Ambrose vs. Corbin: Let’s Have Fun

On paper, I’m not really looking forward to this year’s WrestleMania. And I’m actually okay with it. As a friend of mine wrote elsewhere, I’m no longer part of the group WWE cares most about anymore. I’m not a kid, and I’m not even an 18-34 year old male. Luckily, I understand this, and can usually get around most of my frustrations with the WWE product by simply reminding myself that while I’m still more than welcome in WWE’s house (and, as a stockholder, I frickin better be), I’m no longer the guest of honor. So, if I want to hang out, I should mind my manners, and just accept that things are different.

It was the same with last year’s card, too. I had a mild interest in Shane and Undertaker, if only to see from where Shane would jump. Reigns/Triple H did nothing for me. I was probably most excited for Brock Lesnar/Dean Ambrose, which only wound up being slightly disappointing. Even AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho – on paper a great match – was underwhelming to me because I knew that there was no way WWE would let Styles win his WrestleMania debut, and they proved me right. I’m banking on that attitude this Sunday getting Shane a big WrestleMania win, in fact.

WrestleMania 31 was the last time I was actually excited for a Mania card, and a lot of that had to do with the fact that I was going to attend it live, coupled with the night being Sting’s WrestleMania debut. Yeah, the actual Sting/HHH match left me pissed, but heading into that show, I was still very excited.

And hey, it’s cool. We grow up, things change. I’m one of the many who labors through watching Raw, and then enjoys the brisk jog through SmackDown. I still love WWE, but I don’t need WWE to provide my entire wrestling world anymore. I have Impact, New Japan, Hoodslam, Phoenix Pro, APW, and anything else I can find if I want a certain thing.

When it comes to WWE, I know what I’m getting. And while I have definitely griped a bit over the last couple of years, I think I’ve finally made peace with it. It’s okay if I don’t understand the appeal of Naomi. It’s okay if I like Bayley, but still think she’s really hokey and not really a championship-level character. And you know why? Because it shows that, on some level, I’m still invested in the product as a fan. I may not go the way WWE hopes I will, but as we covered, who cares? I’m not their goal anymore. If I boo Roman Reigns or hold up large “PUSH FANDANGO” signs, it doesn’t matter.

And yes, it’s the whole “Focus on what you like” idea that I push quite frequently, but I always think it’s valid. When I watch Raw, sure, I hate everything involving Roman Reigns, because I’m one of the many who isn’t currently feeling the character. I have no beef with the man playing the role – that would be silly. But Roman Reigns doesn’t entertain me. At least, not when he’s talking. Chris Jericho, however, does. The New Day, however, usually do. Something with Cesaro is usually fun.

Ditto SmackDown. While absolutely the preferred WWE main roster program to watch, there are still some aspects I’m not crazy about. But I can always get by with The Usos, American Alpha, and Baron Corbin to look forward to.

Oh, what’s that? I’ve never talked about my fandom of Baron Corbin?

Yeah, I dig Corbin. Have for a couple of years now. I had heard a little bit about him on NXT in early 2015, but hadn’t seen much. I was told that he was a “big” guy that “moved well,” but “still had a lot to learn.” I’m sure there are plenty of fans out there that may feel about the same regarding Corbin, and some who feel he’s not even all that good.

When I attended Axxess the day before WrestleMania 31, however, I was able to see him wrestle live with my own two eyes. And I saw a guy who, obviously with some time, experience, and extra seasoning, could possibly come out of NXT and actually succeed, instead of being another Adam Rose or The Ascension or The Vaudevillains. I instantly became a fan of his finisher, End of Days, thinking it a nice move that looked devastating, and done in a manner I hadn’t seen frequently.

Since he was wrestling Bull Dempsey, it also showed me that Corbin could handle a bigger-sized guy, and still look dominating and powerful in the process. I think that the Dempsey feud was a really good thing for Corbin, using that wonderful gift of hindsight. At the time, it seemed like a minor feud between two lower-ranked guys, but I see it now as his first opportunity to deal with someone a little more his size, and not just another warm body for him to squash.

In the two years since, Corbin has continued to improve. He won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal last year, and has seen his stock slowly rise throughout the year. Once he was on the SmackDown brand, feuds with Jack Swagger and Kalisto helped ease him up into a higher bracket of opponent, where he was able to show that, yes, he could still hang at this new level.

