Dean Ambrose Talks Transition To WWE From Indies, His Favorite Wrestler, Getting His Start, More

The Wizard World Comic Con recently hosted a Q&A with Dean Ambrose in Pittsburgh, PA. During the Q&A session, Ambrose discussed his start in the professional wrestling business and whether he misses working on the independent scene.

With respect to getting started in the professional wrestling business, Ambrose said that he does not remember any particular moment when he realized that he wanted to be a professional wrestler. He only remembers that he realized becoming a professional wrestler was a realistic possibility when he was a teenager.

"I can't remember a time when this wasn't what I wanted to do," Ambrose admitted. "I can't remember a time when wrestling wasn't my thing that I watched. As far back as my memory goes, I was already obsessed with wrestling."

Ambrose recalled finding a wrestling school by seeing an advertisement in a program at a wrestling show in a flea market.

"I went, 'that's it! There we go! There's a school you go to! That makes sense! It's like being a doctor! That's where I'm going!' From then, it was off to the races."

When asked who his favorite wrestler of all time is, Ambrose stated that his favorite wrestler is Terry Funk, though he admitted that he would probably provide a different answer every day that he is asked that question.

Ambrose said that the transition from the independent scene to WWE was a lot like going from WWE to the movies, insofar as he had to learn to be more careful with his character and learn to play to the cameras.

Ambrose said that on the independents, he could do or say whatever he wanted and did not have to worry about it and that is not the case in WWE.

As for playing to the cameras, Ambrose stated that he was not concerned with the cameras at independent shows. Even if he was being filmed at an independent wrestling event, he was not really concerned with the cameras, whereas WWE is very much a television show and he is not just working for a live audience. Also, with WWE, he has learned to be cognizant of things like replays.

"If you do something cool, they are going to replay it, so you don't want to be doing something else cool while they are doing a replay of the last cool thing you did."

While Ambrose misses the freedom of working as an independent wrestler, he would not trade his position with WWE to go back. Ambrose said that he always wanted to be a professional wrestler and that the intense, gritty, violent wrestling that he was drawn to does not really exist much anymore. With that said, he knows what sports entertainment is and sees how good it could be. Moreover, Ambrose expressed excitement over being able to touch the lives of sick children.

"Holy crap! I'm like a superhero now to little kids! This is so different from how I thought it would turn out."