‹ Back

Kevin Owens vs Dean Ambrose 2016

 

 

Royal Rumble 2016: Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose

On January 24, 2016, WWE fans were treated to a thrilling Last Man Standing match at the Royal Rumble event, which took place at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. In this competition, the Intercontinental Champion, Dean Ambrose, fought for the title against the fearsome Kevin Owens, 1) On a collision course of ferocious fight, intense, and emotional combat.

The Build-Up

The feud between Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens had been brewing for months culminating in the highly anticipated bout. Disagreement between the two started to manifest at WWE TLC 2015, when Ambrose pinned Owens for the IC title in a most unlikely [i.e., unexpected] result to Owens' dismay. Owens, as a gruff personality as well as a strong competitor, vowed to reclaim what he thought he should have gotten. Owens' meanness of abuse (i.e., weeks, months) continued on a weekly and monthly basis, employing of means—both psychological and physical, in a relentless fashion. Sneak attacks or verbal assaults, Owens pursued every option to rattle Ambrose, a perennially portrayed, if rather ineffective, man of unstable "Lunatic Fringe. ".

The soap opera unfolded as the celebrity crowd traded barbs with each other, then shot each other with barbs, and ending with a series of fights that fed into their war. This culminated in the Last Man Standing match announcement, where officials designated the bout as a no-holds-barred affair, allowing both competitors to leverage the brutality of their hatred for each other.

The Match

As soon as the game got underway, the atmosphere hung heavy with anticipation. The intensity of the challenge originated from the beginning of the whistle, when both players displayed a clear will to reach any corner in order to win. Ambrose cut a distinctive figure for his eccentricity, whereas Owens instilled a pugilistic style with a brutal, calculated element.

Early Offense: In the very first second or two, Ambrose used his unique offense with striking effectiveness, continuing to dominate early on. He engaged in a volley of blows and his signature Leaping Lariat, surprising Owens. However, Owens reacted instantly by counterattacking with a shear force kick, followed by an intense shoulder impact, and subsequent crushing strikes on the target. The audience could have sensed the live tension of the men because both men engaged in a back and forth battle of words.

Barricade Brawl: The fighting did not cease with the ropes, and deservedly exposed the nasty underbelly of the Last Man Standing condition. Ambrose launched Owens into the English announce table, causing a dramatic crash that left Michael Cole and the commentators reeling. In turn, Owens unleashed a brutality strangling the barricade in a ferocious cannonball, a daring attack that reverberated all the way to the feet of the onlookers and illustrated Owens' capacity to take blows.

Steel Chairs: As both competitors struggled to get to their feet, Owens introduced steel chairs into the fray. Fans will have in mind the awful ring of metal against flesh when Owens will be trying to do a maximum amount of damage. And right at the point that it looked like Owens had the ball, Ambrose pulled off a most surprising counter, pushing Owens onto two stacked chairs, which were strangely placed. Violence increased, but so did their expression of realism, stoicism and fortitude to continue the struggle.

Top Rope Superplex: When Owens went for a superplex from the top rope, aimed at Ambrose getting sent through tables set up outside the ring, this match set new records. However, Ambrose, taking one last stand against the notion, burst back and struck Owens with a table, thereby averting a far more horrifying result. The order of counters reflected on the wrestlers' pain tolerance (i.e., stopping) and the will not to continue the pain in order to win the title.

Dirty Deeds: For instance, right before the confrontation ended, Ambrose regained his footing and climbed the final rope. In an exhilarating, but at the same time a risky, demonstration of athleticism, he even punctuated his famous "Basic Deeds" not only once, but twice. The second involved Owens being slammed into a steel chair a scene which elicited a collective gasp from the audience. Ambrose was savage on Owens, striking him repeatedly as Owens was on the ground (no standing up while under the beating) prior to the referee’s count of ten on the clock. Desperate, Ambrose's desire not to lose the Intercontinental Championship hung in the air at all costs.

Aftermath

With the match finished, Owens's exhausted body lay flat on the mat, and was, thus, disqualified from responding to the ten-count proffered by the referee. Dean Ambrose emerged victorious, cementing his status as the Intercontinental Champion and showcasing a level of resilience the WWE Universe had come to admire. Victory not only reasserted Ambrose's title as an undefeated hero, it also provided yet one more dramatic twist in a match already passionate.

Legacy

Perhaps most memorably in the wrestling fanbase and amongst wrestling writers is The Last Man Standing match at Royal Rumble 2016, Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens, as a contest that epitomized the brutality and physicality of professional wrestling. Competing for the title belt, and competing to win, but also to settle a personal score that had simmered for months of tension and argument. Critiques also focused on the story of the match, and on the extent to which both participants incorporated not only their physical ability, but also their emotional investment in the bout.

All three in the bout became a life changing moment in the respective career of the wrestlers. Ambrose, for this victory, took a very important step and his position in the WWE as one of the best champion and main guy of its fans too solidified. That was a turning point, when he deliberately fell in love with the energy he now embodied, and in doing so, proved he was not a mere failed warrior living under punishing conditions.

Toward the end, the Royal Rumble 2016 Last Man Standing match between Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens is an illustration of how storytelling can be utilized in professional wrestling. It encapsulated not just athleticism and brutality but also the dynamics of rivalry, sacrifice, and the unyielding spirit of the superstars involved. This match to this day is a fan and historian's dream match in the sport, and a symbol of the career of two of the most captivating characters in wrestling in an era of historic wrestling tales