Patrick Clark made a surprise appearance on a New York independent card on Saturday, which has drawn criticism.
Clark, who was released by WWE in 2021, appeared on a Dynasty Wrestling card in Albany and issued an open challenge.
There were complaints regarding Clark’s usage after past accusations against the performer and the promotion opting not to advertise his involvement in the show prior.
Dynasty Wrestling addressed their decision to book Clark:
Last night, we did what most others wouldn't. We took a risk on a person, & gave them an opportunity for a 2nd chance. A 2nd chance to fulfill their DREAM. We stand by that decision.
Thank you to the PACKED house for last night's event! #WearetheDynasty pic.twitter.com/mDT6gbXZ6j
— The Dynasty (@WeAreTheDynasty) February 18, 2024
The former Velveteen Dream had been the subject of accusations over the past several years including allegations of interacting with minors online. In April 2020, he was accused of sending inappropriate pictures to underage boys, which Clark denied the accusations and stated:
Be assured I did not communicate inappropriately with anyone. A private photo of mine was shared without my consent or knowledge and I am working with a third party to look into this matter.
That same year, a wrestler named Josh Fuller alleged that Clark had previously requested a photo of his full body and would assist him in getting a job at WWE.
In 2020, Paul Levesque told CBS Sports that they investigated the allegations and stated they found “nothing there”:
You know, in this day today, accusations are made and you take them all very seriously,” Levesque said. “You look into them the best you can, and you find out what is there and what isn’t. In this situation, [Clark] was also involved in a car accident. That’s what took him off TV. In the moment, all this other stuff happens and you look into it and you find that there is a situation that people bring to everyone’s attention, you look into it and find that it is what it is and there’s nothing there.
Once he was medically cleared to be able to return to the ring from his car accident, we continued forward the way we did. We looked into what was there and we didn’t find anything.
Clark was released by WWE in May 2021.
