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- Earlier in January 2024, Velveteen Dream made several headlines due to his social media post where he apologized to WWE and other high-profile people such as Triple H and Shawn Michaels for giving them bad publicity.
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There was a time when the Velveteen Dream looked like he was set to become a groundbreaking star in WWE. The young wrestler took NXT by storm when he undertook the Velveteen Dream persona, having a natural ability to draw attention and catch the imagination of fans. From unteachable charisma to great in-ring work, Dream was certainly on the rise to the point where he was pegged to be a future World Champion by many - including John Cena. Then, it all came crashing down.
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UPDATE: 2024/02/20 14:30 EST BY ISHAAN SHARMA
Earlier in January 2024, Velveteen Dream made several headlines due to his social media post where he apologized to WWE and other high-profile people such as Triple H and Shawn Michaels for giving them bad publicity.
He later did an interview with Chris Van Vleit as well, where he talked about the allegations made against him, as well as the multiple arrests following his release. Well, now Dream is once again being talked about in the internet wrestling community, and it’s not because of another controversy or apology video. This time, it’s because of his in-ring return – something most fans didn’t think would happen, especially because of how bad of a reputation he had gotten among the viewers.
Velveteen Dream Was On His Way To Becoming A Star Prior To Allegations
WWE Still Kept Him Around For A Year Before Releasing Him
Close- Velveteen Dream is 28 years old
- Worked for WWE from 2025-21
- A former NXT North American Champion
Velveteen Dream made his first foray into WWE when he competed in the Tough Enough competition. He was instantly a hit despite not winning, and he was soon signed to a WWE contract. After a few stop and start gimmicks, he became “Velveteen Dream”, who looked to draw inspiration from the likes of the musician Prince and legends such as Rick Rude, though it came with its own flavor and charm. With feuds against the likes of Aleister Black, Ricochet, Tommaso Ciampa, and more, he became a permanent fixture in the upper card of NXT.
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In the case of Dream, there were allegations thrown his way regarding explicit images sent to underage boys and girls, though Dream firmly denied these allegations in a now deleted tweet (h/t Fightful.com), stating, “Be assured I did not communicate inappropriately with anyone. A private photo of mine was shared without my consent or knowledge and I am working with a third party to look into this matter.” A WWE investigation didn’t draw any conclusion of him doing anything wrong. Either way though, this put his name in a bad light, and fans were hesitant to react to him, regardless of whether he was a babyface or a heel. He was eventually taken off TV, and then released following nearly half of a year of not competing.
Velveteen Dream Was Arrested Twice In A Week In 2022
He Had Previously Been Arrested In November 2021
He later became involved in another controversy. In August 2022, Dream was arrested twice in the space of just a few days, indicating that he was going down a darker path following his exit from the wrestling industry. The first instance involved battery, as he was accused of punching a gym owner, with Wrestling Observer reporting, “He was charged with two counts of misdemeanor battery and trespassing on a property after receiving a warning. The charges were eventually dropped, however, the alleged victim said he did not wish to prosecute.”
Dream managed to escape any sort of punishment here, but it didn’t take long for him to be once again thrust into the news with a second arrest, this time just six days later when he was arrested on possession of drugs, though there has been little information on this story, indicating that any charges may have been dropped also. Recently, the footage of his arrest was released by TMZ, which shows him in quite a hysterical state, shouting at police officers and accusing them of wrongdoing in terms of his arrest.
It hasn’t just been arrests which has thrown Velveteen Dream’s name into further controversy, as even more allegations were directed towards him via EC3, who accused Dream of setting up a camera in the bathroom of his house during a party. Dream once again came out to deny any of this, giving his side of the story and stating that there are those currently in WWE who would corroborate his story. Of course, all of this is a “he said, she said” type of thing, so it is hard to make any judgment. One thing was for sure though, and that was that Dream’s name was far from what it once was, and his legal issues after being released from WWE have put him in an even worse light.
Velveteen Dream Made His Wrestling Return After 3 Years
Won His Match Against Alec Odin
On February 17, 2024, Velveteen Dream made his return to a wrestling ring. He is now known as Velveteen Man instead. This happened during a Dynasty show, where he faced Alec Odin. His appearance caused backlash from fans again, as the promotion that brought him did not announce his return prior to the show. Some fans are especially taking issue with Dynasty’s “family-friendly pro-wrestling” tagline, due to Velveteen’s past. The promotion later issued a statement and said that they stood by their decision to give this wrestler another chance.
“Last night, we did what most others wouldn’t. We took a risk on a person, & gave them an opportunity for a 2nd chance. A 2nd chance to fulfill their DREAM. We stand by that decision.
Thank you to the PACKED house for last night’s event! #WearetheDynasty”
This was not the first time Velveteen tried to return to the ring. In July 2021, SWF Wrestling announced him for their Home Sweet Home show in September, but after receiving criticism from fans online, he was pulled from the show.
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