Dean Ambrose Leaving WWE After Wrestlemania

[Bob-O]

Source: pwtorch.com

Dean Ambrose, a main event wrestler for WWE since debuting with The Shield in 2012, has given his notice to WWE that he will be finishing up when his current contract expires at the end of April, according to three PWTorch sources. He broke the news to management this weekend, including directly in a meeting with Vince McMahon, after being offered a new contract and a raise weeks ago.

He is expected to finish up shortly after WrestleMania, although it’s possible WWE would write him out of storylines sooner. This could explain why he was rather unceremoniously eliminated from the Royal Rumble on Sunday night and did a clean job to Seth Rollins on TV on Raw last night.

Sources tell PWTorch that Ambrose has been long frustrated with the creative direction of his character and reached a breaking point recently. He’s indicated to WWE management this weekend he’s not interested in negotiating further and made it clear this isn’t about trying to get more money. One of his colleagues on the roster, when asked tonight about Dean’s demeanor lately and if there were any signs of discontent, said “he’s pretty much impossible to read.” He added, though, that Dean “hates hokey sh–” and, since so much of his character has been portrayed as hokey in the last few years, he’s not surprised that would have built up frustration leading to a breaking point.

Top management in WWE and a small circle of friends of Dean knew about his decision this weekend, but it wasn’t well known at the Rumble or Raw among most of his colleagues.

[Bob-O]

Dean “hates hokey sh–” and, since so much of his character has been portrayed as hokey in the last few years, he’s not surprised that would have built up frustration leading to a breaking point.

Everybody is clamoring for AEW, but I'm actually leaning more toward Impact given that he's probably saved his money and the decision being artistic over business. The Bucks and Co are different hokey shit, but it's still hokey shit.

Although... and convince me I'm wrong... AEW doesn't have a heel to foil Omega... an actual mainstream heel that their cult will legit boo instead of playing along. I'd love to see the return of Jon Moxley, I'd love to see him be AEW's Roddy Piper to Omega's Hogan... but if he's sick of hokey shit, I have my doubts.

[Serujuunin]

That’s so sad. He has so much potential to be fabulous and WWE just says as long as he’s not Roman or Rollins they don’t care. Ambrose was one of my favorite guys for a long time, and even with a shit character, his work is solid and his delivery is awesome.

Way to go and muck this up WWE...

[cero2k]

Dean “hates hokey sh–” and, since so much of his character has been portrayed as hokey in the last few years, he’s not surprised that would have built up frustration leading to a breaking point.

Everybody is clamoring for AEW, but I'm actually leaning more toward Impact given that he's probably saved his money and the decision being artistic over business. The Bucks and Co are different hokey shit, but it's still hokey shit.

Although... and convince me I'm wrong... AEW doesn't have a heel to foil Omega... an actual mainstream heel that their cult will legit boo instead of playing along. I'd love to see the return of Jon Moxley, I'd love to see him be AEW's Roddy Piper to Omega's Hogan... but if he's sick of hokey shit, I have my doubts.

Ambrose could literally go to Inter-species wrestling and say i don't want to be hokey and he would get his way, he's a big star. I think he'd go to ROH first than Impact.

[Big Red Machine]

This sort of thing is becoming a trend now. With so many people unhappy, you'd think WWE would take notice and change up how they do things.

[Bob-O]

I think he'd go to ROH first than Impact.

Isn't Callahan still with Impact? I figured with how hard they went after Omega combined with having friends there they'd have a little leverage. To me it just seems like a more natural fit for him. Delirious's ROH almost feels like a step back for him unless they let him book his own stuff...

All things said though, and rumors are fun - especially from a fairly credible website...

I'm not sold that WWE didn't plant this one to get some Wrestlemania buzz...

Ambrose is suspiciously convenient. He's top of the card, but not TIPPY top of the card, and the best candidate on the entire roster for this sort of thing since Bryan's renewal - or lack thereof - leaked out. Universally loved by all walks of wrestlefan, believably misused he'd be the perfect face of turning The Revival's very real and very public frustration into an angle. He's got the backstage reputation and the acting/adlib ability to pull it off and nothing going on right now. With everything going on outside of WWE (AEW, falling ratings, Fox deal), they NEED to hit a homerun at 'Mania this year (especially after last year's shit show), and I think this could be a big part of it.

With Hunter and Gabe being all buddy-buddy, I could see this all leading to Hunter's obligatory 'Mania Match... with stipulations...

[Bob-O]

This sort of thing is becoming a trend now. With so many people unhappy, you'd think WWE would take notice and change up how they do things.

Maybe they are! Like I said up there, it's all very convenient, this could be their way of shooting themselves into a work.

Gonna be fun either way! I'm so down.

[cero2k]

This sort of thing is becoming a trend now. With so many people unhappy, you'd think WWE would take notice and change up how they do things.

they did take notice, the mcmahos came out and told us that things were going to change.

