5 Things you need to know about NXT Superstar Velveteen Dream
Before Velveteen Dream became one of the most must-see Superstars on NXT television, he was known to fans by his real name – Patrick Clark – as a contestant on the 2015 season of Tough Enough.
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Following his early exit from the competition, he was signed to a WWE developmental contract in October 2015 and he made his in-ring debut during a live event match against Riddick Moss in February 2016.
Over the next year, he made sporadic appearances on NXT but it wasn’t until he debuted his current gimmick, Velveteen Dream, in May 2017 that he really began to capture the audience’s attention.
Since then, the former Tough Enough star has been involved in TakeOver rivalries with Aleister Black, Kassius Ohno and Ricochet, while he was also part of the six-man ladder match for the NXT North American Championship at TakeOver: New Orleans.
WWE and NXT fans have learned plenty about Dream as a performer over the last year, but how much do you know about the man behind the character?
In this article, with extra focus on the time he spent on Tough Enough, let’s take a look at five things you need to know about one of WWE’s next huge prospects.
#5 He finished ninth on Tough Enough
The 2015 edition of Tough Enough has produced two main-roster Superstars so far – Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose – but the biggest future star from the show looks set to be Velveteen Dream.
Then known to everyone as Patrick Clark, he impressed in the competition’s physical challenges and he clearly had superior wrestling knowledge to the rest of the contestants, but his lack of humility and perceived arrogance meant he struggled to connect with the viewers.
Despite winning the men’s skills challenge in three consecutive weeks, Clark was eliminated from the show in Week 5 after gaining just 25 percent of the audience’s vote (compared to ZZ with 36% and Josh Bredl with 39%).
His early exit meant he finished in ninth place, ahead of Sonya Deville but below Mandy Rose and current independent star Chelsea Green.