It was at Elimination Chamber this past February where Corbin would be elevated up the card once more, earning a spot in the main event Chamber match for the WWE Title. Though he would end up being the first guy eliminated, Corbin would take advantage of his opportunity. Pinned by a Dean Ambrose rollup, Corbin would lose his cool and attack Ambrose. After putting him through a pod and hitting End of Days, Corbin would leave Ambrose in prime condition to be pinned, eliminating his chance at regaining the belt he once proudly held.

Since then, the two have butted heads repeatedly on Tuesday nights. Along with the attack, Ambrose also seemed to take umbrage with Corbin using the motorcycle theme in his entrance music, something Ambrose considered his deal.

And so, while I may have said that I’m not too excited for WrestleMania, and I acknowledged that it’s because I’m no longer the person they cater to… I still found the match that does interest me, and it’s all because I focused on what I liked. I like Baron Corbin. I like Dean Ambrose. I like violent matches.

To that end, I feel like the Intercontinental Championship match this Sunday could very well be a dark horse for a very fun match. The ingredients are there, as we have two competitors hungry to make their mark on the biggest stage possible. Baron Corbin looks to improve on his performance from last year, and win an actual championship instead of some window-dressing award. He looks to get his first real legitimate victory in WWE over a main event talent, and a former World Champion to boot. He’s looked impressive before, sure, but a win for Corbin sends his stock into the stratosphere as far as Tuesday nights are concerned.

On the other side, you have Dean Ambrose. An angry Intercontinental Champion looking to finally get some revenge on the man that kept him from becoming a two-time World Champion. Looking to settle the score after weeks of trash talk and sneak attacks. And, much like Corbin, a man looking to really make his mark at WrestleMania after a disappointing outing last year.

That particular match last year is a major reason I’m looking forward to this match, actually. Many of us have probably, at some point in the last year, read a Dean Ambrose interview where he discussed his feelings on his match with Brock Lesnar last year. Or maybe you actually watched him on Steve Austin’s podcast, where Ambrose basically put the match’s shortcomings directly at Lesnar’s feet, blaming Lesnar’s “laziness” and inability to want to do anything that Ambrose suggested. As I mentioned earlier, I was GEEKED about that match heading into Mania, feeling it was the easy pick to steal the show with insane violence.

Instead, the match was a bit of an anticlimactic letdown. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t the glorious exhibition of malice we had basically been promised. Dean had a few moments, but was eventually overwhelmed by Lesnar, and pinned after an F5.

If you don’t think that man wants to make that match a distant memory, then you might be underestimating the ego of Dean Ambrose. At least, in my opinion, that is.

Sure, I can already hear the Fans Cooler Than I: But Corbin sucks! He’s not even close to being the worker Lesnar is! There’s no way they can hope to top that match, even if it wasn’t that hot! I hear you. I just disagree. Sure, Corbin doesn’t have the skillset and experience of a Lesnar. But he has a hunger to go out there and do whatever is necessary to make himself a star. Lesnar didn’t have that fire in him last year. He hasn’t had that fire in a long time, really, because he’s set. In no way am I trying to discredit Lesnar or make him out to be the bad guy – he just has a different set of circumstances, and so directly comparing him with Corbin is unfair to both.

I just feel like this match, with a couple months of back story, with actual bad feelings, and featuring a main event player with a HUGE chip on his shoulder against a hungry, up and coming guy looking to prove he belongs, can absolutely deliver. It may not get five (or SIX) asterisks from Meltzer, but I can see it being much better than originally thought by a large portion of the audience, which then gets them quite the cheers of appreciation.

The possibility of my being extremely let down by this match is, of course, always in play. It happened last year. And while Kevin Owens/Chris Jericho may be great, or AJ Styles/Shane McMahon could very well pull this surprise card out as well, I’m still hitching my wagon to the Intercontinental Title match. No matter what, I just hope both guys go out there and show what they’re capable of. If Corbin delivers, he could be a main event player for the next few years. If he stumbles, he could find himself in a Jack Swagger-like purgatory for a while.

Regardless, I hope you all enjoy WrestleMania!

It’s All Wrestling. It’s All Silly. We All Love It.