[Big Red Machine]

This sort of thing is becoming a trend now. With so many people unhappy, you'd think WWE would take notice and change up how they do things.

they did take notice, the mcmahos came out and told us that things were going to change.

Yeah... but you'd think that a guy like Ambrose wanting to leave at a time when anyone jumping to AEW is a big deal is the sort of thing that would actually cause them to do something about it for real, especially after other guys who would be valuable to AEW or ROH or even TNA and MLW (Bennett/Maria, The Revival) have expressed a desire to leave as well.

[Bob-O]

Yeah... but you'd think that a guy like Ambrose wanting to leave at a time when anyone jumping to AEW is a big deal is the sort of thing that would actually cause them to do something about it for real, especially after other guys who would be valuable to AEW or ROH or even TNA and MLW (Bennett/Maria, The Revival) have expressed a desire to leave as well.

Ambrose is different than everyone else though. I know we're going to argue about this, and you won't change my mind, but nobody gives a shit about Bennett/Maria or The Revival. People care about WHAT'S HAPPENING to them, but WWE Arena's aren't going to be chanting their names if they leave. Nobody gave a shit when Aries left, nobody gave a shit when Storm left... I'd say Morrison and MVP where the CLOSEST guys anyone cared about on their departures, but it's crickets for them too. Welcome additions to another roster? Sure! Tons of potential if used properly? Yeah, I guess so. But, they're not game changers on WWE's scale, and the only reason they clamor is because they don't want to look bad, especially when it's something they have complete control over.

Ambrose is a star, and a potential measuring stick wherever he lands. Shy of CM Punk on the achievement scale, but he's going to wind up SOMEWHERE when the dust settles. WWE's best promo outside of Cena and best heel that isn't a McMahon is allegedly going to show up in somebody else's promotion right after Wrestlemania.

Bennett and Maria don't matter. Revival doesn't matter. All easily replaceable. The telling thing is the major stuff, that they had no control over:

-Couldn't close a deal with Jericho, who's always gone back.
-Couldn't close a deal with The Bucks after really trying.
-Couldn't close a deal with Omega after really REALLY trying.

Now, Ambrose wants out because of stuff they have ALL the control over.

This is on the heels of Cena and Bryan sitting out shows over principal, you've got ROH and NJPW moving into MSG on Wrestlemania Weekend, and heat from Fox for not hitting projected ratings...

90% of the moral issues can be solved by doing ANYTHING besides featuring the same 10 guys every week. Ambrose adds to bigger problems, and might be the cue for a solution.

...or it's a work.

[Big Red Machine]

Yeah... but you'd think that a guy like Ambrose wanting to leave at a time when anyone jumping to AEW is a big deal is the sort of thing that would actually cause them to do something about it for real, especially after other guys who would be valuable to AEW or ROH or even TNA and MLW (Bennett/Maria, The Revival) have expressed a desire to leave as well.

Ambrose is different than everyone else though. I know we're going to argue about this, and you won't change my mind, but nobody gives a shit about Bennett/Maria or The Revival. People care about WHAT'S HAPPENING to them, but WWE Arena's aren't going to be chanting their names if they leave. Nobody gave a shit when Aries left, nobody gave a shit when Storm left... I'd say Morrison and MVP where the CLOSEST guys anyone cared about on their departures, but it's crickets for them too. Welcome additions to another roster? Sure! Tons of potential if used properly? Yeah, I guess so. But, they're not game changers on WWE's scale, and the only reason they clamor is because they don't want to look bad, especially when it's something they have complete control over.

Ambrose is a star, and a potential measuring stick wherever he lands. Shy of CM Punk on the achievement scale, but he's going to wind up SOMEWHERE when the dust settles. WWE's best promo outside of Cena and best heel that isn't a McMahon is allegedly going to show up in somebody else's promotion right after Wrestlemania.

Bennett and Maria don't matter. Revival doesn't matter. All easily replaceable. The telling thing is the major stuff, that they had no control over:

-Couldn't close a deal with Jericho, who's always gone back.
-Couldn't close a deal with The Bucks after really trying.
-Couldn't close a deal with Omega after really REALLY trying.

Now, Ambrose wants out because of stuff they have ALL the control over.

This is on the heels of Cena and Bryan sitting out shows over principal, you've got ROH and NJPW moving into MSG on Wrestlemania Weekend, and heat from Fox for not hitting projected ratings...

90% of the moral issues can be solved by doing ANYTHING besides featuring the same 10 guys every week. Ambrose adds to bigger problems, and might be the cue for a solution.

...or it's a work.

If WWE didn't give a sh*t about The Revival or Mike & Maria, they would have just given them their releases like they did with Cody, Aries, and eventually Neville. AEW has changed the game in that WWE is no longer willing to do that. WWE obviously has some sort of fear that while people might not care about those in WWE, people will care about them if they leave WWE.

[Big Red Machine]

I'm not sure why I didn't put 2 and 2 together before, but I think that weird segment with Ambrose on Raw should be taken as a hint that this is a work.

