The lunatic fringe Dean Ambrose has become a big name in the WWE, starting out as a villain with the Shield, then eventually becoming a beloved wrestler. Ambrose is the kind of Superstar who will give it his all, even if that means hurting his own body in the process; and this is why fans love him. The former Intercontinental Champion got the biggest match of his career against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 32. Once Ambrose moves past Lesnar (expect a rematch, because WWE loves those), what's next for him?

The question now is whose next in line to face Dean Ambrose in the near future, he’s already faced people like Triple H, Kane, Kevin Owens, and his own "brother" Roman Reigns, so who is left. It's always fun to play fantasy booker, and put our favorite Superstars in matches that we know may never happen; this is no different for Dean Ambrose.

Some of the matches that we will go into today will never happen for various reasons. In some cases, the wrestlers listed in this article are well past retirement age, and have made it very clear that they will never wrestle again. In other cases it just doesn't make sense in terms of storytelling to have Ambrose match up with some of these wrestlers. Whatever the reason may be that they won't face, it doesn't stop us from thinking about what would happen if they did compete against each other. Today we will be looking at the top 12 wrestlers who we'd love to see Ambrose have a match against. If you think that we forgot anyone, feel free to share your opinion in the comments below.

12 12. Rey Mysterio

WWE fans haven’t heard the name Rey Mysterio in a long time, and who could hate seeing the 619 again? Although, it appears WWE may have found a different version of Mysterio with Kalisto, Mysterio goes back to the old days of WCW, so if you’re a longtime wrestling fan you know how exciting Mysterio can be.

Like Ambrose, Mysterio too likes to sacrifice his own body by jumping off the top rope. Being a small guy in the ring has its up and downs, but Mysterio has proven he can wrestle against anyone. So if this match ever happens, WWE fans can expect plenty of dazzling maneuvers. And before you say anything, although these men have wrestled before, it hasn't been in a singles competition.

11 11. Kurt Angle

Although, it appears Kurt Angle may be done with wrestling, fans can’t rule out a possible WWE return. The Olympic gold medalist has aged, but so have people like Triple H, Undertaker, and others, but they’re still going strong. He’s dealt with injuries before and may still have some that are still nagging him, but both Angle and Ambrose would relish the idea of facing each other. It would be interesting to watch Ambrose work a more ground style against the technician style of Angle. If WWE ever decides to bring Angle back, Ambrose would most likely want to say he fought against one of the all time greats.

10 10. Edge

The Rated R-Superstar, Edge is still around the WWE Network, but is done wrestling after suffering a career ending injury. A match between Edge and Ambrose is one like others that would go back and forth. Edge could spear Ambrose multiple amount of times and Ambrose could hit Dirty Deeds on him, but they could keep on having false finishes, leaving WWE fans excited yet wondering what it would take for either one to beat each other. There’s no need for any type of interference or weapons in a match up like this, because they can easily excite a crowd with their bare hands.

9 9. Batista

It’s unlikely that a Batista return will happen, but thinking about "The Animal" getting in the ring with Ambrose can be crazy good. Batista is the type of wrestler that can hammer his opponent down with ease because of how strong he is. Just thinking about Batista giving Ambrose a Batista Bomb could give WWE fans the chills, I mean just think about the run Evolution had facing The Shield.

Although, Batista says he’s done with WWE and has pursued a new career in acting, a return like this would definitely catch fans attention. If it does, Ambrose will eventually want to get his hands on Batista, and see if he can hang with him one-on-one.

8 8. Chris Jericho

Ambrose and "Y2J" have tagged teamed together, but haven’t formally faced each other in a singles match. These two both like to run their mouths, but the difference between them is that Jericho likes to stall things out, trying to play mind games before getting to wrestling. As for Ambrose, he’ll say what he’s feeling, but wants to get straight to fighting. A match between them at least once can be something you’ll want to tune into, and with the right storyline, could spell money for the WWE.

7 7. Vince McMahon

Yes, Vince McMahon has been part of WWE for a long time and is 70 years old, but as we all know, Mr. McMahon is super jacked. If you’ve seen any of his workouts, you’ll be amazed at what he can do especially at his age. At some point, the idea of Ambrose fighting the man who created WWE could cross the creative team, recreating some of the Austin/McMahon magic of the Attitude Era. It seems McMahon isn't willing to get back in the ring at his age though.

6 6. Brian Pillman

Many comparisons have been made between Dean Amborse and Brian Pillman, especially during Ambrose's time on the indies as Jon Moxley. Both men made a career out of being unpredictable on the microphone, and in the ring, and neither man had much of a filter. In a way this would be more of a mirror match than anything else, with a hard nose physical style dictating the pace of the match. Sadly, this is one dream match we will never see, as Pillman passed away in 1997.

5 5. Jeff Hardy

Right now, Jeff Hardy is with a different wrestling company, TNA, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t want to return the WWE at some point. Hardy was an exciting figure who really risked it all for the fans; so if Hardy were to make a return, Ambrose would be the likely choice to take him on. The perfect event for these two would be TLC, due to the fact that they both like using weapons, and like to get to high heights and land on top of their opponents.

4 4. Sting

It was sad to hear about Sting’s retirement rumors, because his run in the WWE was so short lived. His feuds between Triple H and Seth Rollins took center stage, so Ambrose never had a chance to face Sting while he was in the WWE. Ambrose would likely pounce on the opportunity if Sting was to come back for another run in the WWE, but it seems like the iconic Sting may be done. It's a shame, as a Sting vs. Ambrose storyline could be more entertaining than the match itself.

3 3. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Like many wrestlers, Stone Cold Steve Austin has been part of WWE for a long time, but mainly as a personality rather than a wrestler. The thought of Austin doing his vintage "What" catchphrase to Ambrose while he’s talking on the mic would be enough for most fans, but could you imagine a match? The two could wind up having a jaw dropping match that could eventually lead to these two sharing a beer; and of course a Stunner.

2 2. CM Punk

Yes, they wrestled before, but CM Punk returning and calling out Ambrose would shock the WWE Universe. Keep in mind that the two actually only ever had two singles matches, and those bouts were while Ambrose was with The Shield. Now that Ambrose is on his own, and in his prime as a singles wrestler, it would be the perfect opportunity to go against one of the best of this generation. Punk may have said he’s done with WWE, but fans obviously want to see him return constantly chanting his name even though he’s part of UFC now.

1 1. The Rock

The Rock will forever be the people’s champ, and loves being part of WWE, but he’s also living his dream of being an actor; but a Rock return is always good for business. Imagine The Rock roasting Ambrose before a match with insulting promos. A contract signing during which the Rock continues to make fun of Ambrose, could possibly bring out a different side of Ambrose fans haven’t seen yet. Ambrose may be a lunatic, but that lunatic could be the one to end The Rock's career.