Post by Rob Diamond on Jul 14, 2024 21:09:25 GMT
{ Nagano, Japan. I just walked through the curtain after my glorious return to in-ring action. I see my boy, Roberto, in gorilla. He gives me a little nod. Hell yeah brother. I’m back.
A few minutes later I’m in the locker room. I opted to get dressed with the rest of the boys. I know I’m a big deal but I’d rather start this run from the bottom. Private dressing room doesn't scream bottom to me.
Anyway, I’m just sitting there coming down off the adrenaline high of the match. I’m really back. After my longest break away from wrestling, I’m back and I’m feeling pretty goddamn good. Sky put up a great fight, pushed me, made me work for it but in the end?
I did it.
I know you’re watching from up there, brother. I hope you’re proud of me.
I hope you forgive me too. }
A few minutes later I’m in the locker room. I opted to get dressed with the rest of the boys. I know I’m a big deal but I’d rather start this run from the bottom. Private dressing room doesn't scream bottom to me.
Anyway, I’m just sitting there coming down off the adrenaline high of the match. I’m really back. After my longest break away from wrestling, I’m back and I’m feeling pretty goddamn good. Sky put up a great fight, pushed me, made me work for it but in the end?
I did it.
I know you’re watching from up there, brother. I hope you’re proud of me.
I hope you forgive me too. }
”Would the real Rob Diamond please stand up, please stand up, please stand up!”
{ Look at my handsome mug. }
”I came, I saw, I kicked some ass!”
{ Ghostbusters: 1984. }
”And I’m gonna give it up to my opponent from last week. Logan, I know people like to run their mouths about you but son, you’ve got the talent to rise above. You could be someone someday. Trust me.”
{ I mean that too. No smoke, no ass. }
”The same could be said for one of my next opponents.”
{ Spoilers, not RAM. }
”Now I know Berto wants to capitalize on my return to the ring but goddamn man! A triple threat match against one of the hungriest young studs in the business and that guy you pay to cry on national television? It’s like you want me to break a sweat or something!”
{ I bet he does. Probably loves to see me moist. }
”Jack Ferriman. For starters? I like this guy. Always have. Jack has all the fixings of someone who would do well in wrestling. He’s hot, athletic, can talk and walk but for whatever reason he’s never really hit a stride. Why is that? Now, normally this is where your opponent would dove tail into a litany of insults while trying to psych you out but that isn’t my game plan here, Jack.”
{ Not saying it isn’t a good game plan, I’m sure that’s exactly what RAM plans on doing. }
”How long did you sit on the sidelines?”
{ Real question, not a leading one. }
”Why did you sit there for so long?”
{ Still a real question, no insult coming. }
”You’re one talented motherfucker, Jack. There was a time everyone in the back was saying you were a sure fire main event guy in the making. I remember talking to Steve and James ans saying we should bring you into InFamous because you had edgy star written all over you. So what the fuck happened, Jack?”
{ I’m being dead ass serious. }
”You say you’re a tag team wrestler but I call bullshit. Some of the best shit you’ve ever done was while you were standing on your own. And who’s to say a tag team wrestler can’t excel in singles? Look at me. I’ve been in some of the biggest tag teams in this companies history and you call me a legend. Tag, singles, the difference exists in your mind. What I am, what you are is a professional wrestler. Pretty goddamn good ones. So let's drop the excuses and be honest with each other.”
{ It's the best policy. }
”So what happened, Jack? What happened to all that momentum, all that good will, all that hard work you put in to make it to the next level? Why’d you just settle into the routine this company gave you? Why’d you just accept sporadic bookings in matches they didn’t expect you to win? Why, Jack?”
{ Still real questions. }
”It’s not on Berto or management to keep your momentum going. It’s not on the powers that be to make you a sought after talent. It’s not on anyone in the office to make the crowd chant your name. It’s all on you. You gotta put that work in, you gotta win those matches, you gotta keep the crowd in the palm of your hand. You gotta do it, Jack. You.”
{ That’s right. }
”You can’t just accept what they give you. You take what they give you and you make the best goddamn thing out of it you can. You turn their chicken shit into chicken salad. You make yourself the most valuable commodity in the company. You make it so they can’t put on a goddamn house show without your face front and center on the poster. You wanna know why I’m a so called legend and future hall of famer? Because I made myself invaluable to this company. That’s what you gotta do, Jack.”
{ Sound advice my brother. }
”They don’t book you? Then hop on a mic and make the crowd demand they book you next week. They don’t wanna give you the mic then you hop on social media and stir up a firestorm of demand. You gotta do whatever it takes to make yourself the biggest star in the company because no one else is gonna do it for you. Berto doesn’t make stars, he waits for us to make ourselves. He gives us that opportunity and it’s up to us to turn that opportunity into something special.”
{ One hundo. }
”And you’ve got another opportunity this week. Forget about the blond bitch for a minute. It’s you and me. A win over me is huge. I said I wanted to start at the bottom but I ain’t gonna pretend like Jack Ferriman pinning my shoulders to the mat ain’t a huge upset. This is your moment, Jack. Your chance. You win this shit and the sky is the limit. I’m honestly kinda rooting for you.”
