By Ryan Frye
Professional wrestling is an industry built on creating moments. But a moment would be nothing but a distant memory without a camera to capture the energy, emotion, and electricity of that moment forever. Perhaps that's why they've always claimed that a picture is worth a thousand words. And that very notion is the reason for the existence of this series: Picture Perfect.
Professional wrestling is an industry built on creating moments. But a moment would be nothing but a distant memory without a camera to capture the energy, emotion, and electricity of that moment forever. Perhaps that's why they've always claimed that a picture is worth a thousand words. And that very notion is the reason for the existence of this series: Picture Perfect.
SETTING THE SCENE
At Fast Lane, Roman Reigns defeated Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar for the right to face Triple H for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 32.
The following day, before RAW went live on the USA Network, Brock Lesnar attacked Dean Ambrose in the parking lot and sent him to the hospital. Just hours later, however, Ambrose returned to the arena via an ambulance he had commandeered.
Ambrose stumbled to the ring with a neckbrace, but Lesnar just stepped on his head and walked away. Ambrose would then issue a challenge to the Beast Incarnate to face him at WrestleMania in a Street Fight.
In response, Lesnar paced back down the ramp and laid out The Lunatic Fringe with an emphatic F-5. But for Ambrose, being in the eye of an approaching F-5 wasn't enough. So mere weeks later, Ambrose issued a second challenge. This one to WWE World Heavyweight Champion Triple H.
The Cerebral Assassin had previously broken Roman Reigns' nose; therefore, he was in quite the braggadocios mood. Thus, Ambrose played to his ego, claiming that Triple H couldn't beat him and challenged him to match for his title. And after taking the idea under advisement, Triple H would accept Ambrose's challenge.
In the main event of the WWE Network special Roadblock, emanating live from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, it was going to be Triple H versus Dean Ambrose for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
PAINTING THE PICTURE
The biggest matches of WrestleMania 32 seemed set until Dean Ambrose tossed a monkey wrench into things. Now, with a win, he threatened to change the entire complexion of the biggest show of the year.
Yes, Roman Reigns had earned his title match at Fast Lane, but what would happen to Brock Lesnar? How about Triple H?
Regardless, those questions would be rendered moot unless Ambrose was able to defeat the 14-time world champion which, if you heard the reaction Ambrose received, was clearly the result the Toronto fans were hoping for.
At Fast Lane, Roman Reigns defeated Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar for the right to face Triple H for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 32.
The following day, before RAW went live on the USA Network, Brock Lesnar attacked Dean Ambrose in the parking lot and sent him to the hospital. Just hours later, however, Ambrose returned to the arena via an ambulance he had commandeered.
Ambrose stumbled to the ring with a neckbrace, but Lesnar just stepped on his head and walked away. Ambrose would then issue a challenge to the Beast Incarnate to face him at WrestleMania in a Street Fight.
In response, Lesnar paced back down the ramp and laid out The Lunatic Fringe with an emphatic F-5. But for Ambrose, being in the eye of an approaching F-5 wasn't enough. So mere weeks later, Ambrose issued a second challenge. This one to WWE World Heavyweight Champion Triple H.
The Cerebral Assassin had previously broken Roman Reigns' nose; therefore, he was in quite the braggadocios mood. Thus, Ambrose played to his ego, claiming that Triple H couldn't beat him and challenged him to match for his title. And after taking the idea under advisement, Triple H would accept Ambrose's challenge.
In the main event of the WWE Network special Roadblock, emanating live from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, it was going to be Triple H versus Dean Ambrose for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
PAINTING THE PICTURE
The biggest matches of WrestleMania 32 seemed set until Dean Ambrose tossed a monkey wrench into things. Now, with a win, he threatened to change the entire complexion of the biggest show of the year.
Yes, Roman Reigns had earned his title match at Fast Lane, but what would happen to Brock Lesnar? How about Triple H?
Regardless, those questions would be rendered moot unless Ambrose was able to defeat the 14-time world champion which, if you heard the reaction Ambrose received, was clearly the result the Toronto fans were hoping for.
The bell sounded, and the two combatants paced momentarily. Despite much history between them including battles between The Shield and Evolution, this was their first one-on-one match.
Thus, the first few minutes served as a feeling out process. Lockups, headlocks, takedowns, arm rigors, hip tosses, and even a jab to the jaw. First in favor of Triple H then in favor of Dean Ambrose.
