Former WWE Wrestler Velveteen Dream Returns To The Ring At Local Indy Show

Released amid accusations of grooming minors, Dream has first match in three years.

by Scott Carlson
Velveteen Dream
WWE

Former WWE superstar Patrick "Velveteen Dream" Clark made his return to wrestling Saturday night at a small independent promotion in upstate New York at an event seemingly named for him despite his appearance being unannounced.

Clark interrupted the opening match and then wrestled in the main event of The Dynasty's "It Was All A Dream," his first match since December 2020, using his old NXT entrance theme. It was his first wrestling-related appearance since his May 2021 release from WWE amid accusations of inappropriate contact with minors and grooming.

The reaction to the controversial wrestler's return was muted and mixed in videos posted to social media. Billed as "a family-friendly professional wrestling fundraiser company," The Dynasty unapologetically defended their decision to book Dream, saying they "took a risk" in giving him a second chance, adding that they "stand by that decision."

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Once considered a top prospect with virtually no ceiling, Clark's career was derailed in 2020 after allegations of sexual and grooming minors surfaced. He denied those accusations, but WWE de-pushed him -- he was taken off TV for months and lost nearly every match when he returned -- before releasing him.

In August 2021, Clark was arrested twice in a six-day span for battery and drug charges.

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More recently, Clark published an apology video last month taking "full accountability" for his actions, but did not directly address the allegations. He also sat down for an hourlong interview with Chris Van Vliet. WWE sources have previously said that it would take a "miracle" for the company to bring him back into the fold.

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Contributor

Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.