Dean Ambrose is Reportedly Leaving WWE

Dean Ambrose gave his notice to WWE officials this weekend and his contract will expire shortly after WrestleMania, according to Wade Keller of The Pro Wrestling Torch.

Keller cited three sources in his report. On Tuesday morning, PWInsider also reported Ambrose’s pending departure from WWE, noting that he turned down a multi-year contract that would have paid him seven figures.

According to Keller, Ambrose told WWE management this weekend, including breaking the news to Vince McMahon directly; Ambrose was reportedly offered a new contract, with a raise, several weeks ago.

Keller reported that Ambrose has been “long frustrated with the creative direction of his character and reached a breaking point recently.”

Ambrose has made a lot of money in his run with WWE; he’s been booked as a main-event level wrestler since his debut with The Shield in 2012. Almost seven years near the top of the card has likely grossed Ambrose several million dollars.

This situation seems very reminiscent of the situation with CM Punk in 2014. Punk, like Ambrose, was a main-event level wrestler for a number of years and, if he was smart with his finances, has enough money in the bank where he future employment decisions can be predicated on what makes him happiest, and not what makes him the most money.

If Ambrose informed WWE of his decision over the weekend, it explains Ambrose’s rather lackluster performance in the Royal Rumble, where he was eliminated without much fanfare. Then last night on Raw, he lost clean to Seth Rollins.

This puts WWE and Ambrose in a very interesting situation. With AEW on the horizon, there will be speculation that Ambrose will end up with the new company as soon as his contract officially expires.

WWE could remove Ambrose from TV altogether if they know he’s on his way out the door. In the past, without competition, that would have been WWE’s strategy. However, with AEW happening and WWE seemingly having big fears about the startup — they made a fan in the front row of the Royal Rumble remove an AEW shirt — WWE could have concerns over Ambrose joining the new promotion.

Does WWE force Ambrose to sit on the sidelines for the next two months? Or, does WWE “job him out,” sort to speak, in an effort to get some other talent over and damage Ambrose’s character as much as possible on his way out the door?

WWE could have Ambrose lose for the next two months, and it’s not going to do much to damage Ambrose’s drawing ability with AEW and the AEW fans. He’s a wrestler that indie fans are going to get excited about, and the AEW audience (at least what they’ll have to start) is going to be smart enough to know any “jobs” Ambrose is doing on his way out the door is nothing more than WWE pettiness.

Granted, WWE should have Ambrose put guys over on the way out. But there’s a difference between putting a few guys over —like Seth Rollins — and losing every week on Raw for the next eight weeks. There’s value in Ambrose doing two —maybe three — clean jobs. But after that, a long losing streak won’t give the wrestlers who beat him a real rub. It’s one thing to beat a former WWE Champion who is still positioned as being in the prime of his career. It’s totally different beating a guy who has lost eight matches in a row.

Ambrose is only 33 years old.