Ethan Carter III Recalls Ill-Fated 2019 WWE Feud With Dean Ambrose

Returning to his old Impact Wrestling home looks to be the right play for Ethan Carter III, or EC3, as he had absolutely zero momentum in WWE. 

After a random call-up from NXT at the end of 2018, EC3 worked a brief feud with an outgoing Dean Ambrose, where most favorable crowd reactions were for the future AEW World champion. After that, EC3 became virtually invisible in WWE canon.

In an appearance on Talk is Jericho, Carter remembered the circumstances surrounding that weird mini-feud, its aftermath, and a character he was hoping to develop for himself on the main roster.

"We got to the live events, I'm working babyface and he's working heel, and he's getting great reactions because he should," Carter remembered. "He sacrificed for years for the company, he told the company 'F You' and people love that. For seven years, this guy puts his body and soul on the line, the people are going to love and respect him. I'm just a jacked-up dude in trunks who has no character or development. 

"We're working these matches, he's getting cheered, but it's working though. It's my wheelhouse because if I can be pushed as the mega Five Moves of Doom babyface that can't be beat, but I'm obviously liked for certain reasons and people are turning against it, like Cena-ish, then I'm made. That was my pitch, 'Push me as a babyface, but I'm a heel.'"

The two made the decision to switch roles at a live event, with the free agency-bound Ambrose playing a babyface and EC3 assuming the heel role. When they got to Raw to have a televised rematch, Carter had an all-too-brief meeting with Vince McMahon.

"We get to Raw, Vince goes up to me and goes, 'You're gonna be heel tonight.' 'Great! Perfect! Can I cut a promo?' 'No.' 'Okay.' (Ambrose) slips over the same way I slipped over him (in the first TV match) and here I am."

(Credit to Fightful for transcription)