WWE News: Dean Ambrose Injury Is Career Threatening, Have We Seen The Last Of The Lunatic Fringe?
If we are honest, when WWE announce an injury to a superstar like Dean Ambrose we take the announcement with a pinch of salt. Reported injuries are frequently used to advance a WWE storyline, and as a vehicle to fuel a feud between wrestlers as we approach a major WWE PPV event. When news broke earlier this week that Dean Ambrose was carrying a serious arm injury, many would have assumed that the buildup to the 2018 Royal Rumble had begun in earnest. The fact that the injury was exacerbated when Ambrose was attacked in the locker room by Samoa Joe, Cesaro, and Sheamus, added to the sense of skepticism.
On this occasion, it would seem that Ambrose’s injury is genuine and that he underwent surgery yesterday. As reported by the official WWE website, Ambrose has a high-grade triceps tendon injury and underwent surgery on Tuesday. Wrestling Observer report that Ambrose has a genuine injury, even though it appeared to be an angle when it was shown on Monday Night Raw. Dave Meltzer claims that the attacks on Ambrose were part of a storyline, but that it was designed to hide the fact that Ambrose was already injured going into this week’s Raw.
Of course, WWE could be playing fast and loose with the extent of Ambrose’s injury. If the Lunatic Fringe went into Monday Night Raw with a relatively minor injury and needs some time off, a fictional serious injury is a good way to build a feud with those who attacked him. However, let’s assume for a moment that Ambrose is genuinely injured and that WWE doctors have given the factual information on the extent and nature of that injury. If that is the case, Dean Ambrose’s WWE career could be over.
Dean Ambrose Injury: Career Threatening Or A Heel Turn Setup?
If Ambrose has sustained a high-grade triceps tendon tear, then his career could be over. As reported by Sports MD, a torn triceps tendon “is a potentially career-threatening injury which requires prompt surgical repair and significant rehabilitation.” As reported by Health Pages, a torn tricep tendon can take up to nine months to heal properly. It would seem that the best case scenario for Ambrose is that he will be out of action for around nine months, that would, of course, mean that Ambrose will miss the 2018 Royal Rumble, WrestleMania 34, and perhaps even the 2018 SummerSlam.
If, however, Ambrose just has a minor niggle and his injury is part of a storyline, the Ambrose could be set for a heel turn. The Lunatic Fringe has always been the most likely “Shield Brother” to take a heel turn, and Sportskeeda recently claimed that Ambrose is set to turn on Seth Rollins, breaking up The Shield before it even gets properly re-established. The reinvention of The Shield, they claim, was nothing more than a stop-gap to cover for the absence of John Cena and Brock Lesnar from the WWE roster.
CBS Sports also likes the theory that Ambrose is set for a heel turn. After all, the Ambrose injury was “caused” when Rollins launched a “suicide dive” on Monday Night Raw. The injury was exacerbated during a locker room brawl, but Ambrose turning against Rollins sets up the perfect storyline to build a feud for WrestleMania 34.
As with all WWE injury stories, we will know the truth in the weeks to come.
