It's all you have to do.
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. Don't be afraid to shoot. Even if you don't score, you're already a winner in the most important game of all. All you have to do... is BO-lieve.
Taylor Michael Rotunda (born May 25, 1990) is an American Professional Wrestler from Brooksville, Florida best known for his time in WWE as Bo Dallas. He debuted in WWE's developmental promotion FCW in 2008 and is currently in WWE Raw. He is a 2x FCW Florida Tag Team Champion
with his brother Duke Rotunda/Husky Harris/Bray Wyatt, a former 3x FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion a former WWE NXT Champion and a WWE Raw Tag Team Champion alongside Curtis Axel.
In February 2021, he started a real estate family business with Liv Morgan to prepare for life after pro wrestling. On April 15, 2021, he was released by WWE. From late 2022 to early 2023, he returned to play Bray Wyatt's accomplice, Uncle Howdy.
"BOLIEVE" in these Tropes:
- Aborted Arc:
- His feud with Wade Barrett. He eliminated Barrett in the Royal Rumble, who in turn eliminated Dallas. They then had a match on Raw the following night, in which Dallas won, then a couple of backstage confrontations. Then the arc was dropped and Bo was sent back to NXT.
- Despite being released by WWE in 2021, he would quietly returned the following year with his brother as Uncle Howdy. The storyline ended abruptly with Windham's tragic death on August 24, 2023 without Taylor revealing that he is Uncle Howdy.
- Affably Evil: During his early years, he would act like a charismatic inspirational speaker (with hints of condescencion) to his opponents who were going through slumps, telling them "All you have to do is bo-lieve!"
- Affectionate Parody: His whole character is a send-up of John Cena with a dash of Kurt Angle thrown in.
- Arch-Enemy: In NXT Sami Zayn.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: As "The Inspirational One", Dallas plays a seemingly upbeat, squeaky-clean wannabe role model who insults and condescends to crowds and opponents alike.
- Bumbling Henchmen Duo: As part of the Miztourage with Curtis Axel, the two being a pair of bungling cronies to the Miz.
- Catchphrase: Bolieve and other assorted Incredibly Lame Puns based on his name.
- Canon Discontinuity: Bo's original stint on the main roster has never been referred to since his 2014 call-up. This is despite gaining a victory over the then Intercontinental champion Bad News Barrett and taking part in the 2013 Royal Rumble.
- Charlie Brown from Outta Town: After being banned from NXT, Bo tried to make a comeback wearing a luchador mask and calling himself "Mr. NXT." It didn't work out so well.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Was introduced as an entrant in the Royal Rumble, and had a brief feud with Wade Barrett before vanishing without a trace.
- Darkhorse Victory: His (first) WWE singles debut had him facing and beating current Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett. He also had a decent showing in his true debut - the Royal Rumble (where he also eliminated Wade Barrett).
- Face–Heel Turn: In August of 2013, after his return to NXT, he began talking down to Sami Zayn and became delusional that the audience loves him despite them booing him relentlessly for months.
- Finishing Move:
- Belly-To-Belly Suplex, Spear, Double-Arm DDT.
- After jumping to the main roster, the Bo-Dog (a springboard bulldog).
- Glurge: In-Universe. He lays the motivational speaker angle on so thick that the dissonance between his would-be good nature and his actual nature is even more glaring. It fits his faux-inspirational figure nature.
- Heroic Wannabe: Styled himself the second coming of John Cena, despite not matching that description in any way. He also consistently tried to act like a motivational speaker, but was such a smarmy Jerkass that it came across as completely insincere. However, this was entirely intentional.
- Implausible Deniability: For the longest time in NXT, he could not, would not admit that the crowd hated him. Case in point: once when the crowd chanted "BORING" at him, he smiled and yelled back "Yes, this is Bo's ring!"
- Pretty Fly for a White Guy:
- Invoked in a match with R-Truth, where Bo attempts to imitate Truth's way of playing to the audience by asking "What's going on?"
- On the 1/25/16 episode of Raw, Bo actually won a rap battle against Flo Rida. Bo used to do freestyle rap offs with Adrian Neville and Sami Zayn back in WWE NXT.
- Put on a Bus: Was sent back to NXT for reasons unknown. He returned a year later.
- Red Baron: "The Inspirational" Bo Dallas.
- Stepford Smiler: In his heel incarnation on NXT.
- Tag Team:
- With his brother, as The Rotunda Brothers.
- With Curtis Axel, first as the Miztourage and later as the B-Team.
- Too Dumb to Live: Interrupted Brock Lesnar the night after Lesnar lost to The Undertaker via submission (due to being knocked out by Hell's Gate), and then had the audacity to mock him about it in his own "inspirational" way. Even JBL, normally a fan of Bo, outright called him "the dumbest man on the planet" on commentary. And that's how Bo became a resident of Suplex City.Michael Cole: Why would you ever want to make Brock Lesnar even more mad?
- Villainous Breakdown: Spoofed when he lost his last NXT match, which cost him his job. The normally chipper and positive Dallas finally lost his cool and railed at the audience for spurning him. Of course, his insults were a little weak.Dallas: I don't usually use language like this, but I want you all to know...that you people stink!
- What Happened to the Mouse?:
- After being in the Rumble, winning a match against Wade Barrett, and having a few backstage segments that hinted on a feud between the two, Bo simply disappeared off TV.
- He appeared on the March 4th 2013 episode of Raw, however very briefly, in the front row of a group of superstars gathered around Mae Young's 90th birthday cake(s) - he was basically shoved aside as CM Punk interrupted the party for his entrance. It Makes Sense in Context.
- Wrestling Family: Grandson of Blackjack Mulligan, nephew of Barry and Kendall Windham, son of Mike Rotunda (known in WWE as Irwin R. Schyster and later as (Mr.) Michael / V.K. Wallstreet), and younger brother to Windham Lawrence Rotunda (formerly known as The Nexus's Husky Harris, before being known as Bray Wyatt until his death). He met his current wife, Sarah Backman, during her short stint in NXT as well.
