Report: Dean Ambrose gives notice

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FrankieNYC

"My balls was hot!"
Aug 13, 2017
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Dean Ambrose, a main event wrestler for WWE since debuting with The Shield in 2012, has given his notice to WWE that he will be finishing up when his current contract expires at the end of April, according to three PWTorch sources. He broke the news to management this weekend, including directly in a meeting with Vince McMahon, after being offered a new contract and a raise weeks ago.

He is expected to finish up shortly after WrestleMania, although its possible WWE would write him out of storylines sooner. This could explain why he was rather unceremoniously eliminated from the Royal Rumble on Sunday night and did a clean job to Seth Rollins on TV on Raw last night.

Sources tell PWTorch that Ambrose has been long frustrated with the creative direction of his character and reached a breaking point recently. He's indicated to WWE management this weekend he's not interested in negotiating further and made it clear this isn't about trying to get more money. One of his colleagues on the roster, when asked tonight about Dean's demeanor lately and if there were any signs of discontent, said he's pretty much impossible to read. He added, though, that Dean hates hokey and, since so much of his character has been portrayed as hokey in the last few years, he's not surprised that would have built up frustration leading to a breaking point.

Top management in WWE and a small circle of friends of Dean knew about his decision this weekend, but it wasn't well known at the Rumble or Raw among most of his colleagues


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AEW
AEW
AEW
 

ShakaSway

The Unintentional Voice of Reason
Oct 18, 2015
3,907
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Dean Ambrose, a main event wrestler for WWE since debuting with The Shield in 2012, has given his notice to WWE that he will be finishing up when his current contract expires at the end of April, according to three PWTorch sources. He broke the news to management this weekend, including directly in a meeting with Vince McMahon, after being offered a new contract and a raise weeks ago.

He is expected to finish up shortly after WrestleMania, although its possible WWE would write him out of storylines sooner. This could explain why he was rather unceremoniously eliminated from the Royal Rumble on Sunday night and did a clean job to Seth Rollins on TV on Raw last night.

Sources tell PWTorch that Ambrose has been long frustrated with the creative direction of his character and reached a breaking point recently. He's indicated to WWE management this weekend he's not interested in negotiating further and made it clear this isn't about trying to get more money. One of his colleagues on the roster, when asked tonight about Dean's demeanor lately and if there were any signs of discontent, said he's pretty much impossible to read. He added, though, that Dean hates hokey and, since so much of his character has been portrayed as hokey in the last few years, he's not surprised that would have built up frustration leading to a breaking point.

Top management in WWE and a small circle of friends of Dean knew about his decision this weekend, but it wasn't well known at the Rumble or Raw among most of his colleagues


---

AEW
AEW
AEW
Beat me to it, just read it. Thats really huge
 

Bozy

OOHH YOU DIDNT KNOW!?
Feb 22, 2015
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It's a shame. I really like the lunatic. I thought he had a nice return. Looks good physically. I like the black pants and boots with the chain look. But I don't understand anyone that is set financially, wanting to work for Vince at the moment.
 

ShakaSway

The Unintentional Voice of Reason
Oct 18, 2015
3,907
3,896
It's a shame. I really like the lunatic. I thought he had a nice return. Looks good physically. I like the black pants and boots with the chain look. But I don't understand anyone that is set financially, wanting to work for Vince at the moment.
They have botched his character horribly. I thought the heel turn was going to do some great fhings for him. Yet they made him a germaphobe for a couple weeks, bailed on that, then gave him nothing. Cannot think of a single reason to blame the guy
 

Bozy

OOHH YOU DIDNT KNOW!?
Feb 22, 2015
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They have botched his character horribly. I thought the heel turn was going to do some great fhings for him. Yet they made him a germaphobe for a couple weeks, bailed on that, then gave him nothing. Cannot think of a single reason to blame the guy
Him and Bray should set the place on fire on their way out. 2 of the most over guys at one time. No need for Taker, Goldberg or Lesnar. But they killed both of them. Ridiculous.
 

