Velveteen Dream v Johnny Gargano (NXT, 1/24/18)
Man, this was pretty awesome. They did some really nice amateur scrambling to start out and it looked great, just that right balance between slick and gritty (perhaps leaning slightly towards the former). It didn't last long, but it was another look at Dream working holds and he's no worse than competent at it. He also has a knack for the little things, even a simple grimace here or an added bit of wrench on an armwringer. His shit talking is always great and I loved him dismissively wagging a finger in Gargano's face, which then led to Johnny quickly grabbing the No-Escape. I'm guessing Gargano worked the arm a bit during the first commercial because when we come back Dream is really selling it. Even when he took over he kept stretching out that arm, hanging it tight by his side, always reminding you that it wasn't quite right, and I'm forever a sucker for someone instinctively throwing a strike with a bad arm before realising it was a terrible idea and quickly using the opposite arm. He looked totally comfortable controlling things as well. There was an awesome bit where Gargano was on the floor and Dream went up top for a dive, the crowd ready for something spectacular...and then he threw his hands up and climbed back down because forget risking his own butt for the pop. The stretch run had a handful of nearfalls that people really bit on as well, which surprised me considering the result must've felt like a foregone conclusion going in, then the arm came into play again at the finish. Dream goes up for the big elbow, hesitates because the arm is dinged up, switches to use the other arm (making a "subtle" show of it in true WWE storytelling fashion), but that hesitation costs him as Gargano gets the knees up and grabs the No-Escape. Can't really ask for much more out of a thirteen minute TV main event.
Velveteen Dream v Kassius Ohno (NXT Takeover: Philadelphia, 1/27/18)
Not a great match by any stretch, but it had enough going for it that they kept me with them all the way through. The opening with Dream trying to make good on his guarantee and the crowd counting along was great, and not knowing the result beforehand I about lost it when he dropped Ohno with that right hand. Ohno's forearm when he got back to his feet was bonkers. They slowed it way down pretty soon after that, but I was never not engaged. Dream's selling and bumping for Ohno's strikes was awesome again. He might be one of my favourite guys in the world already purely in terms of eating elbows and roundhouse kicks to the jaw. His control segment wasn't amazing or anything, it was mostly pretty basic, but he stuck to working the back well enough and I liked him selling his own back after heaving Ohno's fatness over for a suplex. It's easy to draw parallels based on the airbrushed tights and the swivel hips, but I really was getting some early Rick Rude vibes from him, especially with how he'd slow things down and work the camel clutch. Rude always loved to do that, and I know it's not for everybody but it's refreshing to me in NXT's go-go-go environment. There were a couple choppy moments where things didn't come off great, but it's rare stuff like that will bother me. And how about the post-match, with Dream aping Ali as he stands over a downed Sonny Liston.
Velveteen Dream v Tyler Bate (NXT, 2/28/18)
This got some decent time and turned into a nifty little TV match. I'm sort of whatever on guys doing World of Sport tribute acts, but this had some really fun early World of Sport tributing from Bate. Since Dream was the one who started twisting arms you could even say Bate did it to show him up. They were establishing strengths! Some layered psychology! It's the pro-wrestling storytelling! Dream mostly worked the back again and I'm still rolling with the Rick Rude comparison. It's such an easy comparison to make, but it totally fits. This time he'd twist Bate's face and neck while applying the chinlock, and the chinlock itself was super deep, practically a camel clutch. A couple moments don't come off 100% smooth and you can see the wheels turning as they get into position for things, but Dream is 22 and Bate is even younger so it's hard to be too critical. Purple Rainmaker is far and away the best name for a finisher in WWE right now and already feels more protected than any other Rainmaker in wrestling.
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