5 ways WWE could Debut Velveteen Dream on the Main Roster
Since re-debuting on NXT in May of 2017, Patrick Clark has captured the support of many with his Prince-inspired “Velveteen Dream” gimmick. The over-the-top nature of the character, coupled with Clark’s dedication to it, has seen Dream rise to the top of the NXT card.
His ascension began with a feud alongside Aleister Black in the fall of 2017, which was voted NXT’s Feud of the Year. It was praised mostly on the strength of the characters involved, rather than strictly on in-ring action.
That feud established an already rising Velveteen Dream as a potential mega-star. He would go on to compete in the inaugural match for the NXT North American Championship, and later had an excellent match opposite Ricochet. The Velveteen Dream even found himself in the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: War Games II.
Although he is young and inexperienced, relative to several of his NXT counterparts, many believe Dream is destined for a main roster call-up in the future. History is not on his side, though, as many people who were big stars in developmental, have floundered on the main roster. Look no further than The Revival for proof. What does Dream have to do to buck the trend? Here are some ideas.
5. Retiring Goldust
If I asked you which main roster WWE Superstar was most like Velveteen Dream, who would you pick? It’s likely Goldust would be the first to come to mind for most fans. From their theatrical nature, to the gender ambiguity of the gimmicks, the two lend themselves nicely to comparison. With Goldie’s career likely coming to an end sooner than later, who better to retire him, than the man who’s following in his eccentric footsteps?
One of the biggest issues plaguing WWE is their over-reliance on using stars from the past, instead of building new stars to take their place. While Goldust isn’t a featured main event star, he is still an example of the company’s insistence on harking back to the Attitude Era.
And although he hasn’t been seen on TV often, a retirement storyline is always intriguing, and an easy way to make a new star. If this honour went to Dream -- a man dripping in the same charisma and dedication shown by Dustin Runnels over the past 20+ years as Goldust – it would birth a new face of flamboyance.