Post by Jules on Jun 26, 2012 8:25:30 GMT -4
The Final Test ǀ Part 1
(T4TB #1)
*
Chapter I
Alea iacta est
(the die has been cast)
(T4TB #1)
*
Chapter I
Alea iacta est
(the die has been cast)
“I suppose that’s your equivalent of a burn,” Francis, the younger half-brother of John Dionysus said.
They were reviewing the tape of last week’s Overdrive, in particular the lengthy segment that opened the show involving the four Overdrive combatants in the Test For The Best Finals. Francis paused the clip at the point where Dionysus had come down to the ring and scored a quick verbal cheap shot against Terry Marvin.
“The crowd seemed to like it.”
“Yeah, well when you go in and tell them how great their town is, that’s gonna do it.”
“I think you’re missing the point.”
Francis looked at Dionysus with faux-surprise.
“I am? Then, do enlighten me dear big brother.”
Dionysus rolled his eyes at Francis’ sarcastic tone.
“Terry Marvin needed to know that it’s not all about him.”
“It was wicked funny seeing that chucklehead squirm like that.”
“Plus, I wasn’t going to let him stand out there and run down me and everybody else like that.”
Francis nodded along, and when Dionysus didn’t add anything further a smirk appeared on his face.
“And you didn’t want Keaton Saint to be the only one to do that; you didn’t want Keaton Saint to have the last word.”
Dionysus stared daggers at Francis, whose smirk widened.
“I’ve got no problem with Saint. If we come across each other at Test For The Best, I know we’ll go at as hard and as aggressive as two rabid dogs in a pit. I know he is a competitor, but I don’t feel I need to prove anything to him. I respect him, he respects me. Nothing more to it.”
Francis nodded his head, then flipped to another clip. This one was taken from the Overdrive tag match between Terry Marvin and A.C. Smith on one side, Keaton Saint and Dionysus on the other. Mid-way through the match there was a confrontation between Saint and Dionysus in the middle of the ring; this was what Francis was playing now.
“Doesn’t look like ‘nothing’ to me,” Francis said wryly.
“You’re an ass sometimes. What are you trying to insinuate you little punk?”
“I’m just saying, behind all that passive aggressive,” Francis began before switching to a sarcastic tone of voice, “‘yeah, we’re buddies’, ‘I won’t leave you hanging’, ‘got your back, bro’ business I could see the fire in your eyes, even on the TV screen.”
“Spare me the pop psychology bullshit.”
“Now you’re deflecting.”
Dionysus shot a look of agitation at his younger half-brother. “I’m what?”
“You’re trying to deflect the conversation away from the point I’m making.”
“No. I’m saying you’re point is bullshit. That’s all just heat of the moment stuff. Believe me, there ain’t a problem between Keaton & I. We’re competitors, not enemies.”
Dionysus got up and headed for the door to leave the room. Francis, smirking away like the kid who has just come top of his class, waited until Dionysus had reached the threshold and shouted out.
“You’ve crossed the Rubicon, brother! There’s no going back now.”
Dionysus turned and gave his brother the ‘V’ with his first and second fingers, closed the door and made his way down to the kitchen. As he began to fix himself some coffee Dionysus’ mind began to drift over the events that preceded this moment.
Francis’ reference to that mid-match incident involving Keaton Saint was not the first time Dionysus’ mind had passed over it; nor was he unaware that below the surface, in spite of their very public attempt at showing co-existence, there was dissonance and a potential storm brewing.
For Dionysus, Keaton Saint held the keys to this whole thing; he was the gatekeeper blocking the way to Shockwave. Sure enough, there was possibly other big challenges laying in wait at Test For The Best (and Dionysus hadn’t yet considered the Asylum or Meltdown contributions to the competition). One of those was, of course, Terry Marvin who would be to most people’s mind the obvious main antagonist; the adversary that would have to be overcome at some point.
However, as great a wrestler, and as dastardly an opponent, Dionysus knew Terry Marvin to be, Dionysus had faced him in the past. He knew how somebody like Terry Marvin would approach this match, not just because he had fought Marvin before, but because he felt like he had been fighting people like Terry Marvin his whole career. If it was Marvin at any stage Dionysus knew what he could expect and he knew he would be ready.
But Keaton Saint was different because Dionysus considered him a paragon of excellence in this business. Not because Saint was an all-conquering, all-dominating athlete, but because he was the kind of wrestler, the kind of human being, you want to match yourself against. That was a different proposition altogether.
Dionysus had no reason for any animosity towards Keaton Saint; no reason to want to pound his face into the mat. But he knew if he was going to win this thing that at some point he may have to. Dionysus knew he would have to find some reason to hate Keaton Saint and make him an enemy.
That he didn’t want to do; that he feared most, more than defeat; that he feared may be an abyss he would have to plunge into and risk never returning.
Suddenly Dionysus’ reverie was broken by the sound of his cell phone ringing. He scrambled around the pockets of his pants and pulled it out. Looking at the caller ID he saw that it was APW calling.
“Dionysus,” he answered. At the other end the caller responded.
“I’ve been anxious to find out. So who’s it gonna be?”
Dionysus’ heart sank as the caller gave the name ‘Keaton Saint’ as one of his quarter-final opponents; the inclusion of “The Hitman” Steve Stryker was a surprise, but all he could think about was how the first challenge would be his biggest one.
“Okay, thanks for calling.”
Dionysus hung up and absent-mindedly filled his cup with coffee; Francis appeared in the doorway.
