How Dean Ambrose’s injury could serve as the catalyst for a much-needed heel turn

Are we witnessing the early stages of a heel turn for Dean Ambrose?

An injury sustained by Dean Ambrose in mid-December 2017 definitely halted the hot momentum of The Shield, but it could prove to be a blessing in disguise when all is said and done.

It should be noted that Ambrose has never been away from the ring for an extended period of time in WWE, especially with an injury. Sadly, that changed recently when WWE announced that he might miss many months of action due to torn triceps tendon.

More from Hidden Remote

• The story of a French emperor: Here’s where Napoleon will stream after theaters
• It’s Thanksgiving Eve! Tune into the SNL Thanksgiving special to get into the spirit of the holiday
• Mamie’s plan is advanced on Thanksgiving (Young and the Restless Nov. 22 recap)
• ACOTAR on Hulu: Is A Court of Thorns and Roses based on a book?
• Final season, release date set for La Brea season 3: Everything we know so far

Nine months could be the worst case scenario for him, but either way, it’s all but confirmed that he won’t be around for WrestleMania 34. His plans for the pay-per-view were never set in stone to begin with, but it did look like he would be a part of something involving his tag team partner Seth Rollins.

Watch your favorite shows on fuboTV: Watch over 67 live sports and entertainment channels with a 7-day FREE trial!

Whether they would have been in pursuit of the Raw Tag Team Championship or facing one another, it’s unknown what WrestleMania would have had in store for the former foes. As strange as it is to say, their story will be better off with Ambrose out of the picture for the time being.

It was merely a matter of time before one of them turned on the other, and Ambrose’s absence could very well serve as the catalyst for his much-needed heel turn.

Everyone was excited for return of The Shield. While it was cool to see Roman Reigns, Rollins and Ambrose in full form at Survivor Series 2017 against The New Day, they basically went back to being singles competitors immediately after that.

Sure, Ambrose and Rollins continued to team and chase the twin titles, but Reigns unseated The Miz as Intercontinental champion on the Nov. 20, 2017 edition of Raw and largely distanced himself from the rest of The Hounds of Justice.

SUBSCRIBE TO HULU NOW: Live + Streaming. It’s TV Come True.

In so many words, it was a weak reunion for The Shield that could have been so much better booked. It also felt like a temporary thing since Reigns is bound to contend for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania and will have no need for Rollins or Ambrose at that point.

Of the three Shield members, Ambrose made the most sense to go heel. We’ve seen Rollins betray his brethren before and it’s obvious WWE won’t pull the trigger on Reigns any time soon, whereas Ambrose has barely scratched the surface in terms of what he’s capable of as a heel in WWE.

The Lunatic Fringe has been a babyface for the last three and a half years, and although he has remained over with the audience, his character work has sorely been lacking. Based of work of his from FCW and the independent scene, he is a natural villain, so a turn would instantly revitalize his stagnant persona.

Teasing tension between Ambrose and Rollins over the course of a few weeks or even months would have worked just as well. However, WWE inadvertently planted the seeds for a future heel turn for Ambrose during his last appearance on Raw.

Technically, it was Joe who put Ambrose on the shelf by ambushing him backstage, but lest we forget, Rollins caused the initial injury by performing a suicide dive on top of him during a match. Ambrose can blame Rollins for him missing ‘Mania, thus kicking off their latest ruthless rivalry.

Granted, Ambrose wouldn’t have to turn the first night he resurfaces, but it could be an interesting story to following whenever he’s cleared to compete again. They have had no less than a dozen matches against each other over the years, but reversing the roles with him would at least freshen things up.

Next: 5 Changes WWE needs to make in 2018

There’s no telling how far Ambrose can go as a heel in WWE, but what is for certain is that he has officially hit his ceiling as a fan favorite. His in-ring work has also stalled in one-on-one competition, and turning heel would allow him to mix it up with a new batch of opponents.

Expect Ambrose to show his true colors upon his return to the ring later on in 2018 and kick off a hot heel run that has been long overdue.