Wrestlemania, but it’s also rare to be able to defeat Undertaker – but that’s what The Shield did, they would defeat The Undertaker & the rest of his team.
- Dean Ambrose Vs The Undertaker – Smackdown 26/04/2013 - Undertaker who usually keeps his one match at Mania per year, decided he would take on a few more dates including not only the six-man tag match but a one on one match with Dean Ambrose – which he requested. Which goes to show that if Undertaker requests to work with you then you’re held in high regard.
- Dean Ambrose Vs Kofi Kingston – Extreme Rules 2013 - United States Championship - Dean Ambrose first WWE Championship (United States Championship) win in WWE. He held the championship for a total of 351 – making him the longest reigning champion in WWE history.
- The Shield Vs Team Hell No & Randy Orton - Smackdown 14/06/2013 - This was The Shields first loss ever in WWE, one of the most protected teams of all time and they finally took a loss in WWE after months of being undefeated.
- Dean Ambrose Vs Rob Van Dam – Summerslam 2013 - United States Championship
- Dean Ambrose Vs Dolph Ziggler – Night of Champions 2013 - United States Championship
- Dean Ambrose Vs John Cena – Raw 30/03/2015 - United States Championship - The night after Wrestlemania 31 to celebrate Cena’s United States Championship win he started the ‘US Championship Open’ which allowed wrestlers to challenge for the championship. Ambrose was the first person to challenge him and it’s one of their better matches with each other.
- Dean Ambrose Vs Dolph Ziggler Vs Kevin Owens – Smackdown 22/12/2015 - WWE Intercontinental Championship
- 30 Man Royal Rumble Match – Royal Rumble 2016 - WWE World Heavyweight Championship
- Dean Ambrose Vs Dolph Ziggler Vs Kevin Owens Vs Tyler Breeze Vs Stardust – Raw 15/02/2016 - WWE Intercontinental Championship
- Dean Ambrose Vs Brock Lesnar – Wrestlemania 32 - It’s hard to talk about this match – the only analogy for this match would be imagine if you were super psyched for a new movie coming out and you hyped it for weeks/months on end and then when you saw it you thought it was super meh. That’s how I’d describe this match, and most (probably all) the blame can get put onto Brock.
- Dean Ambrose Vs Seth Rollins – Money in the Bank 2016 - Ambrose finally one-ups Rollins by cashing in on him and becomes the WWE World Heavyweight Champion for the first time. - WWE World Heavyweight Championship
- Dean Ambrose Vs Seth Rollins – Smackdown 19/07/2016 - WWE World Heavyweight Championship
- Dean Ambrose Vs Dolph Ziggler – Summerslam 2016 - WWE World Heavyweight Championship
- Dean Ambrose Vs John Cena – Smackdown 2016 - To have a match with Cena in 2016 is quite rare, what else is quite rare is to have a clean win over Cena – which now Ambrose has. This would be the first time Cena lost clean on Smackdown in over 10 years.
Wrestlers in the most matches with Dean Ambrose
| Wrestler | Number of Matches |
|---|---|
| Hallowicked | 1 |
| Jigsaw | 1 |
| Masato Yoshino | 1 |
| Mike Quackenbush | 1 |
| BxB Hulk | 1 |
| Homicide | 1 |
| Damien Sandow | 1 |
| Fandango | 1 |
| Rey Mysterio | 1 |
| Christian | 1 |
| R-Truth | 1 |
| Braun Strowman | 1 |
| Alberto Del Rio | 1 |
| Sami Zayn | 1 |
| William Regal | 1 |
| Big Show | 1 |
| Justin Gabriel | 1 |
| Tyler Breeze | 1 |
| The Undertaker | 2 |
| Ryback | 2 |
| Cesaro | 2 |
| Jack Swagger | 2 |
| Wade Barrett | 2 |
| Goldust | 2 |
| Jimmy Uso | 2 |
| Jey Uso | 2 |
| Batista | 2 |
| Rob Van Dam | 2 |
| Kofi Kingston | 2 |
| Brock Lesnar | 2 |
| Chris Jericho | 2 |
| AJ Styles | 2 |
| Kane | 3 |
| Sheamus | 3 |
| CM Punk | 3 |
| Erick Rowan | 3 |
| Triple H | 3 |
| Triple H | 3 |
| Randy Orton | 4 |
| Roman Reigns | 5 |
| Cody Rhodes | 5 |
| John Cena | 5 |
| Bray Wyatt | 6 |
| Luke Harper | 6 |
| Daniel Bryan | 6 |
| Dolph Ziggler | 7 |
| Kevin Owens | 7 |
| Seth Rollins | 14 |
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