5 ways the WWE can play it when Dean Ambrose returns

Dean Ambrose has been out for quite a while now, due to a triceps injury he picked up in December 2017. The injury came at a terrible time, as it brought an end to the short-lived reunion of The Shield, that had officially taken place on the October 9th episode of WWE Raw.

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He had to undergo surgery and is expected to be out for 9 months. The WWE landscape has undergone a lot of changes in his absence and as we get closer to his return, let's check out a few ways WWE can go with the Lunatic Fringe once he makes his comeback.

#1 A heel Ambrose-Reigns tag team

This sounds like a long shot, but the story pretty much writes itself. The WWE Universe has been clamouring for Reigns to turn heel for a long time, and a heel Lunatic Fringe will entertain to no end.

Have Ambrose return as a heel in the hunt for championship gold. Set him free on the mic and let him manipulate Reigns into turning heel by pointing out all the championship setbacks he has had recently against Brock Lesnar and how turning to the dark side could get him glory.

Once the team forms, the storytelling opportunities are limitless. They could attack Rollins after an Intercontinental Championship Open Challenge and put him on the shelf for some time, before going after the Raw Tag Team Championships.

Both Superstars are long overdue for a character change and a returning Ambrose could be the perfect catalyst for it.

#2 Send him back to SmackDown Live

Enter captio — The Lunatic Fringe set loose on the SmackDown Live roster

This may not seem like the most attractive option, seeing as Ambrose spent a considerable time on top the mountain at SmackDown Live and had a great feud with AJ Styles, but Raw currently has way too many moving parts, so sending Ambrose to SmackDown Live may be the best call.

The WWE title scene currently has Styles and Nakamura embroiled in a feud, but with Samoa Joe waiting in the wings, inserting Ambrose into the mix could lead to some quality programming.

Imagine past rivals Ambrose and Styles teaming up to fend off Joe and Nakamura, with no love lost between the four, as the WWE Championship remains up for grabs.

#3 Put him in a proper feud with Samoa Joe

Ambrose would still head to SmackDown Live, but instead of inserting him in the WWE title picture, let him have a proper feud with Samoa Joe. The narrative is simple, Joe put Ambrose on the shelf for a long time and Ambrose wants revenge.

A motivated Ambrose is an awesome Ambrose, and he is at his best when he has the right motivation. Sending him on the hunt for Joe (who plays the role of a predator superbly) will lead to fantastic mic work between the two and great matches.

Joe is yet to have a proper feud on SmackDown Live and a returning Ambrose would be an ideal opponent for Joe to operate at his best. If this feud does take place, deciding who goes over would be a real dilemma.

#4 A face-off with the Chosen One

There is still time before Ambrose makes his return, and Raw is still relatively short on top-of-the-card heels. Drew McIntyre recently made his return to Raw alongside Dolph Ziggler, and he is definitely not the same wrestler he was as a part of 3MB.

McIntyre looks like a beast and carries himself like a star and could believably go toe-to-toe with superstars like Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar.

McIntyre should move away from his pairing with Ziggler and steamroll the competition as a singles' competitor.

Positioning McIntyre as the vicious heel going after Ambrose's surgically repaired arm, with Ambrose playing the role of the gutsy babyface could make for a good upper mid-card feud and help propel the Chosen One to the big leagues.

Grand Slam Champion Ambrose is essentially bulletproof at this point and could help establish the next big heel.

#5 Heel Ambrose taking the IC title from Seth Rollins

Will Ambrose put an end to Rollins' red-hot streak?

We've already seen Ambrose vs Rollins, so we know that they can create magic when put in the ring together. The rivalry between the two after Rollins turned his back on his brothers was one of the best, and revisiting it but with a twist would make a great story.

Last time around, Ambrose was the face and Rollins was the slimy heel. This time, Ambrose should make his return by answering an IC Title Open Challenge and stealing the title away from Rollins, using underhanded techniques (maybe throw in a post-match beat-down for good measure). Beating down the biggest face on Raw would get Ambrose massive heat as well.

A wronged Rollins trying to get back the title he has elevated over the last few months, against a dastardly Ambrose would provide great mic work and greater matches and would be a great feud to close Raw for weeks.

What do you think WWE should do with Ambrose when he makes his return? Sound off in the comments below!