Lab Works: Portrait of Malice, Ambrose v. Rollins

Dean Ambrose has the potential to be a very dangerous man, an observation of which his former Shield-brother, Seth Rollins, is aware. If Seth Rollins is "the Architect" of the Shield, and Roman Reigns was the heavy-lifter, then perhaps Dean Ambrose might be best described as the rabid dog.

Dogs can be dangerous creatures, particularly when provoked. In my mind, the Shield placated Dean Ambrose. He suppressed his more dangerous, unpredictable urges for the greater good. In believing in the Shield, Dean Ambrose was a part of a pack, a communal entity larger than himself into which he could invest his more chaotic and destructive tendencies. With the chair shots that ultimately disbanded the Shield, Seth Rollins awakened a sleeping dog and, as Seth is discovering, that dog is both hungry and angry.

You can see the chaos bubbling under Ambrose's skin. With every movement, a nervous tic betrays the maelstrom of emotions churning at his core. When Ambrose speaks, you can hear the malice dripping from his every word. The energy that he fed into the Shield is free now, and it is being directed squarely at Seth Rollins.

This is a huge problem for Mr. Money in the Bank, the Authority's "Plan B." This isn't news, of course, Seth is aware of the impending danger. However, this is the first time I can recall that the
MITB briefcase holder has had a need to be as paranoid as the WWE World Heavyweight champion. Just as John Cena has a target on his back, Seth Rollins has a target on his. Will Rollins be able to parlay the MITB title-shot into gold, like almost all other briefcase holders before him? Or will the rabid dog, Dean Ambrose, remain on his scent, biting at his heels?

If Seth Rollins is going to capitalize on his title opportunity, he needs to put down Dean Ambrose first. Ambrose is a man driven right now. The only way Seth Rollins can clear the path before him is to make sure that Ambrose isn't waiting in the wings, ready to pounce. Battleground 2014, this Sunday, is the place where Rollins needs to make this happen.

I don't think the prospects look good for Seth Rollins. How do you stop a man like Dean Ambrose, a man that doesn't care if you brutalize his body? How do you stop a man with a singular, obsessive intent? Seth Rollins and the Authority have put Dean Ambrose down week after week, but Ambrose just keeps coming back for more.

I'm sorry, Seth. This doesn't end well for you.

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Lab Works: Fantasy Booking Professional Wrestlers

 

Lab Works is a work-style article series from Doc Manson that presumes all of the actions of professional wrestlers, as they appear on television, are real.