Velveteen Dream is one of WWE's most enigmatic and unique stars. The former NXT North American Champion has been a mainstay in NXT since 2017, and is rapidly developing into one of the most promising stars in the promotion right now.
He has spent the last couple of years feuding with some of the finest talent NXT has to offer, and while he failed to beat Adam Cole for the NXT Championship, odds are that he will get more shots at championship gold in the future.
Velveteen Dream has all the tools necessary to be a major player in WWE, but there are still some things that may hold him back. So will he be WWE's next big megastar, or will he fail?
10 Will Be: In-Ring Ability
NXT is home to some of the finest in-ring workers in the world. Over the years, Velveteen Dream has developed into one of the show's most consistent in-ring workers. Dream wrestled a series of great matches as North American Champion, and had a fantastic run as champion, while his matches against Adam Cole were also great.
For the longest time, fans were critical of John Cena and Roman Reigns for their allegedly limited move-set, but Dream has a varied, exciting set of moves that work against a variety of opponents.
9 Won't Be: Marketability
Velveteen Dream has a great look that fans love, but it leaves little room for merchandise sales overall. Wrestlers like Becky Lynch, Roman Reigns or even 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt are some of WWE's biggest merchandise sellers, which gives the promotion additional incentive to feature them prominently on programming.
Before them, John Cena was one of WWE's greatest merchandise sellers of all time, and as things stand, there is little to suggest that Velveteen Dream will be able to hit those numbers, if and when he makes the move up to Raw or SmackDown.
8 Will Be: Mic Skills
When it became obvious that WWE was positioning Roman Reigns as the next face of WWE, it became immediately apparent to fans that his mic skills were lacking. While he has improved in that regard over time, primarily because he has more freedom on the mic now, he has cut poor promos in the past, even forgetting his lines on occasion.
Velveteen Dream, on the other hand, is one of NXT's strongest promo-makers. He is extremely comfortable with a mic in his hand and has the ability to work an audience like a veteran. His ability to connect with and engage fans will be of great use as he works his way up the card.
7 Won't Be: Sexual Misconduct Allegations
In April, 2020, the pro wrestling community was shocked to learn that Velveteen Dream had been accused of sending explicit pictures of himself to underage boys on Instagram. Then in June, he was exposed again, as a part of the #SpeakingOut movement, where he was accused of sending pictures to underage girls and grooming underage boys on social media.
While Dream has denied both allegations, those kinds of claims do not bode well for anyone seeking to become a megastar in WWE. Stars such as Becky Lynch or Roman Reigns have been relatively free from controversy, which has given the promotion the confidence they need to push them to the main-event.
6 Will Be: Age Is On His Side
It is often easy to forget that Velveteen Dream is only 24-years-old. After making his NXT debut in 2017, Dream has quickly become one of the show's most beloved stars and has already wrestled a number of great matches over the course of his career.
His ability on the mic and in the ring will only improve as the years go by, provided he continues to receives opportunities. Dream could fulfill his potential and have a decade-long run at the top of the promotion before he hits 40.
5 Won't Be: Not A Vince Guy
John Cena was handpicked by Vince McMahon to lead WWE through the Ruthless Aggression and PG Era. Then in 2015, he decided that Roman Reigns would replace Cena.
WWE spent the next couple of years building Reigns up as Cena became an increasingly part-time presence in the promotion. Reigns and Cena are both Vince's guys, Velveteen Dream is not. NXT has been almost completely Triple H's domain, with minimal interference from McMahon. That immediately lowers Dream's ceiling, unless he is able to convince McMahon of his talents if he gets moved to Raw or SmackDown.
4 Will Be: Charisma
Velveteen Dream is without a doubt, one of WWE's most charismatic stars. WWE often tries too hard to present certain wrestlers as Superstars, but there are certain wrestlers who carry themselves as Superstars to begin with. Velveteen Dream is the latter.
Dream has a fantastic, in-depth understanding of his character and is a captivating presence both on the mic and in the ring. Dream carries himself like an absolute star; even if he loses big matches, he is able to bounce back with ease, primarily because of his superlative charisma.
3 Won't Be: Too Far Down The Pecking Order
WWE has one of the most bloated rosters in the world, even after letting a number of wrestlers go on April 15, as a cost-cutting measure. Some of the promotion's most talented stars end up being mismanaged and underutilized, simply because there is no creative plan for them.
Despite Velveteen Dream's considerable talent, stars like Adam Cole, Keith Lee, Karrion Kross and Finn Balor remain above him in the pecking order. When Raw and SmackDown is taken into consideration, the number of wrestlers increases. Dream is too far down the pecking order, which will stand in his way of becoming the WWE megastar he could be.
2 Will Be: Fan Connection
Velveteen Dream combines his in-ring and mic ability with a strong connection with the fans. While WWE has not had live audiences for a while, when it did, Dream often received some of the biggest pops of the night.
Fans love it when Dream hits the Purple Rainmaker or the Dream Valley Driver and he has one of the best babyface comebacks in NXT. His ability to work an audience and elicit positive fan reactions at will is a vital skill for any wrestler viewed as a potential megastar for the promotion.
1 Won't Be: Gimmick
Velveteen Dream's gimmick is heavily influenced by legendary musician, Prince. The Purple Rainmaker, a diving elbow drop is also named after a single released by Prince in 1984.
While the gimmick is one of the few to work wonders in the intimate setting of NXT, the same cannot be said for Raw or SmackDown. It certainly won't work if he is to be pushed as a megastar. Roman Reigns and John Cena, at the end of the day, were both cookie cutter babyfaces, a far cry from the 'mysterious yet intoxicating presence' Dream is described as by the promotion. The gimmick might hold him back on the main roster, which means he will likely have to find great success playing a different version of his character.