WWE veteran on Velveteen Dream being touted as a new member of legendary faction (Exclusive)
Former WWE writer Vince Russo recently gave his thoughts on whether Velveteen Dream would be a good fit in a new version of The Nation of Domination.
Between 1996 and 1998, The Nation of Domination was one of the most prominent factions in WWE. Mark Henry, a former Nation member, said in a virtual signing with K&S Wrestlefest that Dream would be his wildcard pick if the stable existed today.
Russo appeared on Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Outlaws alongside host Dr. Chris Featherstone and former WWE star EC3. Discussing Henry's comment, Russo suggested free agent Shelton Benjamin and AEW's Swerve Strickland as alternative members instead:
"Velveteen Dream, I mean, nothing against the guy, and I'm not saying he don't deserve another chance. I just don't see him in a group like that. One guy that they've totally wasted has been Shelton Benjamin. I think he would be good in a group like that. I'm trying to think of other guys besides the one he mentioned. Swerve Strickland, maybe?" [4:54 – 5:17]
Velveteen Dream has been a controversial name in wrestling since misconduct allegations were aimed at him in 2020. Although a WWE investigation found him not guilty of any wrongdoing, the 28-year-old received his release in 2021.
Russo clarified that he does not think a Nation of Domination revival in 2024 is a good idea. He also mentioned the possibility of the group reforming as an all-female stable.
When WWE could have recreated The Nation of Domination
In 2020, Bobby Lashley and MVP formed The Hurt Business alongside Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin. The group drew comparisons to The Nation of Domination, which mostly consisted of African American wrestlers.
Vince Russo speculated that a new Nation idea might have worked in 2020 when the Black Lives Matter social movement gained traction:
"Bro, if they would have went down that road when it was all about Black Lives Matter and it was on the news every single day and that's what everybody was talking about, if they would have went one step further and they would have played that out as that group, from a reality aspect, on television, how do you think that would have worked?" [6:14 – 6:38]
The Nation of Domination played a big role in launching The Rock's wrestling career. The Hollywood megastar thrived as a bad guy in the group before replacing Faarooq as its leader.
What are your thoughts on a possible new Nation of Domination? Hit the discuss button and let us know.
Please credit Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Outlaws and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.