Ambrose appeared to be trying to get into the head of Triple H. First, he'd lay on the top turnbuckle after a flurry of offense. Then he grabbed the champion's nose. He was playing chess with the chess master.
The thing is, though, it seemed to be getting the desired effect. Triple H was getting frustrated and, after the nose grab, walked right into consecutive arm drags. Ambrose would go from an arm drag to an arm bar and dug at the nose of Triple H once more.
Ambrose didn't stop at the nose either. He yanked at his ear then pulled his fingers apart.
Triple H powered out and drove Ambrose into the corner. He'd batter him with shoulders before hitting a right uppercut.
From there, Ambrose recovered and traded right hands with Triple H with the larger man unsurprisingly getting the best of his challenger. He tossed Ambrose in the corner for more, this time interchanging right and left hands to Ambrose's face.
Triple H sent Ambrose off the ropes, but this backfired as Ambrose bounced back with a crossbody. He'd return some punches to Trip's face then sent him over the top rope and onto the floor.
Ambrose followed Haitch to the floor, eating a knee to the gut before hitting a rebound clothesline off the apron. He couldn't win the championship on the floor, though, and he knew that. He'd wisely take the fight back into the ring which is where he found his bullseye with repeated elbows to the back of Triple H's knee.
He followed by entangling the knee in the ropes and hitting it with a delayed dropkick. He'd then drop to the outside and slam the knee against the steel ring post.
Dean Ambrose may've been crazy, but he wasn't stupid. He came into this match with a gameplan and an intelligent one at that.
Triple H has a history of knee injuries, and, though they occurred years ago, they are the logical weak point of the Cerebral Assassin. If he doesn't have a vertical base, he has no offense and therefore has no chance of retaining his championship.
A master class in simple psychology which is usually a specialty of Triple H. Cruel irony, I suppose.
Ambrose climbed to the second rope and again chopped the knee of The Game. He'd roll to the outside, but Ambrose wasn't going to relent that easy. Somehow, Triple H would manage a kick to the gut and nearly a Pedigree to boot, but Ambrose reversed. Kicking Ambrose into the steel steps spine-first would suffice, however, because it bought Triple H precious time.
The Cerebral Assassin had adrenaline pumping through his veins. Now was his chance to take control and take control he did by hitting a reverse suplex slam onto the barricade.
The champion scurried back to the ring. He perhaps was hoping for a count out win, but it wasn't going to happen that easily.
Ambrose crawled back inside at the count of eight. Triple H pounced, maintaining the advantage with a choke on the bottom rope then a slingshot throat-first into the second, compromising Ambrose's breathing ability. He then covered him, forcing him to kick out and lose more air.
Triple H's flurry continued with a second reverse suplex slam. He hit two elbows to Ambrose's lower back before applying a Crossface and only broke the hold to do more damage to the challenger's back.
Triple H had gone to his ground game when he realized that he himself was hurt, JBL asserted.
The Game picked Ambrose up and sent him back-first into the corner. He looked to do it again, but Ambrose fought back with rights and lefts. A hopeful Toronto crowd came alive as Ambrose rebounded off the ropes, only to run into the waiting arms of Triple H for a spinebuster. And just like that, Ambrose's momentum was halted in its tracks.
Cover: 1, 2, no.
Triple H sat Ambrose on the top turnbuckle before climbing up himself. Ambrose responded with punches to the kidney and headbutts, allowing the separation he craved for a flying elbow to down both men.
The referee began his count, and, at seven, both Triple H and Dean Ambrose reached their feet.
Trips would knock Ambrose down with a right to which Ambrose recovered from before exchanging blows with The Game in the center of the ring. Ambrose won this exchange, too, backing the champion into the corner and abusing him with a series of kicks.
Ambrose needed to capitalize; he needed to keep his momentum going to defeat this future headline Hall of Famer.
He'd hit two clotheslines and followed up with a running bulldog out of the corner. A cover resulted in a two count.
Ambrose pummeled The Game in the corner with some punches to the face, but Triple H powered out of the predicament and nearly hit a Pedigree. Ambrose, though, managed to counter into another cover which received another two count. It was Ambrose who then went for his finisher—Dirty Deeds—but Triple H escaped by slugging Ambrose in the face.
Triple H would hit Ambrose's face against his knee. Ambrose rebounded off the ropes for his patented clothesline into another failed pin attempt.
Ambrose measured. He could feel the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in his grasp. He was moments away, potentially, from main eventing the most highly attended WrestleMania in history.