{ Kinda. }
”But let me be real clear with you, Jack. I didn’t come back to help other people make their names off me. This isn’t a retirement tour where I go around giving the future big wins over me before I set sail into a general manager role or take a seat at the commentary booth. I’m back to be bigger than I’ve ever been. I’m back to once again make myself the single most important person in this company. And I will do whatever it takes to get there.”
{ Within reason. }
”And if that means booting you back to the bench, as much as I like you, that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. So the question then becomes, what are you gonna do if you lose this match, Jack? Are you just gonna accept it and wait for the next booking in two or three months or are you gonna make something out of the shit I’m handing you? Live or die, Jack, the choice is yours.”
{ Saw: 2004 }
{ It’s a couple of days later. I’m still in Japan, hitting the interviews and autograph signings and whatever else this company needs from me.
This is the part of the job that sucks the most. The part guys like to talk about to make themselves seem deep but it’s all surface level bullshit. See, while I’m out here smiling for the camera and signing Chinese knockoff Funko Pops that’ll be on ebay a half an hour later, my wife and kids are at home.
Hope’s gonna be 12 this year, Michael just turned 3. And I’m out here. I miss’em. I miss’em a lot. I went from having my family around me 24/7 to facetiming them a few times a day. It sucks. But I’m not gonna cut a promo about it. I’m not going to cry about it. This is the life I chose. This is the life I fought to get back to.
I do this for them.
So Hope can go to the best schools money can buy. Get the best education and the best opportunity to succeed in adulthood. So Michael can do exactly the same, follow in his sister’s footsteps and make something amazing with his life.
It sucks but it’s better than turning a wrench in some sweaty garage while my kids get grades they don’t deserve in the shitty public education system. I know they miss me, I know this is hard on them but one day, a long time from now, I know they’ll thank me for the opportunity I’ve given them.
That’s enough self reflection for today. I’ve got a Q&A to do and Goku’s tits to sign.
It’s a good life. }
This is the part of the job that sucks the most. The part guys like to talk about to make themselves seem deep but it’s all surface level bullshit. See, while I’m out here smiling for the camera and signing Chinese knockoff Funko Pops that’ll be on ebay a half an hour later, my wife and kids are at home.
Hope’s gonna be 12 this year, Michael just turned 3. And I’m out here. I miss’em. I miss’em a lot. I went from having my family around me 24/7 to facetiming them a few times a day. It sucks. But I’m not gonna cut a promo about it. I’m not going to cry about it. This is the life I chose. This is the life I fought to get back to.
I do this for them.
So Hope can go to the best schools money can buy. Get the best education and the best opportunity to succeed in adulthood. So Michael can do exactly the same, follow in his sister’s footsteps and make something amazing with his life.
It sucks but it’s better than turning a wrench in some sweaty garage while my kids get grades they don’t deserve in the shitty public education system. I know they miss me, I know this is hard on them but one day, a long time from now, I know they’ll thank me for the opportunity I’ve given them.
That’s enough self reflection for today. I’ve got a Q&A to do and Goku’s tits to sign.
It’s a good life. }
”Can I be honest with ya, RAM?”
{ Not a real question. }
”I don’t like you. I never liked you. I never got what Fiona saw in you and I really don’t get why Roberto continues to waste his time on you.”
{ Real insult. }
”You self admit to hating this place. You complain about nepotism and parade conspiracy theories as the reason why you just don’t seem to fucking matter here. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe, just maybe, you’re not all that and a box of chocolates?”
{ He’s what I imagine Gilmore would be like if he just pretended to be angry all the time and had bleach blond hair. }
”I mean, look. I get it. It’s super easy to look at the people who run the company and blame them. Also, it’s really fun to blame them. I remember before my balls dropped I’d sit around with the boys and talk about how the boss has it out for me very specifically after losing a match to Todd Williams. It made me feel better about being pinned by a loser but it also removed all the blame from myself.”
{ I still argue that somehow Adam rigged that match. I don’t know how, I don’t know why but somehow. }
”Here’s the thing, RAM. What happens in that ring is on you and you alone. Whether or not the boss likes or hates you, it’s not them wrestling the match. It’s you. If you’re losing then you’ve got no one to blame but yourself. Consider this your next therapy session because I’m gonna lay some truth bombs on you.”
{ Truth one. }
”Some people just don’t have what it takes.”
{ Truth two. }
”Nepotism doesn’t win matches.”
{ Truth three. }
”You are in direct control of how your life turns out. No one else. You don’t like it here? Go somewhere else and see if you do any better. You don’t like how they run things here? Check out the grass just over that fence. You don’t have to stay in a bad situation. You can be your change, RAM. You and no one else. So if you stay here after I finish beating your pathetic ass then shut the fuck up. No one likes seeing a grown man cry on camera. It’s depressing.”
{ I’d call him pathetic again but then I’d be repeating myself. }
”You’ve got a shot here to prove yourself, same as Jack. Beat me and show the world you’re every bit as good as you say you are through snot soaked tissues. But if I can be brutally honest, and I can, you don’t stand a chance in hell against me. I’m better than I’ve ever been and I’ve always been better than you. Fi wasted her time teaching you anything but don’t worry, I’m a teach you something you'll never forget. Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and I’m a give you something to cry about, bitch. And if you ain’t down with that then I’ve got two words for ya.”
{ SUCK IT! }
Well howdy there pardner.