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B.O.B. D · (07-28-2019)

I'd been haunted by the image of me falling, the last several nights. My body plummeting down from a deadly height and crashing against the ground; leaving the sickening sound of my bones breaking ringing in my ears. As I lie there, not sure if I'll ever get up again, I can feel all hope slipping away. The last thing I see is a faceless figure looking down at my broken body, laughing triumphantly at the damage they'd caused.

And then I wake up.

It's not a fear of falling that terrorizes me in my sleep, at least not in the literal sense. The dream is a metaphor for what'll happen to my career if I lose Sunday night, whether I actually fall off the rafter or not. That is something I CANNOT allow to happen. From WWF to NWF, and now even XWF, I've always had to listen to people tell me I'm nothing more than a mid-carder. Despite winning a World Championship, regardless of all the Main Events I've been apart of, they still want to tell me I don't belong there. Leap if Faith is my opportunity to prove all of them wrong, and I refuse to allow myself to fail.

Nobody believed I'd lead a winning War Games team. They called everyone shit and laughed at my lack of intellectual picks. And yet the team dubbed as MINE managed to walk away with the victory. It didn't matter that I wasn't there 'til the end, wasn't my fault Bearded War Pig had to be replaced by one of the best in XWF history, or that Rain cared more about fucking his sister than focusing on the match. In the end, WE walked away with a tally in the Win column and nobody could take that away from us. Every choice I made for War Games ended up being the RIGHT one, and anyone who wants to argue it needs to go back and watch the tape.

The result of War Games earned me a Universal Title shot, another match nobody expected me to walk away from. They all thought Robert Main was gonna eat me alive, and what happened? I put on the performance of a lifetime and, had Donovan Blackwater not been there to take the fall, I may have very well walked away with that Title. That performance earned me Star of the Month, as well as the respect of my peers and fans alike.

And this match is gonna be no different. I'm gonna have the performance of Hell in a Cell, with the result of War Games. Leap of Faith is gonna be the moment I earn something for myself, no assistance from teammates, and no gimmies from management. If I can climb up the rafter and retrieve that briefcase, I will ascend to the top of XWF and no-one can tell me that I didn't earn it.

"Falling Apart" by Trust Company began to play over the PA system at the arena of XWF's final Live event before the pay-per-view. Though I wouldn't be competing that night, I wanted to make sure I was 100% for the biggest match of my life, there were a few things I needed to get off my chest. The fans were excited to hear it, as they burst into cheers as soon as my music bit.

As I pushed my way through the curtain and onto the ramp, everything moved in slow motion. From the bulbs of cameras flashing their lights to the arms of fans reaching out to touch me, everything was a blur of gray. I walked down the aisle at what seemed like .0001 miles an hour, almost unaware to the world around me. The weight of my upcoming match was finally hitting me as I prepared to make one final statement.

As I made my way towards the ring, my career began to flash before my eyes. I saw myself as a young rookie, losing 9 matches in a row before getting my first win. There was the various championships I held over the years from my first WWF X-Division Title to becoming the first ever WWF Triple Champion. The faces of all the people who held me back despite this were fresh in my mind. Then there was NWF and my opportunity to become World Heavyweight Champion. I could see myself jumping off the top rope and hitting a leg drop onto a chair to The Demond to win my only World Title. Flash forward to me being inducted into the NWF Hall of Fame, followed by my retirement, until the years later when I finally returned to the business. I could see all the things that had happened to me since joining XWF, the losses to people who have since been long gone and the few 24/7 Titles I'd held upon arrival. There was War Games and the entire process leading up to it and my Universal Championship match with Robert Main and Donovan Blackwater.

I saw everything on my way to the ring, an emotional roller coaster to say the least. It all felt like just yesterday, but was actually the accumulation of YEARS of hard work and dedication to the business I loved. My match Sunday was such a big moment, it only seemed just I reflect on everything that led me to this point.

Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the ring apron and everything was back to normal. I was no longer reliving the history of Big D in my head, I was in this arena and ready to cut my last promo; not just for this match, but possibly forever. The thought of that ate away at me, I didn't want my final ride into the sunset to be a loss. After all the shit I'd put up with throughout my career, hell, my LIFE, I deserved to go out on top and that's exactly what I intended to do. Without another thought, I slid into the ring, walked over, and grabbed a mic.

"I almost didn't join XWF," I began as I paced inside the ring. "When I decided to come out of retirement, I did alot of scouting around the different promotions in order to find a place to call home. There were plenty of options, various companies I could easily waltz my way into, win a World Title, and call it a career. But I didn't want to do it the easy way......"

"No, when I saw the level of talent XWF had to offer, it was easy to sign on the dotted line. If I had signed with anywhere else, there's a damn good chance I'd be the World Champion of THAT promotion right now! But I wouldn't have FELT like a World Champion........"

"There was no doubt in my mind that XWF was THE place to be in order to prove to myself, and all of the people who held me back in the past, that I AM one of the best! If I couldn't compete with the top stars here, then I might as well have stayed retired. And here we are, four months later, and I've been given the opportunity I always dreamed the WWF would've given me. But the past is the past, and all I can do is look ahead to tomorrow night!"