ShakaSway

The Unintentional Voice of Reason
Oct 18, 2015
3,907
3,896
Him and Bray should set the place on fire on their way out. 2 of the most over guys at one time. No need for Taker, Goldberg or Lesnar. But they killed both of them. Ridiculous.
With news of this, would hope they make Bray look like a million dollars. Can’t afford to lose guys who could be main eventing and can talk. Hopes aren’t too high.

Would argue ROH needs Dean more than AEW, but not confident in that happening either.
 

FrankieNYC

"My balls was hot!"
Aug 13, 2017
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Would argue ROH needs Dean more than AEW, but not confident in that happening either.

I think AEW would be the favorite for a few reasons

Dean's major issue is creative & he could pretty much be his own at AEW.
Plus Jericho is there and he already knows Chris

I'm waiting to hear what Meltzer says on his overnight audio
Maybe he has more to it

But the idiots that think AEW is not changing things are complete fools.
 

FrankieNYC

"My balls was hot!"
Aug 13, 2017
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Meltzer said he cannot confirm that Dean is leaving, but he backs up Wade as a credible source.
He said he will check around to see if there was any contact with AEW, but said he hasn't heard his name mentioned by them.
He added that it is well known he hated doing scripted promo's & was unhappy though.
 

ShakaSway

The Unintentional Voice of Reason
Oct 18, 2015
3,907
3,896
I think AEW would be the favorite for a few reasons

Dean's major issue is creative & he could pretty much be his own at AEW.
Plus Jericho is there and he already knows Chris

I'm waiting to hear what Meltzer says on his overnight audio
Maybe he has more to it

But the idiots that think AEW is not changing things are complete fools.
Agreed thats gonna be the favorite for most, but the talent going to the other orgs would be nice as well. Like I said, not too confident they will be favored over AEW.
 

FrankieNYC

"My balls was hot!"
Aug 13, 2017
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Agreed thats gonna be the favorite for most, but the talent going to the other orgs would be nice as well. Like I said, not too confident they will be favored over AEW.
Agreed
I just think a WWE guy is far more apt to go to AEW.
Particularly a guy like Dean.

Other indy guys are more apt to do ROH, but if a WWE upper-mid carder leaves I don't think ROH can pay what AEW seems to be
 

ShakaSway

The Unintentional Voice of Reason
Oct 18, 2015
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Agreed
I just think a WWE guy is far more apt to go to AEW.
Particularly a guy like Dean.

Other indy guys are more apt to do ROH, but if a WWE upper-mid carder leaves I don't think ROH can pay what AEW seems to be
Hoping NJPW and/or ROH work something out with them. Would love to see Dean and Suzuki go at it.

On the other hand, Dean in AEW is appealing to see Moxley persona up against Clockwork Jericho and/or Kenny. Promo gold
 

Bozy

OOHH YOU DIDNT KNOW!?
Feb 22, 2015
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Meltzer said he cannot confirm that Dean is leaving, but he backs up Wade as a credible source.
He said he will check around to see if there was any contact with AEW, but said he hasn't heard his name mentioned by them.
He added that it is well known he hated doing scripted promo's & was unhappy though.
I first read this and thought how the f do you know my name lol. It's Wade btw
 

Enock-O-Lypse Now!

Underneath Denver International Airport
Jun 19, 2016
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Blood in, Blood Out - sometimes Vince likes to offer up sacrifices for his Satan.

Owen Hart planned on leaving at one point in time...
 

FrankieNYC

"My balls was hot!"
Aug 13, 2017
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Meltzer said some in WWE think it is a work.
He said he doesn't think so, but some do.
It was no secret he was unhappy though and he said he is close with Cody n Jerricho so there is interest.
 

FrankieNYC

"My balls was hot!"
Aug 13, 2017
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Here is a recap of Meltzer with a fill-in co-host george Gonzalez (Meltzer broke his hand so can't type for 8 weeks. He does nightly audio's that will be transcribed for his newsletter)


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With WWE releasing the Ambrose contract story to the media, that he was leaving because he turned down a new deal, and his contract expires in April, a lot of people are thinking that this whole thing is a work, that is including people within WWE. When I asked for confirmation on Monday night, wrestlers didn’t know, although some may have, but it definitely hadn’t gotten around. Creative didn’t know, although most believe the key people in company were well aware of it.


