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News has been trickling out from various sources that Dean Ambrose has told WWE that he won't sign an extension after his contract ends with them. In a recent release, WWE themselves uncharacteristically confirmed Dean's departure, sparking rumors of this all being a work.
Which means Dean would be leaving WWE after WrestleMania. The reasons behind it, according to the news are Dean's frustration at how his character has been handled by the WWE for the last year or so, and despite being offered a lucrative contract, he's opted not to sign an extension.
For WWE this could be a major blow, as currently it is under siege from AEW as well as struggling from a string of bad ratings for a while now. We have a look at why WWE need to try harder to keep a hold of Dean Ambrose, and why him leaving would be a huge blow to the company.
#4 An amazing performer
There's one thing everyone would admit - Dean Ambrose is one of the best performers on the roster. He has always delivered, and the quality of matches Ambrose has been able to put out on a regular basis have been nothing short of amazing.
You don't even have to strain your memory too much - just look at what Ambrose and Rollins' rivalry was able to pull out.
Although yes, one match between them was slightly questionable, the clashes between the two wrestlers were nothing short of amazing.
And that is not just a novelty, The Lunatic Fringe has done that with such regularity that it usually puts him among the top echelons of performers in WWE.
#3 A crowd favorite
Remember the crowd reaction when Dean Ambrose made his return with a completely new look? Or lets not strain our memory too much - just this passing week, the chants of "yes he does" for Triple H were elicited by Ambrose's antics.
Dean Ambrose is a crowd favorite, and has gained a lot of popularity because of his attitude, his demeanor, and his skills in the ring.
When at one end you had Roman Reigns being pushed to the moon and back by WWE despite continuously getting booed by the crowd from every corner, you have Ambrose at the other end who despite not being in the championship fight in recent times has still been able to get over with the crowd.
In crunch times like these, losing someone who is an out and out crowd favorite would be a huge blow for WWE.
#2 His character works
There are some characters that just click with the audience. Dean Ambrose with his hard-hitting music & devil may care attitude has been a hit with the fans, and he is clearly someone the WWE crowd looks forward to during the shows.
Even when he was first turned heel, Dean was still able to win over the crowd, and got a rousing response from the fans in the beginning (even though the feud with Rollins ultimately felt like it under-delivered).
In all his characters, Dean has shown that he has a certain charisma that not only reflects and make his avatars a success, but he also backs that up with his performances in the ring.
A testament to that is the fact that Dean is already a Grand Slam Champion in WWE, and that's something not many can stake a claim to. It is his slightly different, slightly edgy persona which has helped him get over with the crowd on such a scale.
#1 The AEW threat
It's no secret that AEW has been dishing out contracts worth millions to many professional wrestlers around the globe, and have been able to make some great signings. It is also not a secret anymore that AEW is turning into a potent threat for WWE, and the company may be worried.
They've signed up some big names with Chris Jericho and Goldberg being the biggest of them all, and would certainly be rubbing their hands and looking forward to contacting (if they haven't already done it yet) Dean Ambrose with an offer.
Losing out on someone with the star power of Dean Ambrose to potentially their biggest competition could be one of the biggest body blows for WWE in recent times. They're already regretting the decision to release Cody Rhodes, and they would not want the same to happen with Dean.
