The Complete A-Z Of Wrestling In 2017
5. V - Velveteen Dream
Patrick Clark was a well-liked loser on WWE's tepid 2015 Tough Enough retread, but few foresaw the success he'd have at the tail-end of 2017 even with the spectacular overhaul he worked tirelessly to create on NXT.
The vainglorious Velveteen Dream gimmick was finely crafted and excellently executed from the moment he formally debuted it in the TV taping portion of TakeOver: Chicago. After cycling through the usual raft of squash matches, he found himself in a feud that potentially lined him up as a low-card loser himself, but Dream had other ideas.
With Aleister Black a clear favourite to headline NXT within the next few months (if a leap to the main roster doesn't come first), Dream refused to be a passenger in their TakeOver: WarGames storyline and showdown. Aiming to beat respect into Black after 'The Dutch Destroyer' refused to say his name, Dream's obsession with having his vanity validated unexpectedly became the standout story of the match.
Worked luxuriously to a dramatic conclusion, he earned the vindication from both the audience and Black himself, and with one performance unexpectedly broke into the developmental brand's exclusive upper echelon. Could 2018's 'Black Mass' be infused with another 'Purple Haze'?