The greatest compliments of Dean Ambrose are drowned in nostalgia. WWE fans and personnel can't help but compare him to legends of yesteryear. And while this seems like an honor of the highest degree, it's anything but. Comparisons are reference points best used to describe something new. Comparisons should be nothing more than placeholders that create a smooth transition from a young upstart to a talent coming into his own.As I mentioned on this week's PodNasty Wrestling Podcast, Ambrose isn't doing anything groundbreaking by being unstable in the over-the-top world of WWE. Instead of creating his own legacy, the former Shield alumnus comes off as more of a well-done rerun.
It doesn't help that Ambrose isn't the only unstable character in the WWE Universe. Luke Harper, Stardust, R-Truth, even Damien Sandow to some degree all make their hay as entertaining oddballs. Ambrose is interchangeable with the rest of WWE's resident whack jobs, which is why he isn't experiencing the same success as his Shield brethren, both of whom will main event the upcoming Payback pay-per-view.
If Ambrose truly wants to succeed as a main event star in WWE, he'll need to stop reminding people of Roddy Piper and start reminding them of Dean Ambrose.
Comparisons to other legends at this stage of his career are closer to criticisms rather than compliments.
Ambrose needs to express himself in a more unique manner. If Ambrose truly wants to commit to a crazy character, he'll need to go all the way crazy. It's the only way he can stand out on that roster while avoiding the vaunted comparisons.
Mick Foley reminded people of Funk until he fell 16 feet off the cell at Hell in a Cell. CM Punk reminded people of Roddy Piper until the night he cut the Pipebomb promo. Steve Austin reminded people of Dr. David Schultz until he created Austin 3:16.
Ambrose needs to think outside of the box and develop match types, promo vignettes and segments that have never been done before. If he truly wants to be a candidate in the unstable wing of the WWE Hall of Fame, he'll need to create his own unstable identity. He's not Dean Ambrose yet, he's an impression of a familiar wrestling trope.
Ambrose won't make it as a perennial main event star in the WWE until his antics have no reference point. Being a lunatic got his foot in the door. Being original will help him kick that door down.
Dean Ambrose's Lack of Identity Will Keep Him Stagnant
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