Dean Ambrose to leave WWE after WrestleMania 35

Steven Muehlhausen

Dean Ambrose to leave WWE after WrestleMania 35 image

One of pro wrestling's biggest names is leaving WWE.

The company released a rare statement to the media Tuesday confirming an initial report by pwtorch.com that former champion Dean Ambrose will end his time with WWE shortly after WrestleMania 35 on April 7.

"Dean Ambrose [Jonathan Good] will not be renewing his contract with WWE when it expires in April," the company said in a statement to the Wrestling Observer. "We are grateful and appreciative of all that Dean has given to WWE and our fans. We wish him well and hope that one day Dean will return to WWE." 

MORE: Join DAZN and watch more than 100 fight nights a year

Ambrose, 33, signed with the pro wrestling giant in 2011 after becoming a hot act on the independent scene. He was sent to Florida Championship (now NXT) for seasoning. In November 2012, he was called up to the main roster at Survivor Series as a member of The Shield alongside Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. 

Fans in time saw Ambrose as the best overall performer of the popular group. During his time in the stable, he won the United States and tag team titles. After The Shield broke up in 2014, Ambrose won the WWE championship from Rollins in June 2016 and held it until September 2016.

A triceps tendon injury that sidelined Ambrose from December 2017 until last August derailed his momentum. He reunited with The Shield one more time upon his return, but WWE again launched an Ambrose single run when he turned heel on Rollins in a late October edition of "Monday Night Raw," on the same night Reigns announced he would be sidelined because of a recurrence of leukemia. The run hasn't connected with fans.

Ambrose appeared at Sunday's Royal Rumble and was eliminated by NXT star Aleister Black. He appeared on Monday's edition of "Raw" in a segment with Rollins and HHH, with the latter making a match between the former best friends. Rollins later won a competitive match. After the match ended, Ambrose sat in a chair in the middle of the ring. Nia Jax and Tamina then came out for their Elimination Chamber qualifying match. Jax had a confrontation with Ambrose and ended up striking him.

The million-dollar question is, where will Ambrose turn up after his contract expires? The newly created promotion All Elite Wrestling? New Japan Pro Wrestling? Ring of Honor?

Let the speculation begin.

Steven Muehlhausen

Steven Muehlhausen Photo

Steven Muehlhausen is a contributing writer for DAZN News. He writes features and news stories, and provides analysis relating to the world of boxing. Over the past five years, he has interviewed some of the biggest names in combat sports, including Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Terence Crawford, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Bill Goldberg.