But most of the creative team had no idea, not even that the last things written for him were in a way write him off. WWE is currently doing some weird stories with The Revival and Ziggler, but as far as I know, this is legit. He has been unhappy with the direction of his character. WWE announcing it is indeed out of the normal MO, but it could be just a response to the news getting out and they don't want to be left out of it.


He turned down a five-year contract with a downside of just over $1 million per year.


At this point, we only know he'd be a free agent in April, assuming that WWE doesn't freeze the contract to make up for last year's nine month absence with his surgery for a torn triceps. But the company outright gave April as the date, so it appears they aren’t going to say they froze his contract. Still, Daniel Bryan found out just before his deal was to expire that they claimed he was under contract for yet another year.


We know Ambrose is friends with Jericho and Cody. We also know he hasn’t been talking to AEW about coming. However, in April, if he wants to continue wrestling, they would very much be interested in making a deal with him.


Gonzalez pointed out that there's also the possibility that releasing the news out, it could lower his salary leverage when negotiating with other promotions. This is similar to when, in 2005, when Raw was on Spike and USA wanted it back, WWE tried to create a bidding war to get the price up. But by that point Spike was having great success with UFC and instead announced they were canceling Raw. This left WWE with no leverage and only USA, and they ended up with a worse deal on USA than they had from Spike because USA wouldn’t give them a percentage on the ad revenue.


But with Ambrose, it doesn't seem like the issue is for money anyway. Ambrose seems unhappy with WWE and for someone like him that loves wrestling, he doesn't want to be there anymore. Places like AEW, NJPW, and ROH, it gives a lot of wrestlers an option to seek out and not just stay unhappy with WWE for being the only place available.


As for Renee Young, there's really no idea what her status would be. ESPN had interest in her in the past but she stayed with WWE. There's no reason to believe that she would leave WWE, many people work with WWE while their spouses don't. But she’s in a spot where she’s not being used effectively right now.
 

Bozy

OOHH YOU DIDNT KNOW!?
Feb 22, 2015
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Last part has to be a troll job. Rene is in a spot where she's not being used effectively right now? She is a female non wrestler that appears weekly as a play by play/color commentator on Raw.
 

ShakaSway

The Unintentional Voice of Reason
Oct 18, 2015
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Last part has to be a troll job. Rene is in a spot where she's not being used effectively right now? She is a female non wrestler that appears weekly as a play by play/color commentator on Raw.
That was truly bizarre. Also not sure how Total Divas works, but imagine that was a nice payday
 

FrankieNYC

"My balls was hot!"
Aug 13, 2017
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Last part has to be a troll job. Rene is in a spot where she's not being used effectively right now? She is a female non wrestler that appears weekly as a play by play/color commentator on Raw.
Commentary is horrible
She isn't being used effectively
Dean was near the top of the card & he was not used effectively
It isn't the "spot" its the way it is working out

The Revival are on TV every week & want out
A year ago they made less money but were used better on NXT

She had legit interest from ESPN to be a talking head on their personality/interview shows
That is her strength, not color commentary
 

Bozy

OOHH YOU DIDNT KNOW!?
Feb 22, 2015
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She was great on Talking Smack. But you can't have a shoot style program with predetermined outcomes on your own network. I understand that. I like her and Graves. But Graves is the best at it right now.
 

FrankieNYC

"My balls was hot!"
Aug 13, 2017
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She was great on Talking Smack. But you can't have a shoot style program with predetermined outcomes on your own network. I understand that. I like her and Graves. But Graves is the best at it right now.
She was great at everything WWE gave her until RAW announcing

I disagree about TS
It wasn't a shoot at all
It was wrestlers being in character but unscripted
It was structured improv & helped get USO's & Miz over huge
Also Kevin Owen to an extent

The best characters in WWF/E history were not scripted
They had bullet points & ran with it

It is amazing that Vince is in his own way so much

ever see Roman in a non-WWE scripted environment?
He is great
Same with Seamus. Check out his YT show about working out