The fans gave me some cheers of encouragement, which I gave them a moment for before continuing.

"This match is gonna be dangerous. Someone IS gonna get hurt, but I'll be damned if it's gonna be me! I didn't come out of retirement just to accomplish nothing and end up a cripple in the process. I'm gonna show ALL of you that Big D belongs here! General Managers who won't book me properly, fans who aren't impressed with my in-ring work, and all the wrestlers who passed on being my partner for the upcoming Tag Team Tournament. Well guess what? Big D's onto bigger and better things anyway!"

The fans roared with excitement over my passionate words. They could feel I wasn't about to let myself, or anybody who believed in me, down. This was going to be my moment and none of my opponents would stop me from achieving my dream.

"There's people who genuinely believe Brian Storm has a chance," I scoffed, irritated by the fact that nobody was even IN this match. "They go on and on and ON about him being undefeated like it means something. No-one will check the facts and see that he hasn't beaten anybody of worth. Brian is like the special kid in class. He might have done well on his test, but that's because his was an easier version. Come Leap of Faith, he's gonna have to challenge himself just like the rest of us. The only way Brian Storm is gonna fly is if it's off the rafter!"

The fans who weren't Storm fans cheered at my words, while some of them made it known they had faith in the undefeated sensation. To each their own, maybe I WAS underestimating him in the same way others did me. Like I told them, we'd all find out once he's facing real competition.

"Apparently Robbie Bourbon is the favorite to win this match," I digressed as I walked over to the corner and perched my ass on the top turnbuckle. "Well, where IS your favorite? I haven't seen him backstage in quite a long time, where in the world could Robbie be? He isn't taking Lux's call for stocks, nor is he showing he gives a damn about this match!"

My heart began to pound a bit harder in my chest, as I got more intense.

"Robbie Bourbon LOOKS like a Dollar Tree action figure, and he ACTS like one, too!" I continued, my face burning hot with the fire of my desire to win. "Sure, he's good to play with for a while, but once you get too rough, he breaks. Well Big D doesn't play any other way BUT rough and I'm gonna toss Robbie around until he crumbles like the generic wrestler he truly is!......"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the very cheap action figure I had been comparing him to. With little effort, I squeezed it in my hands and let the pieces plummet to the ring below me. Afterwards, I hopped off the turnbuckle and leaned against the top rope casually.

"And then there's Donovan Blackwater......."

I shook my head in disgust at the very thought of the superhero wannabe.

"It seems I was right about my prediction Donny was filming some more Umbrella Academy stuff," I went on, snickering at the ridiculous thought that all of Blackwater's force powers were ACTUALLY real. "Or maybe it was X-Men? It's hard to tell anymore with Hollywood being so obsessed with superheroes anymore. Either way, seemed like some intense stuff, GREAT special effects........"

Being a bit of a jackass, I climbed to the second rope and jumped back to the center of the ring. As I did so, I waved my arms in the air in a ridiculous fashion and made a face that looked as if I just won the lottery.

"Oh my God!" I shouted in excitement. "I have powers, too! Did you guys see me fly?!?!"

The audience laughed at my mocking of Blackwater, which was my intention.

"All Blackwater has on me is gay jokes. Talking about purple diaries and owning 13 Reasons Why like suicide is some kind of joke. And all he could say that was ACTUALLY fact was that I won Star of the Month.......... Congratulations, Donovan, you've shown just how washed up you truly are. Do you know WHY I won Star of the Month? Because while you were busy jobbing to Robert Main, I was actually TRYING to win! You said this match is like a Christmas came early, well you're absolutely correct because Vinnie Lane gave you a gift you didn't deserve. The fact you're in this match with people who actually worked their asses off like me or Ned is a fucking disgrace. You haven't done shit since losing your TV Title to Lux, other than win War Games, but everyone tells me that don't mean shit, so what the hell does that say about YOU?!"

Even though I was in an intense moment, another thing Blackwater said in his promo popped into my head and made me laugh.

"And I loved how harsh your words for Brian Storm were," I pointed out with a grin. "Maybe I was right about you tickling his butthole after all! Are you sure it's not YOU who has the sparkly diary at home, filled with all your Gerard Way fan fiction?"

I chuckled a little, proud of myself for being so clever. Shit talking wasn't always my forte, I usually let my skills show IN the ring, but when I was on I was ON.

"But enough about the participants who are only in this match to fill up spots," I boldly stated, not caring who disagreed. "I'd like to talk about the two guys who, besides myself, actually have a slim hope of winning. 'Notorious' Ned Kaye........"

As soon as I spoke the Indy darling's name, the building began to fill with praise for him. The crowd cheered for Ned, louder than they were even cheering for me. This reaction was nothing new to me, to deny that Ned was the crowd favorite in this match would be ignorant.

"Yes, yes, everyone loves Ned," I stated. "And why shouldn't you? The kid works hard and has risen higher in the past few months than most wrestlers do in their lifetime. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of Ned a little. When I first started in this business, I could only dream of the opportunities he's had. Our XWF careers have been pretty much parallel since we both made our debuts. Making quick impressions, opposing team captains at War Games, World Title shots we both lost, and now Leap of Faith......"