[Bob-O]

If WWE didn't give a sh*t about The Revival or Mike & Maria, they would have just given them their releases like they did with Cody, Aries, and eventually Neville. AEW has changed the game in that WWE is no longer willing to do that. WWE obviously has some sort of fear that while people might not care about those in WWE, people will care about them if they leave WWE.

Not saying AEW isn't a game changer, but I think it has less to do with talent developing into draws and more to do with brand image. The company isn't going to go bankrupt because Mike Bennett quits and goes to ROH, WWE knows that. AEW is going to exist with or without The Revival, WWE knows that too.

I think it has everything to do with the perception of control. Others exist, but they run the show, they control the flow of the business, and they want the perception to be that other promotions are only around because they are allowing it. When things start happening out of their control that doesn't fit the narrative you start controlling everything you can. Any person that voluntarily does not wish to independently contract their services any longer hurts the perception of control. It doesn't do a whole lot in the grand scheme of things for wherever these guys go (see MVP and Morrison), but it's a step backward for the machine that's only supposed to know one direction.

I say Dean is different, should he wind up in AEW, he's a measuring stick for American fans that have only heard of Kenny Omega. Seeing Ambrose across from Omega, next to Jericho, is going to solidify to the American fan where Kenny stands in the industry "controlled" by WWE.

I'm not sure why I didn't put 2 and 2 together before, but I think that weird segment with Ambrose on Raw should be taken as a hint that this is a work.

I 100% agree.

[Big Red Machine]

If WWE didn't give a sh*t about The Revival or Mike & Maria, they would have just given them their releases like they did with Cody, Aries, and eventually Neville. AEW has changed the game in that WWE is no longer willing to do that. WWE obviously has some sort of fear that while people might not care about those in WWE, people will care about them if they leave WWE.

Not saying AEW isn't a game changer, but I think it has less to do with talent developing into draws and more to do with brand image. The company isn't going to go bankrupt because Mike Bennett quits and goes to ROH, WWE knows that. AEW is going to exist with or without The Revival, WWE knows that too.

I think it has everything to do with the perception of control. Others exist, but they run the show, they control the flow of the business, and they want the perception to be that other promotions are only around because they are allowing it. When things start happening out of their control that doesn't fit the narrative you start controlling everything you can. Any person that voluntarily does not wish to independently contract their services any longer hurts the perception of control. It doesn't do a whole lot in the grand scheme of things for wherever these guys go (see MVP and Morrison), but it's a step backward for the machine that's only supposed to know one direction.

I think you're vastly underestimating the value of The Revival to AEW in particular. Anywhere else in the world The Revival would just be another top-notch tag team. In AEW they'd be the one thing their promotion doesn't have: heels. And they would be the absolute top heels in the promotion. They are someone the AEW fanbase is actually going to boo, and boo hard.

[cero2k]

If WWE didn't give a sh*t about The Revival or Mike & Maria, they would have just given them their releases like they did with Cody, Aries, and eventually Neville. AEW has changed the game in that WWE is no longer willing to do that. WWE obviously has some sort of fear that while people might not care about those in WWE, people will care about them if they leave WWE.

i said it in another thread, it's not about The Revival or Maria, and it may not even be about Ambrose, it's about the image it gives both fans and talent that grass IS INDEED greener on the other side

Furthermore Cody, Aries, and Neville had to wait out their contracts, which is not an option for The Revival, theirs expire til 2020-21. I am ALMOST sure that WWE is going to freeze ambrose's contract due to the time he took off for injury last year.

Ambrose here is not like the Revival that just wants to be used, he is fed up with the promotion and how everything is dealt with, he's more like Punk where he's just tired of this shit. I really don't think that WWE could have done much other than straight up give him freedom to do what he wants, and even then, he'd still be annoyed by everything

[Bob-O]

I really don't think that WWE could have done much other than straight up give him freedom to do what he wants, and even then, he'd still be annoyed by everything

From all accounts, he wants to be Jon Moxley again. I just hope he knows what he's wishing for...

The Shield was kind of the worst thing that could have ever happened for Jon Moxley... palling around with Roman and Seth was kind of a credibility killer in that aspect. Drinking a beer and smoking a cig, bloodied in the back of a VFW kitchen, with his crisp hair and trendy beard is going to be a hard sell for a while...

[Bob-O]

My Work-O-Meter has spiked again...

Seems a little early for them to stop trying.

[cero2k]

History books will forever show that Nia Jax took Dean Ambrose out of WWE.

Now I wonder if Rene finally takes that ESPN offer she had years back

[Bob-O]

Another thought...

He can't go to AEW because I don't think Cody can pronounce Moxley.

[Big Red Machine]

History books will forever show that Nia Jax took Dean Ambrose out of WWE.

Now I wonder if Rene finally takes that ESPN offer she had years back

They don't need Renee. They have Charly now.