Roman Reigns’ suspension is a major opportunity for Dean Ambrose

There was huge news today when it was announced that Roman Reigns has been suspended 30 days for a Wellness Policy violation. It’s been clear for awhile that WWE has big plans for Roman as the top guy in the promotion. This suspension clearly hinders those plans, at least in the short term. It’s a bad situation and only time will tell how things play out for The Guy. But in this business, a bad situation for one person could be an incredible opportunity for another. When a spot opens, for any reason, it’s a huge chance for another wrestler to jump in and fill it. In this specific case, Roman’s setback could be a big break for Dean Ambrose.

To illustrate the type of opportunity this is, let’s quickly revisit an often told story in WWE history. In 1996, Triple H was an up and coming star who was set for a big push starting by winning the King of the Ring, back when winning that meant something more than a cheap plastic crown and a bunch of comedy matches. However, a month prior to the event, Triple H (along with Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall) committed the biggest no-no of their day. They broke kayfabe at a house show at Madison Square Garden when the four men, two heels and two faces, embraced as Nash and Hall were about to embark to WCW. Because Michaels was top of the company at the time, someone had to get punished. And it was Triple H. He got pushed far down the card, opening his spot up for someone else. Who filled it? Stone Cold Steve Austin. Triple H’s setback became Austin’s golden opportunity. Austin won the King of the Ring instead, cut the famous “Austin 3:16” promo after and the rest is history.

This is not to say that Ambrose is the next Steve Austin. Or that Roman is going to face major punishment when his suspension is up. But one thing is the same between the situations: Opportunity.

We’ll probably never know for sure all the details of the suspension. But it’s entirely possible that WWE knew about this prior to Roman losing the title at Money in the Bank, meaning that’s the reason Roman lost the title and the reason Ambrose won it. Sure, it may be a bit upsetting for big time Dean fans to realize that the reason he won the title is because they had to take it off Reigns. But no matter the cause, Dean Ambrose is now the champion. There’s a void at the top and the company decided to give Dean Ambrose his chance. He’s now perfectly positioned to make everything he can with it.

You don’t need to be an insider to know the business of wrestling is an extremely competitive one. This may be the only big chance Dean has to prove he can be the man. We don’t know what’s going to happen when Roman Reigns returns. It’s possible that his prior push is going to be put on hold for a bit, but it’s also possible that this won’t change the plans they had for him. With all of that unknown, Dean has 30 days to show the powers that be that they would be foolish to take that spot from him. He has a month to cut his best promos, put on his best matches, and show those in the back what his large fanbase has felt for a while: That he’s more than wacky comedy. That he’s deserves to be at the top.

This is by no means the end of Roman Reigns. Even after he lost his spot, Triple H made it back to become a star. But in his absence, there was opportunity for another star to be created in Stone Cold Steve Austin. Dean Ambrose has that chance now. Roman is gone for just a month and WWE gave Ambrose the ball.

Run with it, Dean. And don’t look back.