That taste of victory would be quickly knocked out of Ambrose's mouth, though, with a vicious clothesline. Hell, forget the taste in his mouth, he was lucky that his head was still attached to his shoulders.
The combatants again reached their feet simultaneously. Triple H, however, was the first to strike with a Pedigree attempt, but, just like before, Ambrose countered. This time, it was by launching The Cerebral Assassin over the top rope and onto the floor.
Ambrose looked to seize the moment with a suicide dive, but he instead ran into a right hand from The Game that knocked him out cold.
Triple H began cleaning off the announce table, the place he'd broken Roman Reigns' nose and had assaulted Dean Ambrose at in the span of two weeks. Now, he looked to end Ambrose's championship aspirations there as well.
Ambrose would thwart Triple H's plan by ramming him into the steel steps. He'd toss the champion back inside the ring and went up top. Triple H, though, was the one to thwart this by leaning on the top rope to crotch his previously poised opposition.
Again came a Pedigree attempt, and again Ambrose countered with a double leg into a figure four leg lock on the same knee he had targeted earlier.
Triple H writhed in pain as he contemplated tapping out, but he managed to break the hold before he had to do so. He lifted Ambrose, but Ambrose flipped over his shoulder and locked in the Sharpshooter.
It had been a decade since the WWE World Heavyweight Championship changed hands in Toronto. How fitting would it be if Ambrose was the man to change that with the Sharpshooter of all moves?
Triple H scratched and clawed at the canvas, but, just as he neared the ropes, Ambrose pulled him back to the center of the ring. Somehow, someway though, he still managed to reach the ropes for a break.
The Game crawled to the apron for a breather, and fought off Ambrose. When he re-entered the ring, he walked into Dirty Deeds. Cover: 1, 2, 3!
The crowd exploded! Ambrose raised his arms in the air victoriously, but victorious he was not.
As soon as the referee made the three count, he waived it off. Ambrose's foot was under the bottom rope. Therefore, this championship match continued to the chagrin of both the Toronto fans and Ambrose himself.
While Ambrose argued with the referee, Triple H rolled him up from behind and put his feet on the second rope: 1, 2, no!
The feet on the ropes showed just how desperate Triple H had become. He knew that Ambrose had him beat, and it was only sheer luck that the match was still ongoing. He needed to end this as quickly as possible against the younger man with better ring conditioning.
Ambrose whipped Triple H over the top rope and this time nailed a suicide dive. He drove him into the barricade before tossing him back in the ring. Triple H fled back to the floor, however, and Ambrose adjusted with his second flying elbow of the match.
Ambrose mocked The Game with his "Suck it!" taunt then placed his limp body on the announce table. He pounded away with punches before breaking the referee's count. Then, he went to the barricade and attempted a diving elbow through the announce table, but nobody was home. Triple H had managed to get out of harm's way.
The Cerebral Assassin crept back into the ring and was more than happy to take a count out victory; he just wanted to escape Toronto with his championship, by hook or by crook. Ambrose, however, slid into the ring at the count of nine. Unfortunately for him, he slid right into a Pedigree!
Cover: 1, 2, 3!
Dean Ambrose poured his heart and soul into this match, but, on this night, The Authority did indeed win.
ON TO DALLAS
Dean Ambrose grew up in the streets of Cincinnati. Every day was a fight. Some days he won, some days he lost. So if there's anything Dean Ambrose can do, it's recover from a loss. And he must do so quickly because, in less than three weeks, The Conqueror awaits him at WrestleMania.
This Conqueror I speak of isn't as accustomed to bouncing back from losses. He's won his whole life, and his resume speaks to that: former NCAA Champion, UFC Champion, WWE Champion, ending The Undertaker's WrestleMania streak. Whatever Brock Lesnar wants to accomplish, he does.
Something similar could be said for 14-time world champion Triple H who again is slotted to main event WrestleMania.
Being champion so many times, only topped by John Cena and Ric Flair, he knows what it takes to get to the top of the mountain. It takes blood, it takes sweat, and it takes tears.
The Game spilled the blood of Roman Reigns a few weeks back, and Reigns has surely done quite a bit of sweating. But Triple H claims that he hasn't sacrificed any tears yet. Not to worry, though, because by the end of WrestleMania—win or lose—he will have shed a few tears too.
Thus, the first few minutes served as a feeling out process. Lockups, headlocks, takedowns, arm rigors, hip tosses, and even a jab to the jaw. First in favor of Triple H then in favor of Dean Ambrose.
