Ranking the NXT TakeOver: WarGames Card
By Laura Mauro
3. Tommaso Ciampa vs Velveteen Dream – NXT Championship Match
Let’s get this out of the way: Tommaso Ciampa might be one of the best heels in wrestling right now, but Velveteen Dream is one of the best things ever to come out of NXT. At just 23 years old the Dream oozes the kind of natural, unselfconscious charisma that even seasoned performers can only dream of. He embraces the gimmick so thoroughly that it’s impossible not to be charmed by him, and so his graduation from cocky heel to equally cocky babyface is hardly a surprise.
It could be argued that it’s too soon for Ciampa to drop the belt, and too soon for the Dream to take it off him – after all, the joy is in the chase, and the frustration of being thwarted by Ciampa on this occasion would only make Dream’s eventual victory sweeter.
Dream is a born main eventer, though, and if this match represents a step up into show-closing territory, then the outcome is a moot point. We all know Velveteen Dream is a champion in the making. It’s just a matter of ‘when’.
Ciampa’s skill lies in being so utterly despicable that it’s pretty much impossible to cheer him with any real conviction. Even the most dedicated of ironic Ciampa fans end up submerged beneath the tsunami of contempt levelled at him and his misdeeds.
This one is almost certainly going Ciampa’s way, but the purpose isn’t necessarily to crown a new champion – it’s to cement Velveteen Dream as a future superstar. That, at least, should be a simple enough outcome to attain.