Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose vs. Baron Corbin

Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose vs. Baron Corbin : Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose def. Baron Corbin

Since the WWE Brand Extension Draft last summer, Baron Corbin has more than lived up to his Lone Wolf nickname, meticulously stalking his prey and ascending the ranks on SmackDown LIVE. However, the hunter will have to wait a bit longer before he becomes the hunted, as Dean Ambrose was just one step ahead of him during the WrestleMania Kickoff.

The path Corbin and Ambrose took to get here was anything but magical, and their bout reflected that same ruggedness. The Lone Wolf and The Lunatic Fringe threw down in front of a capacity crowd at the Orlando Citrus Bowl, duking it out in a contest that made this portion of The Ultimate Thrill Ride resemble a chaotic freefall on Disney Hollywood Studios’ “Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.”

Evading several major attacks from Corbin, Ambrose managed to connect with his signature elbow off the top turnbuckle onto The Lone Wolf on the outside. Unbelievably, Corbin not only withstood that onslaught, but he also unloaded with a relentless barrage of powerful strikes. Corbin seemed to have The Lunatic Fringe on the ropes, but no one can ever count out Dean Ambrose, who countered The Lone Wolf and connected with Dirty Deeds for the win.

Baron Corbin’s moment in the sun will come. However, Dean Ambrose made sure it wasn’t tonight in Orlando.Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose’s indestructible nature will be put to the test at the hands of “The Lone Wolf” Baron Corbin at The Ultimate Thrill Ride, WrestleMania 33.

The 6-foot-8 biker thug has already done a number on The Lunatic Fringe, whether it was Deep-Sixing him through an electrical board or injuring Ambrose’s ribs by crushing him underneath a forklift. However, the champion is resilient, as well as reckless and unpredictable, as evidenced by his response to the forklift attack: While being transported to a medical facility on the night of the incident, Ambrose reportedly jumped out of the moving vehicle and began trekking back to the arena on foot, in search of retribution. Two weeks later, he rode a forklift back into SmackDown LIVE to officially accept a WrestleMania showdown with Corbin.

Both Superstars are used to being the toughest guy in whatever town they roll into, the sort of stock Jim Croce wrote songs about, so it’s no surprise that they’ve run afoul of each other. The hostility only intensified as Ambrose and Corbin kept getting in each other’s way as they both pursued the WWE Championship.

The Lunatic Fringe’s attack mode is perpetual motion, but it remains to be seen whether his famously high threshold for pain will be enough to endure a battle with Corbin. Perhaps the heavy-hitting Lone Wolf will be the Superstar to finally shut down the unbreakable champion.

It’s equally possible that Ambrose is most dangerous when he’s hurt and angry. Focused on survival and retaliation, his darkest instincts kick in, releasing whatever reins keep this freewheeling force tethered to decency on a day-to-day basis.

WrestleMania’s Intercontinental Championship Match will be a brawl. Watch The Ultimate Thrill Ride, WrestleMania 33, streaming live on the award-winning WWE Network tonight at a special start time of 7 ET/4 PT.

RESULT: Dean Ambrose retains via pinfall.
THOUGHTS: I kind of figured that would happen, given the situation with the pre-show.

Tinashe sings America the Beautiful.

How long is this intro graphic going to last?

Our hosts, The New Day, are kicking off the show! They cut a pretty generic promo.