Dean Ambrose has officially said his goodbyes to the WWE Universe after competing in his last RAW match.
The wrestling star joined his Shield stablemates Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns for a final farewell after squaring up to an unsuccessful brawl with Bobby Lashley.
The trio shared a touching reunion before RAW went off the air.
Sharing fond memories of his eight-year-long career with WWE, Ambrose said: “We opened up the Barclays Center – the very first ever WWE show, the very first PPV, TLC whatever year that was. I’m getting very old, I can’t remember. Our first WWE match on PPV, TLC, we got thrown to the wolves. Arn Anderson called us ‘two indie schmucks and a football player.’
“But like Seth said, we walked down that aisle, we tore it up and we took our spots. I have a lot of great memories in this building. That match is probably my favourite match I ever had. Winning the tag team championship with Seth Rollins at SummerSlam right here in this ring, in this building.”
How have fans responded?
Fans all over the world have reacted to his departure using the hashtag #ThankYouAmbrose, sharing their favourite Dean Ambrose moments.
“Dean Ambrose is a grand slam champion,” wrote one fan on Twitter.
“One of the best in the ring and one of the faces that cultivated this new era of WWE.”
Other fans were hopeful for Ambrose's return to WWE in the future, with one user writing: “I hope you return to WWE any time soon, you are my favourite shield member.”
Ambrose's departure came as a shock to some fans, who questioned why the WWE star was leaving.
Why is Dean Ambrose leaving WWE?
It’s not clear why Ambrose is leaving the ring, but there is speculation that the 33-year-old rejected signing a new contract with the WWE franchise because he was unhappy with his current role.
WWE confirmed Ambrose’s departure by issuing the following statement: “Dean Ambrose (Jonathan Good) will not be renewing his contract with WWE when it expires in April. 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."
