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You can do everything right as a WWE superstar, and yet not get over with the WWE Universe to any degree whatsoever. And therefore, one must commend the individuals from the WWE roster that do so, who become a part of popular culture with their prowess.
Dean Ambrose is certainly one of the more important figures from the current WWE era. He made his mark as a member of the best faction of the current era, The Shield, and departed, victorious, as a member of the same faction at 'The Shield's Final Chapter'- a WWE Network special.
But his departure leaves a void and opens up a plethora of opportunities for someone to step in and take his spot. We know that the current WWE roster is not lacking in talent and therefore, who could potentially step up and hit a home run then?
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I'll look at a few suitable candidates in this article.
#5 Drew McIntyre
The Scottish Psychopath may be a heel now, but I'm almost certain that there's a babyface waiting in the wings to emerge and claim dominion over all of WWE. This is because he has all the tools that it takes to be the face of the company. In many respects, he's ranked so low in the list because I can imagine him surpassing Dean Ambrose in the roster over time, quite honestly.
McIntyre even had a mini feud of sorts with Dean Ambrose on RAW and he came out victorious in the same. This could be a symbolic passing of the torch from one top superstar to another. Ambrose, of course, won the match against McIntyre's team in The Shield's Final Chapter.
McIntyre thrives in hardcore matches, just like Ambrose did. He could certainly take his coveted spot in time.
#4 Aleister Black
If you only watch the main roster, you've only seen a glimpse of what Aleister Black is capable of. Black can be a standout star for the WWE roster and in all likelihood will be one, in due course of time. The truth is that he has a lot more potential as a singles star than as a tag team partner for Ricochet.
The same could be said for Ricochet as well, but it is certainly true for Aleister Black. Black has the same kind of unbridled intensity that Ambrose was known for and also has a certain wild card element that made Ambrose a special performer. I daresay that this current tag team pairing may actually be holding him back as a performer.
Plus, there's a ruggedness to Aleister Black that made us gravitate towards Dean Ambrose too. Black is a performer to look out for!
#3 Buddy Murphy
Believe it or not, I think that Buddy Murphy can rise the ranks and become a standout performer in the main roster. For proof of this grand assertion, you only need to look at his match against The Velveteen Dream from NXT, this past week.
Murphy was a tag team performer when he was in NXT, but then he reinvented himself and became the face of 205 Live, with his incredible in-ring prowess. And now he has reinvented himself once again and will be a part of SmackDown Live in coming weeks.
Murphy is a pretty decent promo as well, and one can only expect his stock to rise as a member of SmackDown Live in the weeks that follow. I certainly see him as a big time player in the upper mid card of WWE, ie. the Ambrose spot.
I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes WWE Champion someday, quite honestly.
#2 Ali
Mustafa Ali may have accidentally started KofiMania when he suffered an injury. And now, he is back in the roster, and I'm guessing he will get his due to showcase what a fabulous performer he is. We've only seen a glimpse of all the incredible things he can do in the ring.
Granted, he's a lot more athletic than Dean Ambrose was, but there's an X-Factor to Ali that can, in due course of time, help him stand out and become a breakthrough performer. Ali is a naturally likable Superstar and is one of the natural babyfaces in the current roster. If WWE invests in his character and gives it a little more meat, the sky could be the limit.
I've interviewed Ali in the past and he's expressed his desire to someday work with The Shield. Could he someday become the fourth member, now that the faction does not exist anymore?
Notable exceptions
You can always look at someone like AJ Styles and say that he'd make a good replacement for Dean Ambrose. But the fact of the matter is that he's a legend in his own right and has his own spot in the roster at the moment.
On the other hand, while someone like EC3 would have been ideal for the Dean Ambrose role, I believe that way too much damage has been done to him for him to be taken seriously. You can't have Braun Strowman annihilate EC3 on RAW and expect him to be a serious contender.
Andrade could have been ideal but the language barrier is always going to be a problem. Bear in mind that Ambrose was probably the best promo in The Shield, when allowed to cut promos on the microphone.
The Miz is too old and already too well established to take up that spot.
#1 Adam Cole
I think the Undisputed ERA will follow a very similar path to The Shield in the sense that they're comprised of a bunch of 'cool' guys who have the potential to turn babyface down the line someday. And if you look at the four men who are a part of the faction, it is impossible to not see dollar signs when you look at Adam Cole (Bay Bay).
Cole may be a heel now, but there's a babyface turn for him waiting to happen. Much like Dean Ambrose he oozes charisma and charm and has the potential to become a standout star in the future. Again, much like Ambrose, he has an independent background and a cult following too.
If Reigns and Rollins ever reunite, he could even become a third member of The Shield. Let's hope the main roster is kind to Adam Cole.
What do you think of these picks?
