Jon Moxley's success in AEW has WWE fans missing the days of having Dean Ambrose on the roster. Ambrose delivered compelling promos and great matches whenever he was given the chance. WWE would see him become a breakout star with the other members of The Shield; all three wrestlers thrived working together. The end of the group allowed Ambrose to continue climbing the ranks on his own, with more of a spotlight on him alone.
We will look back at some of Ambrose's best work in WWE. The matches selected here suggest that Ambrose was a special performer who deserved more respect from WWE. Find out just which bouts from the Lunatic Fringe are at the top of his WWE library. Here are the ten best WWE matches of Dean Ambrose.
10 The Shield vs Evolution (Extreme Rules 2014)
Evolution reunited after WrestleMania XXX, with Triple H, Batista and Randy Orton all sharing a common enemy in The Shield. The two iconic factions gave fans a dream match at Extreme Rules 2014. Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins all looked great against the three legends.
The Shield winning the match cleanly cemented them as the most dominant faction in WWE. All three young stars were on the path to massive success in singles action, but their final feud as a group gave us this outstanding match.
9 Dean Ambrose vs John Cena vs AJ Styles (No Mercy 2016)
The WWE Championship picture was quite exciting during the early stages of the 2016 brand split. Dean Ambrose started off as the champ before losing the title to AJ Styles. John Cena then entered the mix ahead of No Mercy 2016 to create a triple threat match.
WWE went with the bold move of having the match open the show, with Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt getting the main event spot. The triple threat match was full of action and had fans on the edge of their seats right from the off. Ambrose put in one of his best performances ever on this night.
8 Dean Ambrose vs Seth Rollins vs Roman Reigns (Battleground 2016)
The first major triple threat match between members of The Shield came at Battleground 2016. Dean Ambrose won the Money in the Bank title shot and cashed in one month earlier to become the WWE Champion. Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns each used their rematch clause for the final show before the brand split.
Many fans felt the match didn’t live up to their expectations, but it was still quite good. Ambrose scored arguably the biggest win of his career, defeating both former team-mates. It started off his title reign with great momentum.
7 Dean Ambrose vs Triple H (Roadblock 2016)
Triple H ended Roman Reigns’ title run early in 2016, in a Royal Rumble match. A few defenses ahead of the match with Reigns at WrestleMania 32 allowed him to mix it up with some active stars.
Dean Ambrose challenged Triple H for the title at the secondary event, titled Roadblock (which aired on the WWE Network). The two wrestlers had instant chemistry and Ambrose made fans believe he would pull off the upset. Triple H retained in a match that had viewers wanting to see this caliber of action at WrestleMania.
6 Dean Ambrose vs Seth Rollins (Summerslam 2014)
The rivalry between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose (after The Shield ended) featured a few matches with various stipulations. SummerSlam 2014 would see them have a Lumberjack match with various wrestlers surrounding the ring.
This was one of the best Lumberjack matches of all time, with Rollins and Ambrose utilizing the group of talent outside to add to their brawl. Few matches of this stipulation ever live up to the hype, but Ambrose and Rollins pulled out a must-see match that had the Staples Center rocking.
5 The Shield vs The Wyatt Family (Elimination Chamber 2014)
The faction warfare between The Shield and the Wyatt Family helped both trios find even more success. Both groups were red-hot entering the match at Elimination Chamber. The Shield had more star power, but the winning ways of the Wyatt Family made it more exciting.
All six competitors left it all in the ring as the crowd ate up the match from start to finish. This was the match that showed just how over Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns were in The Shield. The classic match was arguably one of the best of 2014.
4 Dean Ambrose vs Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar (Fastlane 2016)
Fastlane 2016 decided the top contender for Triple H’s WWE Championship at WrestleMania 32. Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose all had strong momentum heading into this match, but Reigns eventually won the bout.
Fans loved the triple threat and each wrestler shined in the exciting match. Lesnar and Ambrose showed enough chemistry here for WWE to move forward with a singles feud heading into WrestleMania. That match flopped, but the triple threat was a top tier Ambrose performance.
3 Dean Ambrose vs Kevin Owens (Royal Rumble 2016)
The Last Man Standing match between Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose stole the show at Royal Rumble 2016. Both men had a feud going for the Intercontinental Championship and the stakes were high.
Owens and Ambrose had a violent brawl, using tables, chairs, kendo sticks and other weapons. Fans were in awe at some of the dangerous spots, with each man answering the ten count to continue multiple times. Ambrose scored the win in one of his best matches ever.
2 Dean Ambrose vs AJ Styles (TLC 2016)
Dean Ambrose’s WWE Championship reign ended at the hands of AJ Styles a few months before this match. Something or someone always prevented him from getting a singles match until this night at TLC 2016.
Styles was in the midst of his peak run as arguably the best wrestler in the world. Ambrose was also in his element. It was a spectacle of dangerous spots, ending with James Ellsworth costing Ambrose his last chance to win.
1 The Shield vs Team Hell No and Ryback (TLC 2012)
The first WWE bout for Dean Ambrose was a TLC match, teaming with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns as The Shield against Ryback, Daniel Bryan and Kane. WWE had introduced The Shield one month earlier, with Ryback and Team Hell No becoming some of their main rivals.
Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns had one of the best debut matches in WWE history, stealing the show at TLC 2012. The faces all gave great performances as well, with Bryan in particular standing out. However, this is remembered as the night that The Shield became superstars.