"Creative killed him" - Veteran blasts WWE's treatment of Dean Ambrose (Exclusive)

Vince Russo has explained how WWE's creative team "killed" Jon Moxley's Dean Ambrose character with bad booking and goofy segments.

Moxley, the current AEW World Champion, is widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the industry. He previously worked for WWE, where he initially gained popularity as one-third of The Shield alongside Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.

Russo, WWE's former head writer, spoke about Moxley's run as Dean Ambrose on Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Outlaws show. He believes the 36-year-old could have been "huge" in WWE if given the chance:

"They've had so many people that have been this close to being huge (…) this close," Russo said. "He was right there. His hard work was overshadowing everybody. They were trying to really push Rollins, and Moxley was right there." [4:37 - 4:55]

Due to alleged creative frustrations, Moxley decided to leave WWE in 2019 when his contract expired. Russo thinks the company's higher-ups ruined the Dean Ambrose persona, particularly when he was told to wear a gas mask in 2018:

"Creative killed him, bro," Russo continued. "I remember vividly the gas mask. Remember when we [WWE] set up the booby trap for Rollins, he opened up the case, and he got slimed? I was watching those things and I’m like, 'Bro, they're freaking killing him, man.' Gas mask and 'you stink' and 'you smell' (…) My God, bro, that’s how you kill a talent, man." [5:04 - 5:27]

Moxley joined AEW in 2019 and immediately became one of the company's top stars. He has won the AEW World Championship three times – more than any other wrestler in the promotion.

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EC3 also disliked Jon Moxley's booking as Dean Ambrose

Shortly before his WWE exit, the former Shield member briefly feuded with EC3. The storyline included two singles matches on RAW, with both men winning once.

EC3 also appeared on the latest episode of The Wrestling Outlaws. The Control Your Narrative co-founder believes former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was to blame for Jon Moxley's disappointing booking:

"He's [McMahon] writing for an audience of one and that audience sucks," EC3 said. "A guy like Ambrose/Moxley is such a dynamic, unique human being and personality that if he was allowed to treat anything he was doing with a semblance of real heart and passion that he has so much of, until it got pulled away from him, just like what Vince [Russo] said, he was right there." [5:34 - 6:04]

EC3 also discussed the time when a live event match with the former WWE Champion landed him in trouble backstage.

What is your favorite Dean Ambrose moment in WWE? Let us know in the comments section below.

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