Velveteen Dream Is Ideal Choice as Surprise Royal Rumble Entrant After NXT Win

After picking up a big victory over Kassius Ohno at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia on Saturday night, Velveteen Dream has established himself as a strong candidate to take part in Sunday's Royal Rumble match as a surprise entrant.

WWE showed Velveteen Dream celebrating his win:

Few NXT Superstars have made bigger strides in recent months than Velveteen Dream. His feud with Aleister Black leading up to NXT TakeOver: WarGames was among the most interesting things in wrestling at the time, and their match exceeded all expectations.

Although Dream lost that bout, he gained a ton of momentum by hanging with Black and earning the respect of the fans in the process.

The Velveteen Dream is impressively committed to his character, and the fact that he is so unique compared to the other Superstars in NXT has made him hugely popular despite his status as a heel.

After falling short in his bid to beat Johnny Gargano and become the No. 1 contender for the NXT Championship, Dream was placed in a match against Ohno at TakeOver.

While there wasn't much buildup or reason for the match to occur, both performers delivered and used their contrasting styles to put on a contest that the NXT fans appreciated.

Dream likely won't get called up to the main roster on a full-time basis yet since there is plenty left for him to accomplish in NXT, but giving fans of Raw and SmackDown Live a taste of him could go a long way toward ensuring his success once he does get the call.

In recent years, the Royal Rumble match has served as a platform for up-and-coming NXT Superstars to get their first tastes of the main roster.

Among them have been Tye Dillinger, Rusev and Bo Dallas. While they have enjoyed varying degrees of success on the main roster, all three Superstars had impressive Royal Rumble showings that set them on the right path.

The Philadelphia crowd is considered one of the smartest and most hardcore fanbases in wrestling, which means Velveteen Dream would get the desired reaction if he appears.

In many ways, putting Dream in the Rumble could serve as a barometer to see how close he is to being ready for the main roster.

If the crowd pops and he leaves a lasting impression, then he would be a strong candidate to make the move from NXT after WrestleMania.

Even if he doesn't make a huge impact, Dream will be able to go back to NXT knowing what it will take to get back to the main roster, and that could go a long way toward motivating him to work even harder toward his goal.

There are several NXT Superstars who would likely excite the Royal Rumble card if they are part of the Rumble match, but because of the hot streak he is on, Velveteen Dream is undoubtedly near the top of that list.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).