Ambrose appeared to be trying to get into the head of Triple H. First, he'd lay on the top turnbuckle after a flurry of offense. Then he grabbed the champion's nose. He was playing chess with the chess master.
The thing is, though, it seemed to be getting the desired effect. Triple H was getting frustrated and, after the nose grab, walked right into consecutive arm drags. Ambrose would go from an arm drag to an arm bar and dug at the nose of Triple H once more.
Ambrose didn't stop at the nose either. He yanked at his ear then pulled his fingers apart.
Triple H powered out and drove Ambrose into the corner. He'd batter him with shoulders before hitting a right uppercut.
From there, Ambrose recovered and traded right hands with Triple H with the larger man unsurprisingly getting the best of his challenger. He tossed Ambrose in the corner for more, this time interchanging right and left hands to Ambrose's face.
Triple H sent Ambrose off the ropes, but this backfired as Ambrose bounced back with a crossbody. He'd return some punches to Trip's face then sent him over the top rope and onto the floor.
Ambrose followed Haitch to the floor, eating a knee to the gut before hitting a rebound clothesline off the apron. He couldn't win the championship on the floor, though, and he knew that. He'd wisely take the fight back into the ring which is where he found his bullseye with repeated elbows to the back of Triple H's knee.
He followed by entangling the knee in the ropes and hitting it with a delayed dropkick. He'd then drop to the outside and slam the knee against the steel ring post.
Dean Ambrose may've been crazy, but he wasn't stupid. He came into this match with a gameplan and an intelligent one at that.
Triple H has a history of knee injuries, and, though they occurred years ago, they are the logical weak point of the Cerebral Assassin. If he doesn't have a vertical base, he has no offense and therefore has no chance of retaining his championship.
A master class in simple psychology which is usually a specialty of Triple H. Cruel irony, I suppose.
Ambrose climbed to the second rope and again chopped the knee of The Game. He'd roll to the outside, but Ambrose wasn't going to relent that easy. Somehow, Triple H would manage a kick to the gut and nearly a Pedigree to boot, but Ambrose reversed. Kicking Ambrose into the steel steps spine-first would suffice, however, because it bought Triple H precious time.
The Cerebral Assassin had adrenaline pumping through his veins. Now was his chance to take control and take control he did by hitting a reverse suplex slam onto the barricade.
The champion scurried back to the ring. He perhaps was hoping for a count out win, but it wasn't going to happen that easily.
Ambrose crawled back inside at the count of eight. Triple H pounced, maintaining the advantage with a choke on the bottom rope then a slingshot throat-first into the second, compromising Ambrose's breathing ability. He then covered him, forcing him to kick out and lose more air.
Triple H's flurry continued with a second reverse suplex slam. He hit two elbows to Ambrose's lower back before applying a Crossface and only broke the hold to do more damage to the challenger's back.
Triple H had gone to his ground game when he realized that he himself was hurt, JBL asserted.
The Game picked Ambrose up and sent him back-first into the corner. He looked to do it again, but Ambrose fought back with rights and lefts. A hopeful Toronto crowd came alive as Ambrose rebounded off the ropes, only to run into the waiting arms of Triple H for a spinebuster. And just like that, Ambrose's momentum was halted in its tracks.
Cover: 1, 2, no.
Triple H sat Ambrose on the top turnbuckle before climbing up himself. Ambrose responded with punches to the kidney and headbutts, allowing the separation he craved for a flying elbow to down both men.
The referee began his count, and, at seven, both Triple H and Dean Ambrose reached their feet.
Trips would knock Ambrose down with a right to which Ambrose recovered from before exchanging blows with The Game in the center of the ring. Ambrose won this exchange, too, backing the champion into the corner and abusing him with a series of kicks.
Ambrose needed to capitalize; he needed to keep his momentum going to defeat this future headline Hall of Famer.
He'd hit two clotheslines and followed up with a running bulldog out of the corner. A cover resulted in a two count.
Ambrose pummeled The Game in the corner with some punches to the face, but Triple H powered out of the predicament and nearly hit a Pedigree. Ambrose, though, managed to counter into another cover which received another two count. It was Ambrose who then went for his finisher—Dirty Deeds—but Triple H escaped by slugging Ambrose in the face.
Triple H would hit Ambrose's face against his knee. Ambrose rebounded off the ropes for his patented clothesline into another failed pin attempt.
