5 Things Dean Ambrose has not achieved in the WWE

If there is anything that we’ve learned from the Dean Ambrose saga in the past few weeks then it would be this – The Lunatic Fringe isn’t cut from the same cloth as the rest of the roster.

Ambrose has always frustratingly assumed his place behind Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins in the pecking order. While his former Shield brethren have cemented themselves as long-time main event players, the Ironman of the WWE has always treaded the fine line between the mid-card and the main event. It’s as clear as the mid-day sunshine; Ambrose was never intended to be the sustainable face of the company for years.

The WWE title reign seemed like his catapulting moment but the underwhelming angles that preceded and succeeded the run have been enough to convince the popular star to leave the company.

Make no mistake; Ambrose isn’t in it for the money as he longs to be given some creative freedom. That is something no superstar is guaranteed in Vince McMahon’s empire, and commendably enough, Ambrose has taken the gutsy move to walk away from the company that he has worked his rear-end off for since 2011. He is popular, talented and clever enough to find gigs outside the realms of WWE but he is a 33-year-old Grand Slam Champion for god’s sake! WWE stands to lose more than Ambrose with AEW lurking in the background.

Nonetheless, Ambrose would be leaving behind a legacy that would get divided reactions – he’s had some noteworthy accolades and astonishingly, has failed to achieve things that he was expected to accomplish. This list takes a look at the latter.

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#1 Has not won the Royal Rumble

Maybe he can return someday to finally win the Rumble?

Now before we go any further, it should be noted that Ambrose's resume has naturally been compared to his peers in Rollins and Reigns for the purpose of this article. And the most notable deficiency in his record has to be the elusive Royal Rumble victory.

While Reigns and Rollins have both won the match to book their respective spots in the main event of WrestleMania, Ambrose has fallen short on countless occasions. He could have won the Rumble this year, though, had everything gone according to plan. It has been reported that Ambrose was Reigns' original WrestleMania 35 opponent before leukemia threw a spanner in the works. Reigns would have ideally headed into Mania as the Universal champion and Ambrose punched his ticket to the main event via a victory at the Rumble.

The closest he's come to winning the Rumble match was when he was the runner-up in the Rumble bout that was for the WWE World Heavyweight title, which was eventually won by Triple H. Many felt Ambrose should have beaten the Game in 2016 but when do the fans get what they want eh?

#2 The titles he has not won

Dean Ambrose during his WWE title reign.

All the Shield members are Grand Slam Champions but they all have a few titles yet to be conquered.

Reigns has not won the Raw as well as SmackDown Tag Team titles, even though he has won the earlier iteration of the tag team straps. Rollins has not yet captured the Universal title (which he predictably should at Mania 35) and the SmackDown Tag Team titles.

As for Ambrose, the 8th Grand Slam Champion in WWE history has never won the Universal and the SmackDown Tag Team titles. We can disregard the blue brand's tag team championship as he hasn't been a regular feature in the tag team scene on SmackDown, but it's unusual to think that Ambrose has never been afforded a clear shot at Raw's top prize.

We don't blame him either as the Universal title can very well be renamed the Brock Lesnar Championship as the Beast Incarnate has taken a liking for the outlandish red belt.

#3 Never had a proper WrestleMania moment

Ambrose himself hates to recollect his match against Lesnar as he has openly called the Beast out for his laziness.

A successful intercontinental title defense against Baron Corbin doesn't count as a WrestleMania moment. Rollins pulling off the 'heist of the century' at WrestleMania 31; now that's a moment!

Roman Reigns winning the WWE World Championship against Triple H at WrestleMania 32; as much as you may despise it, was a significant occasion, at least for the Big Dog.

Compare that to Ambrose's showing at the grandest spectacle of them all and it's just pale in comparison. Don't even get me started about the 'No Holds Barred Street Fight' against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 32. Ambrose can be a little lackadaisical in the ring at times and his matches may not always be classics, but that can also be attributed to the curtailed creative freedom.

WWE has always been skeptical about going the extra mile with Ambrose and his WrestleMania history is proof of that.

#4 Has not had a successful run as a heel

WWE got the turn right but everything after that has been disappointing, to say the least.

Ambrose always came across as a natural heel. He seemed destined to be the one who would set the ball rolling for the first Shield split. However, Rollins was given the job of taking up the duty of being the bad guy and what a run it was. Rollins' reign as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion served its purpose and made him one of the most hated figures on WWE TV. He has been doing pretty good for himself as a babyface too.

Reigns, as we all know, took over the reins of being the John Cena of this generation. Sadly for Ambrose, he has always come to the party a little too late. His babyface run was overextended until the point that his character became just too stale.

They all said Ambrose will realize his true potential the day he turns heel, including this writer. What a damper it has been on his WWE career thus far. His Bane-esque persona has failed to click with the WWE Universe and the WWE Creative is partly to be blamed as they haven't provided him with the booking he deserves.

No wonder he wants his way out of the company.

#5 Has not beaten Triple H in singles competition

Ambrose and Triple H during their Roadblock 2016 match.

Now you may be going, there are many Superstars who have not beaten The Cerebral Assassin in a singles match. But as mentioned earlier, Reigns and Rollins' achievements are the measuring sticks when it comes to assessing Ambrose's WWE run.

Rollins and Reigns have both survived being buried by Triple H's infamous shovel. The Big Dog defeated the Game at WrestleMania 32 in a snoozefest to become the WWE Champion. Rollins was handed the torch the subsequent year. Ambrose wasn't so lucky.

He faced Triple H for the WWE World Heavyweight title at Roadblock 2016 but came out unsuccessful in what is one of best matches till this date. Ambrose's loss was a ploy to make The Game look strong before his main event showdown against Reigns.

That pretty much sums up Ambrose's WWE career -- he has always been the supporting act but never the main protagonist in the grander scheme of things.