NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia Kassius Ohno vs. Velveteen Dream

Tough Enough’s Patrick Clark debuted this gimmick to a lot of groans, including from this writer. He’s changed pretty much everyone’s minds with a committed performance that plays with vainglorious (and gender fluid) heel cliches in new ways, and ability to flat out go in the ring while weaving his character into matches.

His rapid rise was stalled with an undisclosed injury, but he returned with a vengeance to challenge Gargano for the #1 contendership (seeing as Johnny took a spot he exited due to being hurt). In taunting Gargano into taking that match, he disrespected the man Johnny beat in a qualifier - Kassius Ohno.

After Dream came up short against Johnny Wrestling, Ohno met him backstage to see if he’d changed his tune about how “easy” it would be beat both men. VD, of course, hadn’t, so now Kassius will be trying to teach him a lesson in the squared circle.

Velveteen is probably the most buzzed about star in NXT right now, and this will be another opportunity for the 22 year old (!) to steal the show with someone who’s been in the business a lot longer than he has.

Ohno returned to WWE in 2016, and has struggled to establish his place since. It’s clear the bookers view him as a gatekeeper for the top of the card, and that’s almost certainly his role here. But his performances haven’t always lived up to the expectations of fans who’ve been watching him over the last decade-plus, or the hype those expectations created for fans who didn’t know him as Chris Hero.

This is a chance for both men to solidify their roles, and hopefully entertain the heck out of us in the process.