Ambrose measured. He could feel the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in his grasp. He was moments away, potentially, from main eventing the most highly attended WrestleMania in history.
That taste of victory would be quickly knocked out of Ambrose's mouth, though, with a vicious clothesline. Hell, forget the taste in his mouth, he was lucky that his head was still attached to his shoulders.
The combatants again reached their feet simultaneously. Triple H, however, was the first to strike with a Pedigree attempt, but, just like before, Ambrose countered. This time, it was by launching The Cerebral Assassin over the top rope and onto the floor.
Ambrose looked to seize the moment with a suicide dive, but he instead ran into a right hand from The Game that knocked him out cold.
Triple H began cleaning off the announce table, the place he'd broken Roman Reigns' nose and had assaulted Dean Ambrose at in the span of two weeks. Now, he looked to end Ambrose's championship aspirations there as well.
Ambrose would thwart Triple H's plan by ramming him into the steel steps. He'd toss the champion back inside the ring and went up top. Triple H, though, was the one to thwart this by leaning on the top rope to crotch his previously poised opposition.
Again came a Pedigree attempt, and again Ambrose countered with a double leg into a figure four leg lock on the same knee he had targeted earlier.
Triple H writhed in pain as he contemplated tapping out, but he managed to break the hold before he had to do so. He lifted Ambrose, but Ambrose flipped over his shoulder and locked in the Sharpshooter.
It had been a decade since the WWE World Heavyweight Championship changed hands in Toronto. How fitting would it be if Ambrose was the man to change that with the Sharpshooter of all moves?
Triple H scratched and clawed at the canvas, but, just as he neared the ropes, Ambrose pulled him back to the center of the ring. Somehow, someway though, he still managed to reach the ropes for a break.
The Game crawled to the apron for a breather, and fought off Ambrose. When he re-entered the ring, he walked into Dirty Deeds. Cover: 1, 2, 3!
The crowd exploded! Ambrose raised his arms in the air victoriously, but victorious he was not.
As soon as the referee made the three count, he waived it off. Ambrose's foot was under the bottom rope. Therefore, this championship match continued to the chagrin of both the Toronto fans and Ambrose himself.
While Ambrose argued with the referee, Triple H rolled him up from behind and put his feet on the second rope: 1, 2, no!
The feet on the ropes showed just how desperate Triple H had become. He knew that Ambrose had him beat, and it was only sheer luck that the match was still ongoing. He needed to end this as quickly as possible against the younger man with better ring conditioning.
Ambrose whipped Triple H over the top rope and this time nailed a suicide dive. He drove him into the barricade before tossing him back in the ring. Triple H fled back to the floor, however, and Ambrose adjusted with his second flying elbow of the match.
Ambrose mocked The Game with his "Suck it!" taunt then placed his limp body on the announce table. He pounded away with punches before breaking the referee's count. Then, he went to the barricade and attempted a diving elbow through the announce table, but nobody was home. Triple H had managed to get out of harm's way.
The Cerebral Assassin crept back into the ring and was more than happy to take a count out victory; he just wanted to escape Toronto with his championship, by hook or by crook. Ambrose, however, slid into the ring at the count of nine. Unfortunately for him, he slid right into a Pedigree!
Cover: 1, 2, 3!
Dean Ambrose poured his heart and soul into this match, but, on this night, The Authority did indeed win.
ON TO DALLAS
Dean Ambrose grew up in the streets of Cincinnati. Every day was a fight. Some days he won, some days he lost. So if there's anything Dean Ambrose can do, it's recover from a loss. And he must do so quickly because, in less than three weeks, The Conqueror awaits him at WrestleMania.
This Conqueror I speak of isn't as accustomed to bouncing back from losses. He's won his whole life, and his resume speaks to that: former NCAA Champion, UFC Champion, WWE Champion, ending The Undertaker's WrestleMania streak. Whatever Brock Lesnar wants to accomplish, he does.
Something similar could be said for 14-time world champion Triple H who again is slotted to main event WrestleMania.
Being champion so many times, only topped by John Cena and Ric Flair, he knows what it takes to get to the top of the mountain. It takes blood, it takes sweat, and it takes tears.
The Game spilled the blood of Roman Reigns a few weeks back, and Reigns has surely done quite a bit of sweating. But Triple H claims that he hasn't sacrificed any tears yet. Not to worry, though, because by the end of WrestleMania—win or lose—he will have shed a few tears too.
