Hot Take: Velveteen Dream is destined to fail

[DaveWadding]

Let me start off by saying that I have nothing against Patrick Clark as an athlete or regarding his in-ring or promo skills or his look.

All I'm saying is that the Velveteen Dream gimmick is going to go over like a fart in church on the main roster. It's one of those things where the gimmick is "Full Sail over" but it's going to die a grisly death in front of the majority of the main roster fans, similar to Adam Rose. Unlike Rose, I think Clark is talented enough to rise above his gimmick getting shit on initially (probably with another gimmick or major tweaks to the Velveteen Dream character).

What do y'all think?

[Lock Jaw]

I think that this is less of a "hot take" and more of a "foregone conclusion"

[slik]

I don't think Aleister Black will do well on the main roster either tbh.
His gimmick will be 'more PG' which is not necessary at all and he'll be given a mid-card push but not quite what the Samoa Joes and Nakamuras and Balors of the world have got.

[Emperor Smeat]

The gimmick has a short shelf life on the main roster assuming Creative doesn't botch it from the start like they've done to countless others from NXT in the past.

Feel Clark himself will still find some good to great success on the main roster but it won't be from this gimmick and instead once he gets an Uso or Rusev-like career revival.

[Lock Jaw]

Velveteen Dream definitely needs a name change if he is to have any success at all

[Triple A]

The same can be said for pretty much everyone in NXT right now imo...

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Oh yeah, he'll be a flamboyant hairdresser or something.

I just hate when people get called up now as I might not want to arch them again.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

He's over right now. Yall haters!

[Triple A]

Velveteen Dream is excellent and his gimmick and name are perfect imo

[Anybody Thrilla]

He's really good. That's all I know so far.

[Anybody Thrilla]

This comes at a weird time, because I was literally JUST watching the episode of Tough Enough and the Tough Talk from when he was eliminated RIGHT BEFORE I LOGGED ON HERE. Crazy.

I understand why you feel the way that you do, but I'm remaining optimistic about this one. Dude's been crushing.

[Anybody Thrilla]

That theme song alone is enough to get him some sympathy points. Shit's fire.

[Nervous Ferret]

My name is Enzo Amore, and I am a certified G, and a bona fide stud. And you can't teach that!

And this right here, this is Big Cass, and he's 7 foot tall, and you can't teach that!

And this right here, this is Carmella, and she's hot as hell, and you can't teach that!

BADA BOOM, REALEST GUYS IN THE ROOM!

[Anybody Thrilla]

Yeah, alright then. Have you ever seen Velveteen Dream?

[Nicky Fives]

He's really good. That's all I know so far.

And very young. Kid is going to be the next Dwayne Johnson.

[Anybody Thrilla]

What's he, like 24 now?

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

What's he, like 24 now?

Google says 22. Holy shit.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

My name is Enzo Amore, and I am a certified G, and a bona fide stud. And you can't teach that!

And this right here, this is Big Cass, and he's 7 foot tall, and you can't teach that!

And this right here, this is Carmella, and she's hot as hell, and you can't teach that!

BADA BOOM, REALEST GUYS IN THE ROOM!

What does this even mean? Enzo was getting massively cheered every time he came down to the stage on Raw or 205Live even being a heel. He was over everywhere. He raped somebody allegedly and didn't tell WWE about the investigation and got fired. He was over with the fans if not the lockeroom. Still he was over.

[DaveWadding]

He's over right now. Yall haters!

please read my posts

[DaveWadding]

The same can be said for pretty much everyone in NXT right now imo...

I disagree. I think a lot of the guys right now will be fine (Gargano, Ciampa, Almas, Black, Sullivan, Sanity, AOP, TM61 because they don't have a gimmick in the first place). Dream just sticks out because it's definitely not going to get over with the average crowd.

[Lock Jaw]

Still think that Gargano and Ciampa had more upside as a tag team on the main roster than they will as singles competitors.

[Jordan]

I think anyone has a chance of not getting over but Velveteen Dream has as good of a shot as any so long as they don't loose interest or team him with Titus.

[Jordan]

I think that the Adam Rose comparison is possible... say they bring him to Smackdown and he's put in some program with The Fashion Police, and he ends up doing a 3 minute match once a month and a weekly gay joke with The Fashion Police, yeah that will fail.

