10 Stars WWE Are Booking Perfectly

9. Velveteen Dream

Braun Strowman
WWE

The Velveteen Dream hasn't done much on NXT TV thus far. There exists only the promise of the full 'Velveteen Dream Experience', of which we are not yet worthy.

That is astute on WWE's part; the Dream has bags of raw potential, and there's no pressing need to position him too highly on what is an unassumingly deep NXT roster. Moreover, he can already do so much with so little that these sub-three minute squash matches become tests of his development. Thus far, he has passed.

His grasp of his idiosyncratic character is such that he has become this overnight heat-seeking missile. His preening affectations antagonise the young adult males so subtly that we are removed from 1996 Goldust territory, but the dreaded otherness is still there, hiding in plain sight. He is incandescent with fury whenever an opponent has the audacity to strike his face, which manifests itself as a rabid, vicious and athletic assault. His cheekbones are as high as his ceiling.

There's just so much to loathe about this man, much of it triggered by jealousy - and NXT officials are handling this captivating Rick Rude/Prince hybrid with a slow, sustained push supported by trademark next-level production values.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!