"It took me YEARS to get to the spot I'm in, I had to make sacrifices and put my body through so much hell even the devil would be frightened of it. Ned's a good guy and a hell of a rookie, but don't let that fool you. He doesn't have the experience I have, he hasn't been in any match that even comes CLOSE to this. Ned may be the future, but the future isn't today and it certainly won't be Leap of Faith. Right now is Big D's time and Ned Kaye is gonna have to wait his turn just like I had to do so many years ago. Until the time comes when I'm ready to hang the boots back up, Ned will have to be second fiddle to the greatness that is ME......"

I paused for a moment, thinking about my final opponent. Apparently I had gotten under his skin for comments I had made before, and it was justified.

"In my last promo I made a joke about Mastermind's mother......"

You could feel the live crowd tense up at my comments. They knew I had crossed a line, and so did I.

"That was uncalled for," I said with genuine care. "Even though Mastermind is an opponent of mine, I had no right to bring his dead mother into this. In my defense, I had NO idea his mom was dead because, quite frankly, I've never watched one of his stupid promos before he was announced in this match. But, as someone whose fiancè also lost her mother, as well as would never want to lose his own, I apologize from the bottom of my heart..........."

The fans were rather silent, shocked that I would apologize to Mastermind. In all honesty, I felt moreso like I was telling his mother sorry moreso than HIM.

"........but that doesn't mean I'm not going to rail YOU!"

The silence of the arena was replaced with roars of approval at my declaration. This last opponent was a man known for his intimidation, but I wasn't gonna let that affect me. With my eyes set on the prize, not even the Grim Reaper could prevent me from winning.

"Mastermind, you saved ME for last for the exact reason I saved YOU for last: because you're my biggest threat in this match, just like I am yours. But you know what? I don't care about threats, I care about results. When I was in high school, a cheerleader threatened to KILL me because I called her a slut but I'm still here, alive and kickin'! You accuse me of being a copycat, yet haven't provided a shred of evidence to back your claim. Sure, you could argue my parody of you and your stupid shirts was 'copying', but I only did it to show you what a fool you look like. And judging by your reaction to it, mission accomplished."

"You claim to be a master of minds, but I see you as nothing more than a fraud! All you do is intimidate your opponents and hope it throws them off their game once they're face to face with you. When you beat them, you make a shirt claiming you're so much better than they are, but what about when YOU lose? What happens when it's YOUR mind that is mastered? Absolutely nothing. You don't accept the truth and make a shirt showing someone got the better of you, if you did, there'd be a helluva alot of those shirts as of late! It's gonna be the same come tomorrow night!"

"Mastermind wants to call me a copycat, but he's the last guy I'd want to be like! Dude's been here on and off since 2014 and what does he have to show for it? Held a 24/7 Title three times? Well congratu-fucking-lations, I did that in the span of a couple months! Sure you had a TV Title run, but the competition back then was obviously nowhere near what it is now. How do I know that? Because I wasn't IN XWF back then and I AM the competition! You probably take our experience at War Games and judge me based upon that, well GO AHEAD! Tell yourself I tapped out to you because you were better than me, we'll see what happens when we see each other THIS time. The entire world knows Big D's gotten better since then and you're gonna find that out, as well!"

Even though more people believed in me now than they did at first, that didn't mean there weren't still skeptics. It wasn't just Mastermind, I though about Centurion's comments leading up to our match, as well. All I was to this Legend was some guy who could maybe become TV Champion, but not much more. Knowing that there were still people who truly BELIEVE this infuriated me.

"I'm tired of all the critics.........." I snarled, ready to tear the ring apart with rage. "People who say it takes more than just believing in yourself, you have to work for it.......... These ignorant swine think I don't work hard?! I've been preparing my mind and body for this match since I declared myself a participant! I'm not just sitting at home, eating donuts every night before crying myself to sleep. I'm working on my strength. I'm getting lungs conditioned to the point where I won't be gasping for breath while ascending the rafter. And I'm even making myself faster, because I LEARN from my mistakes and I'll never let another jackass like Blackwater cost ME a match again!"

"I won't let the Heavymetalweight and Federweight Championships be the only XWF Titles I hold. Star of the Month will NOT be the biggest thing I accomplish here! Come Leap of Faith, I'm walking away with that briefcase and there is NOTHING anyone can do to stop that! And that ain't no story, it's the Cold Big D Truth!"

As "Falling Apart" began to fill the arena once again, I tossed my microphone into the audience. That mic was gonna be a legendary souvenir for one lucky fan's collection. It would represent the last promo I did before solidifying myself as one of XWF's elite. Before I retrieved the 24/7 briefcase, before I cashed in to become THE Universal Champion, and before they added me to the XWF Top 50 where I belong.

As I made my way past the curtain, there was a line of wrestlers looking at me. Some of them clapped, others tried to speak with me, but I walked by all of them without a word. The time for talking was over, it was time to take action. My words had no meaning if I didn't back them up. But I wasn't going to fall back down to the bottom, I was gonna leap for the stars. I have faith.

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