Why Dean Ambrose Didn’t Turn Heel, How He Eventually Could, And Why He Wouldn’t.

So, Monday night, WWE began planting the seeds of an Ambrose heel turn by having Ziggler and McIntyre together and individually try to put doubts in Ambrose’s mind about Reigns and Rollins, namely that they seemed to have forgotten about him while he was gone. Ambrose didn’t turn heel, but it was clear from his reactions and the long moment he spent outside the ring, that Ziggler and McIntyre’s words had gotten to him.

So why didn’t he turn? Well, there are a couple reasons, one obvious, one not so obvious.

The first, and most obvious reason, is loyalty to his brothers. Ambrose believes in loyalty and turning on his brothers is not something he would do just because Ziggler pointed out some half-truths. After all the battles and struggles to reunite, Ambrose isn’t going to just turn on his brothers.

The second, and less obvious reason, is that Ziggler and company have nothing to offer Ambrose for the turn. Ambrose might come across as a nut, but he’s very ambitious and has shown a willingness to turn on his friends when championships are involved. The only belts the Dogs of War have are the Tag Team Belts, while Reigns and Rollins have the Universal and Intercontinental Championships, with the Universal Title being the only one Ambrose hasn’t held.

Even though GM Corbin is in the Dogs of War’s pocket, he really isn’t in a position to really sweeten the pot. He’s an acting GM who is on thin ice with Commissioner Stephanie McMahon. Add in his and Ambrose’s history and there’s really no reason for Ambrose to seriously consider turning on his brothers for Corbin and the Dogs of War.

What could make him turn heel? Well, Ziggler and McIntyre had the right idea by exploiting Ambrose’s injury and health scare, but they weren’t the right people to make the offer. However, if Corbin was to bring the idea to someone higher up the food chain, say Triple H or even Vince, well, that’s a different matter.

Why would Triple H make the offer to Ambrose? Well, for one, Triple H can spot talent and Ambrose has it in abundance. Their WWE World Heavyweight Championship match back in 2016 opened a lot of eyes, including Hunter’s, to Ambrose’s true in-ring talent, add in the new look and attitude, and Trips and Stephanie could be brought around to accepting Ambrose as the Authority’s new face. He would certainly be a better choice than Owens, who proved unable and unwilling to be a fighting champion.  The con against this is Ambrose is notoriously unpredictable, which would be a big knock against him with Triple H and Stephanie.

Why would Vince get involved? Well, like Triple H, Vince can spot talent and it’s been no secret that Dean and Vince are on good terms with each other. Having the backing of the owner of WWE would certainly be a boost to any career.

The $64k question is: Would Ambrose sell out to the Authority? That is hard to say. Ambrose is certainly a rebel at heart and I find it hard to believe that he would choose to be a corporate champion. However, a lot of things have changed for Ambrose since Rollins splintered the Shield in 2014. He has a wife and dog now, a mortgage and bills to pay, so he has more at stake now than he did in 2014, which the Authority could exploit. Plus, being forced to sit on the sidelines while your friends flourish without you would have a definite impact on your psyche and Ambrose’s reaction to the offer and his hesitation before choosing his brothers shows that what Ziggler and McIntyre said got to him.

I honestly don’t see Dean selling out to the Authority, but I do see him turning heel and going for either the Intercontinental or Universal Title. IF he goes with the Authority, it would probably be an instance of mutual manipulation. Ambrose is a master manipulator and is good at getting into people’s heads in ways they don’t expect, so anyone trying to manipulate him should be very careful.

If WWE keeps telling the story the way they have, Dean’s turn will be compelling to watch and I’m looking forward to it.