Was the words on the back of Velveteen Dream's tights a costly mistake indeed for the young superstar?
For fans of NXT and of wrestling in general, the Velveteen Dream must be like a tide of fresh water flooding over a stale WWE product. For too long, superstars have been restricted, suffocated, and censored in the WWE. For better or worse, Vince McMahon and the WWE know what kind of hot water they can land themselves in if they don't micromanage every little detail.
That's why it is so refreshing to see someone being allowed to take liberties with their character. The latest superstar to make hay whilst the sun shines is The Velveteen Dream.
There is no doubt in anyone's mind that The Dream has a bright future ahead of him. Not only is he wildly charismatic, he is physically gifted and incredible in the ring for someone with so little experience. In his time in NXT, he has feuded with some of the best that the brand has to offer. Ricochet and Aleister Black have both tussles with the Prince-inspired character and have both put on remarkably good matches as a result. It seems to be, at least, that the Dream is one of those guys that it doesn't matter who you pair with - you know that you're going to get something special. Such is the hunger of The Dream on the NXT brand, you can always rest assured that he'll give his all to entertain and improve.
But has that hunger gone too far?
At the most recent Takeover event, The Dream sported words on the back of his ring gear that said "Call Me Up Vince" - a supposed invitation to Vince McMahon to call him up to the main WWE roster. People have since thrown water on that fire by using many different responses but always being half serous. Triple H even made mention of a friend of the Dream named Vince that lost his phone. The half joking response was about all you could reasonably expect from someone caught off guard by Dream's actions.
In wrestling, there are those who will rocket to the top of the card and those who will stay in the lower ranks for good. Whilst it seems likely that the Dream will begin moving up the card eventually, it seems that his lack of humility will cost him those opportunities. Rumours are already beginning to circulate that Triple H didn't know about his choice of ring wear before seeing it on the hard camera at the event. One thing I know that won't get you far in wrestling is making your boss look like he doesn't know what he's talking about. Further to that, word is now circulating amongst the IWC that Dream is in hot water with NXT management for his lack of humility.
Let's not forget, of course, that Dream was booted off of Tough Enough for a perceived lack of humility. The same lack of humility that may have cost him a great deal more than he initially expected.
But in the defence of the Dream, this is why the IWC seem to love him so much. There is no doubt that he is a bit of a free spirit - confident in his own abilities and outspoken to say the least. The fans resonate towards the superstars that capture the zeitgeist of the brand and are continually looking to move forward. The fans love those that break the 4th wall and give them something different, something to talk about. The Dream seems to be excelling in that regard.
But with Triple H caught on the hop and the perception that The Dream is too big for his own boots, the cost of such a move remains to be seen. This onlooker would hate to see The Dream reprimanded severely for this action but can totally underatand why. In wrestling, you pay your dues and you wait your turn. As much as I love watching The Dream perform in NXT, he has to be patient and know that Triple H will look after his interests. I don't know much about the inner working of the business. But what I do know is that going into business for yourself is a sure-fire way of pissing on your own bonfire.
