By Jennifer Amato
The Lunatic Fringe is about to descend upon New Jersey. WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose is holding a meet-and-greet with fans at iPlay America in Freehold from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 5.
“This is the area I cut my teeth in,” Ambrose said. “It’s one of my stomping grounds.”
Ambrose said he enjoys his time outside the wrestling ring because “it’s fun to go out there and interact with the WWE Universe because they get so excited.”
He said it is “very rewarding” to “be able to affect people or inspire people.”
However, most of his rewards have come from inside the squared circle.
Known best for his Dirty Deeds signature move, Ambrose said fans take to him because “you have no idea what’s gonna happen once the red light comes on.”
“There’s only one Dean Ambrose,” the Cincinnati native said. “I occupy my own space in the world.
“Usually when I come out, people know something [crazy] is going to happen. I have no idea what I’m going to do day to day, moment to moment.”
He said wrestling fans “can’t blink,” waiting for him to unleash his wild behavior on his opponents.
Although Ambrose spent years as part of The Shield with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, Rollins’ defection from the group last year has given Ambrose new life.
“The best part is now I don’t have any strings on my back,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to breathe and have fresh air and do what I want to do.” However, he did mention that himself, Reigns, Rollins and the Wyatt family all developed a work ethic together, a sense of consistency and a certain amount of pride.
“We’re the ones who are counted on to tear the house down every night,” he said.
Ambrose is also looking to tear down the silver screen as the lead character in “12 Rounds 3: Lockdown,” which is due out Sept. 11.
The third installment of the six action films follows Detective John Shaw as he returns to active duty after taking time off following the death of his partner. He soon uncovers evidence that links other officers to the death. After being framed for the murder, Shaw must do whatever it takes to find those who trapped him and clear his name.
“It’s really cool. I don’t think it’s like any other WWE movie,” Ambrose said.
The grittiness, violence and fast-paced action “obviously makes it a perfect role for me,” he said.
Ambrose said acting was a challenge different than wrestling, though he said being in the entertainment business prepared him for the role.
“WWE is show biz boot camp,” he said, already having had training in dialogue, fighting and stunts. “I definitely think I learned [acting] is something that I have a bit of a knack for and should be good at.”
For more information on Dean Ambrose and “12 Rounds 3,” visit WWE.com.