Let's say the bring him on to start some kind of Raw program with Goldust and Mandy Rose, and he gets himself a diva to partner with... then that could be something. Besides, I'm starting to think that a mixed tag division could be something really cool. I'd rather they didn't have official championships but whatever.

[Simple Fan]

Haven't seen alot of him but the he kind of reminds me of The Pope. Seems to be decent in the ring and has a unique character but I also think he might have trouble on the main roster. I was thinking like more of a Tyler Breeze type than Adam Rose though. Could see him in his own Faahion Files type series or somthing like that. I think feuds with Goldust and New Day could be pretty interesting.

[Anybody Thrilla]

He could be like the modern day 1996 Goldust if they let him do the same sort of mind games treatment that he's been doing in NXT. My biggest fear is that they change him completely on the main roster.

[Evil Vito]

Nearly everyone gets neutered on the main roster. Including guys that are viewed as being "fail proof".

NXT is fantastic as a wrestling brand and show. But it doesn't really prepare people for the main roster because Vince isn't a factor in NXT.

[Anybody Thrilla]

Isn't the word that Triple H is getting more involved on the main shows with Vince shifting focus to the XFL? Can we at lest see if anything comes from that? Did anyone see Seth Rollins on Raw? It could be happening already. I understand being skeptical, but I'm still holding out hope, especially by the time Dream gets called up.

[Lock Jaw]

Rollins on RAW was reportedly all Vince

[Anybody Thrilla]

Even better.

[teamXtremist]

Hes a mix of rick rude and golddust

[Sixx]

Hes a mix of rick rude and golddust

They fucked?

[Anybody Thrilla]

I could see it.

[slik]

Isn't the word that Triple H is getting more involved on the main shows with Vince shifting focus to the XFL? Can we at lest see if anything comes from that? Did anyone see Seth Rollins on Raw? It could be happening already. I understand being skeptical, but I'm still holding out hope, especially by the time Dream gets called up.


HHH has been given creative control over 205 Live, which I've gathered from people around these parts and the twitterverse is a much better show.

I don't think he has any creative control on RAW or SD - but I read he/Steph were 100% responsible for signing Ronda.

[Mr. Nerfect]

The kid's phenomenal. He'll be a star if they just get out of his way. Therein lies the problem.

[Sixx]

Alright, so I took some time to watch him on youtube and I gotta admit he's pretty impressive in the ring.

My opinion on the name stands, though.

[Phenomenal 1]

His gimmick I would agree wouldn't make it on the main roster and it would be dead with the crowd. The great news is that you won't have to worry about seeing it on the main roster because I don't see Patrick Clark making it to the main roster. His future is slotted to end up about as good as Percy Watson's WWE career. He'll end up either being enhancement talent on Main Event or he'll eventually just be future endeavored sometime this year.

[Sixx]

His gimmick I would agree wouldn't make it on the main roster and it would be dead with the crowd. The great news is that you won't have to worry about seeing it on the main roster because I don't see Patrick Clark making it to the main roster. His future is slotted to end up about as good as Percy Watson's WWE career. He'll end up either being enhancement talent on Main Event or he'll eventually just be future endeavored sometime this year.

Let's just hope you're wrong. Kid just reminded me I actually sometimes enjoy watching wrestling. :D

[Phenomenal 1]

I like Clark and I think he has great in ring work and I personally like the gimmick but if trends show how the future rolls for him take a look at guys like Big E, Kofi, Orlando Jordan, Percy Watson, Darren Young, Titus O Neill, Apollo Crews, they either get future endeavored, end up as commentators, or get stuck in middle of the road tag teams that go nowhere. Luck is definitely not on his side given past trends but lets hope with Triple H taking a more productive role while Vince is doing the XFL thing, he might have a shot.

[Anybody Thrilla]

Why are you guessing as early as this year? His star seems to be on the rise.

[Sixx]

I like Clark and I think he has great in ring work and I personally like the gimmick but if trends show how the future rolls for him take a look at guys like Big E, Kofi, Orlando Jordan, Percy Watson, Darren Young, Titus O Neill, Apollo Crews, they either get future endeavored, end up as commentators, or get stuck in middle of the road tag teams that go nowhere. Luck is definitely not on his side given past trends but lets hope with Triple H taking a more productive role while Vince is doing the XFL thing, he might have a shot.

Gaaah, so racist!

[Anybody Thrilla]

Big E and Kofi are doing quite well right now, and Titus and Apollo have been in prominent roles as of late. Sort of. They're on TV, anyway.