The Velveteen Dream successfully retained WWE NXT’s North American Championships at TakeOver: New York against Matt Riddle, and with a killer matchup against Buddy Murphy scheduled, let’s think up five more awesome matches for “The Dream”.
In less than two years, The Velveteen Dream has become one of WWE‘s most popular superstars, and there is absolutely no doubt that he is destined for superstardom. Though Adam Cole, Ricochet, and Johnny Gargano were fantastic champions, the North American Championship has never felt more prestigious than it has with The Dream holding it. The longer he stays in NXT, the better, especially since there are so many “dream” matches left for him.
Just next week, The Dream will take on former Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy in an NXT TV matchup for the North American Championship. This matchup promises to be out-of-this-world good, and it was all built with a “phone promo” confrontation at WrestleMania 35 after Murphy dropped his title to former best friend Tony Nese.
Murphy will likely have a “tour” of WWE’s brands after losing the Cruiserweight Championship, but perhaps The Dream should face some top opponents from, say, the WWE main roster and NXT UK, too. There’s always room for surprises, and The Velveteen Dream has the star power to make anything happen. I mean, he pulled of a GOAT-tier Statue of Liberty entrance over WrestleMania Week before rolling up Matt Riddle, so he’s pretty much capable of anything.
Roderick Strong
There are few wrestlers on this planet who are better than Roderick Strong when he’s on his “A” game, and let’s just say that Strong is pretty much always on his “A” game. Before joining the Undisputed Era at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans over WrestleMania Weekend in 2018, Strong was putting on classics in the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament and on NXT Television, taking the likes of Pete Dunne and Cedric Alexander to their limits.
Strong could do the same against The Velveteen Dream in a North American Championship match. He’s likely itching to prove that he’s just as good as Adam Cole, who was the first North American Champion and recently had a killer NXT Title match against Johnny Gargano at TakeOver: New York.
The Messiah of the Backbreaker can adjust to any wrestling style, and The Dream can tell just about any story inside the ring. This could be a wonderful clash of styles, because Strong is unlike anyone The Dream has faced before.
We’ve seen Strong come up short in so many big matches, and this would likely be a similar result for the Tampa native. But I’ve missed watching Strong in singles action, and it’d be a delight to watch him attempt to counter some rolling Death Valley Drivers and Purple Rainmakers.
Ali
Mustafa Ali has never won a title in WWE, but he has received opportunities at both the Cruiserweight Championship and WWE Championship, impressing greatly in both scenes. Ali is a mainstay on SmackDown Live and looks like a future world champion; it would be a shock if he didn’t win a mid-card title in 2019.
There’s no way Ali should be kicked down to 205 Live, but it would be wonderful to see him branch out and take on someone in NXT in a one-off match. He’s never been in the NXT system, which means he can’t compete in an “NXT vs. NXT Alumni” themed event.
However, Ali could always have a big match at another themed Axxess event, or he could just be a one-off opponent for The Dream. This is a match we need to see at some point in our lives, and while it could happen years down the road on the WWE main roster, it’d be cool to see the prestige of the North American Championship increase with a respected member of the main roster competing for it.
WWE could find a way to protect Ali and The Dream here, but Ali is one of those wrestlers who is supposed to lose in big matches to fuel an underdog story. This match could also plant the seed for an even more heated main roster program between these two one day, and it’d be fun to watch The Dream fully embrace the role of the villain against a babyface as beloved as Ali.
Logistically, this match is difficult to set up, but we can dream of these two trading top-rope moves and Ali doing his best to withstand The Dream’s brilliant games.
Keith Lee
I can’t think of an opponent who would make more sense for The Velveteen Dream than Keith Lee, because the story almost writes itself. Lee has been introduced to the WWE Universe – and seems to be feuding with old five-star mate Dominik Dijakovic – but we still haven’t seen ALL of what he’s capable of in NXT.
A North American Championship match against The Dream could elevate Lee to stardom. More importantly, Lee may want to exact revenge on behalf of Matt Riddle, because while Riddle may have unfinished business after being rolled up, he likely won’t get any further opportunities at The Dream. Instead, it could be Lee who targets the 23-year-old sensation, going after the North American Championship.
Lee probably won’t win a title this early in his career in NXT, but he and The Dream will tear the roof off the place. There’s no doubt that Lee is one of the most talented men in WWE, and his full skill-set and story-telling capabilities could be unleashed against The Dream. Lee is one of the few wrestlers in WWE who can stand toe-to-toe with the NXT TakeOver: WarGames star on the mic, and this has the chance to be a memorable feud in NXT.
Here’s to hoping Lee gets his chance to rival The Velveteen Dream at some point in the future. Lee is currently dealing with an unknown injury, but when he’s ready to compete, we’ll be waiting for this match.
Kushida
The newest addition to the NXT roster, Kushida made an appearance in the crowd at TakeOver: New York after his contract signing was made official. Wrestling fans have known about his move from NJPW to WWE for months, and they were just sitting in anticipation for his debut.
Kushida was a big star in NJPW’s Junior Heavyweight Division and one of the world’s best pure in-ring talents, so he has a high ceiling in WWE. Whether he eventually moves up to the main roster or becomes one of 205 Live’s elite stars (perhaps before moving to the main roster) remains unclear, but it’s telling that he’s getting a stint in NXT instead of being moved to 205 immediately. I mean, it’s not like Kushida needs much seasoning, except maybe in the character/promos department to get used to what WWE wants out of their performers.
There are so many dream matches for Kushida, but the name that gets mentioned the most frequently is The Velveteen Dream. It’s understandable, because The Dream is one of the most magnetic performers in this country and capable of delivering instant classics. A fast-paced, barn-burner between The Dream and Kushida for the North American Championship could be exactly what the NXT Universe needs.
The Dream is now the guy who can give anyone a star-making performance, and Kushida could be a made man after facing him. However, this match would probably have to wait several months, since Kushida may not be deemed ready to challenge Dream in a marquee matchup.
Pete Dunne
On the same night that The Velveteen Dream retained his North American Championship against Matt Riddle, Pete Dunne dropped the WWE United Kingdom Championship to the recently-signed WALTER in a different kind of instant classic.
Dunne is the longest-reigning champion in the modern era for a reason. The very mood in the arena shifts when The Bruiserweight’s theme hits, and his toughness is inspiring. As a performer, Dunne is the total package, and he just has this “IT” factor that should take him far, maybe even on the WWE main roster.
We’ve seen Dunne compete in NXT before, putting together great matches – including tag matches – with Roderick Strong and Ricochet. Dunne has the respect of every WWE fan for what he’s done in the United Kingdom scene, and his no-nonsense approach inside the ring has made him quite successful.
The Velveteen Dream is almost the antithesis of the serious, brooding Dunne. It would be an absolute joy to watch these two totally different, gifted performers clash in the ring with the North American Championship – a title Dunne once pursued when Ricochet was champion – on the line. Watching Dream sell Dunne’s finger manipulation would be incredible, and the story told around the finishers would lead to some nail-biting nearfalls.
But first, it seems like Dunne still has some unfinished business with WALTER and the United Kingdom Championship that he helped make prestigious.