WWE News: Ton Of Backstage Criticism For Dean Ambrose Despite WWE Championship Reign

Dean Ambrose has been WWE Champion for less than a month, but the length of his run is already being questioned and the circumstances under which he won the title has been put under the microscope. It hasn’t been the easiest transition backstage despite RAW earning its highest rating in months the night after Ambrose captured the championship for the first time in his career.

Ratings and merchandise sales have long been two of the key determining factors in making a champion. Fans heard part of the reason for taking the title off Roman Reigns and going with Ambrose was because Reigns’ live event attendance numbers were comparable to Ambrose’s despite the latter headlining what was considered the “B” show in generally smaller markets. Reigns’ failed drug test and subsequent suspension played a major part in the championship switch, but in light of today’s news, it’s interesting that WWE officials didn’t go back to Seth Rollins as their top champion.

According to Daily Wrestling News, there has been a ton of backstage heat on Dean Ambrose, going as far back as a couple months. And yet, he still stands before the WWE Universe as The Dude, and more importantly, the WWE Champion (remember, with the upcoming brand split, plans to create another top champion are in motion, thus dropping the previous WWE World Heavyweight Champion distinction and simply going with WWE Champion).

Ambrose portrays a care-free, nonchalant lunatic on camera, and one that resonates with the fanbase much more than the previous champion, Roman Reigns. But, apparently, that attitude and demeanor carries over backstage when Ambrose is no longer in front of the bright lights. This is especially evident after his matches as people in the back claim he doesn’t look so hot. No WWE superstar will look his best fresh off a wrestling match, but in Ambrose’s case, it has become a concern to some degree.

The heat Ambrose has on him at present might give further credence to an Inquisitr report 2 weeks ago, just 4 days into his reign, that his time as WWE Champion might not last longer than Battleground on July 24. So, with all the criticism surrounding Ambrose, and Roman Reigns in the doghouse for his Wellness Policy violation, Seth Rollins’ chances of recapturing what he never truly lost are increasing by the hour.

As noted, Ambrose’s heat stems back months ago. His feud with Brock Lesnar was widely panned as uninspiring and lackluster for a variety of reasons. Perhaps Lesnar was disinterested because he wasn’t involved in a more marquee match-up. To Ambrose’s credit, the Lunatic Fringe requested to add more lunacy to their showdown at WrestleMania, asking for more weapons and more high-risk spots, but was turned down. As a result, a disappointing match ended in predictable fashion before Brock took time off and Ambrose had to pick up the pieces.

Apparently, things did not get any better for Dean, who still managed to get booked in a high-profile program, this time with Chris Jericho. The two engaged in singles matches at Payback and Extreme Rules, the latter of which pitted them inside an Asylum Match, basically a modified steel-cage littered with weapons and foreign objects. The feud carried over somewhat when both were participants in the Money in the Bank ladder match, which of course, Ambrose went on to win before cashing in the contract later in the night.

The program with Jericho also received a lot of criticism from backstage officials, with reports of negative reaction to the Asylum match surfacing immediately. All in all, it’s strange that Dean Ambrose is the current WWE Champion despite not being the company’s favorite son at the present time.

[Image via WWE]