by VaderBomb » Jun 03, '15, 11:02 am
He's never had particularly great in-ring psychology, even before coming to WWE. He's tight as fuck with his deliveries but I agree that there's always been a sense of wasted motion in his matches. His wrestling style definitely works better when he has an opponent who can work on his level or beyond. His minor flaws become much more apparent when he's carrying the match, especially since coming to WWE with a much more limited move set. I'm not a huge fan of that rope lariat move that he uses but it's really no worse or predictably set up than the 619 or the "Vintage Undertaker" arm move.
What I liked about Dean Ambrose so much before coming to WWE was how real and gritty he was. With his best promos, he always painted this unmistakably brutal and arresting picture of urban life: fistfights, chain-linked fences, trashcans and dark alleys. He truly was convincing in this role and he was always so fucking angry and stressed out about the situations that he purposely got himself into. He was a train wreck and he was so fun to watch, especially in heated feuds.
I am a big fan of him in WWE, but a lot of that is based on what I know that he's capable of if given complete artistic freedom (which he may not ever get). It's awesome that he's finally being treated like main event singles star, the roster had been lacking a character like him for a long time. He retains many of the good qualities that made guys like Piper, Pillman and even Austin so compelling to watch but WWE has to figure out how to balance those qualities more naturally. Then and only then will he look as good as he actually is.
WWE has this problem with so many guys. Cesaro being another big one. The team with Kidd and Natty is good for him. He's been allowed to showcase a little bit more of his charm and comedic approach, which he absolutely excelled at in ROH, Japan, PWG, etc. He's much more than a generic strongman, which is the way that WWE has booked him for years up until now. Honestly, he's on that Eddie level as a total package but you'd never know that watching him on Raw. Like Ambrose, WWE just needs to give him a lot more room to breathe, expand and then go back to his roots.