“Judging that look on your face, I’d say it’s not good news.”
“I’m up against Saint and Stryker in the last eight.”
“HO-LY SHIT! FUCKING-A!”
Francis couldn’t hide the beaming smile on his face.
“I guess it was fate, eh big bro?”
Dionysus forced a smile.
“So, how you gonna play this?”
“Play what?”
“This is some fucking epic monologue you’re gonna be pumping out.”
“Any suggestions?”
“Yeah. I’d say stick to the usually format, the podcasts, but bash them out daily. Keep your ‘listeners’ in suspense. Save the big guy ‘til last.”
“Marvin?”
“No!” Francis spat incredulously. “Keaton-Fucking-Saint you big dumbass.”
Dionysus again forced a smile. There could be no turning back from this point. Francis was right: the die had been cast; he had crossed the Rubicon; death or glory were the only options.
*
Chapter II
Hic sunt leones
(here there be lions)
Chapter II
Hic sunt leones
(here there be lions)
T4TB Audio Blog #1: On A.C. Smith and “The Hitman” Steve Stryker.
I’ve been hearing a lot recently whingeing recently from some quarters of the roster about how the odds are stacked against them, how the way things are being run in APW isn’t fair, and how some people think they are more deserving than others. But if there is any fact that testifies that none of that is true, then let’s just look at the involvement at Test For The Best of two men I’m talking about today: A.C. Smith and Steve Stryker.
These are two guys who haven’t been given any favours, they are not among the more well-known names in the company, but they have earned their dues through hard work and dedication. They got here because they were good enough and better than those who stood between them and a shot at the Undisputed Championship.
Of these two men: one I am acquainted with, but this talk here may be redundant; the other guy I have no acquaintance with, but in a short time all of that will change.
The latter is, of course, the wild card in this situation: “The Hitman” Steve Stryker; the man who holds in his hand Meltdown’s ‘golden ticket’.
Steve, don’t get me wrong, I don’t say that with any condescension because you, of all people, had to do more than anybody else to get here. Nobody else in our bracket can boast that they had to go through half a roster to be here: first to find the focus to team with somebody you probably didn’t like or identify with and win a tag team match; second, to survive the ordeal and jeopardy of a battle royal. Fair enough, Steve, you’ve earned your place, but your ticket is golden because your position is unique and it affords you opportunities that I’m sure are the envy of your peers.
In many ways, Steve, you’re the guy to be in this tournament. You come to Test For The Best with nothing to lose and everything to gain: not just a shot at the biggest prize, but I’m sure with it the choice to ply your trade where you want and on your own terms. I know exactly how people are looking at this, and that view probably doesn’t include Steve Stryker in the latter stages.
Don’t get me mistaken; I’m not one of those people. I may not be acquainted with you and I may not have given you much thought or attention before now. But, believe me, you have mine full and undivided. When it comes to our match at Test For The Best, I won’t be making the mistake of thinking it is all about Keaton Saint and John Dionysus.
That leads me onto A.C. Smith because if there is one thing I’ve learnt from last week it is that not paying attention to the whole field is a grave mistake.
A.C., people may think this pay-per-view is your proving ground, your chance to back-up all the hype you came blazing into APW with. But I’m gonna disagree with that kind of talk because as far as I’m concerned this isn’t any kind of proving ground for you because you’ve already past that test.
Last week on Overdrive you gave every single person watching reason to believe you are as much a threat as anyone else to Kurt Noble’s championship reign. The net result of last week is that nobody goes into Test For The Best with more momentum behind them and reasons to be confident than you. Not only did you stand up to Terry Marvin, but you also proved to myself and Keaton Saint that you’re not here to collect a pay-cheque. If I was guilty of underestimating you last week, right now I’m sat here devouring humble pie, but I’ll be damn sure I won’t be repeating that mistake again if we meet further down the line.
Physically you are an imposing presence, and I now have first-hand knowledge of the power in those muscles of yours and the pain they can inflict. I guess that’s why the people call you ‘The Big Apple Ass Kicker’, and I know that you’ve been doing exactly what it says on the tin for over a decade. But right now, A.C., all that’s being asked of you is that at Test For The Best you do us all a favour and kick the ass of one individual in particular.
You’ve seen for yourself what Terry Marvin is capable of, and I hope now you understand why it is important for this company and this business why that cockroach is stopped, whether it be by the hands you, me, Saint or even Stryker.
I would dearly love to be the one that finally punches that man’s teeth down his throat and puts an end his bullshit, but I assure you I won’t feel I’ve been sold short if we meet in the semi-finals.
Prove yourself better than Terry Marvin? No way. From what I’ve seen, you’ve already done more than that. But you may never get a better chance to not just stand up to the bully, but knock him. The Big Apple Ass Kicker is coming to Chicago – I just hope he doesn’t fail with his aim.
*
Chapter III
Acta deos numquam mortalia fallunt
(mortal actions never deceive the gods)
These are two guys who haven’t been given any favours, they are not among the more well-known names in the company, but they have earned their dues through hard work and dedication. They got here because they were good enough and better than those who stood between them and a shot at the Undisputed Championship.
Of these two men: one I am acquainted with, but this talk here may be redundant; the other guy I have no acquaintance with, but in a short time all of that will change.
The latter is, of course, the wild card in this situation: “The Hitman” Steve Stryker; the man who holds in his hand Meltdown’s ‘golden ticket’.
Steve, don’t get me wrong, I don’t say that with any condescension because you, of all people, had to do more than anybody else to get here. Nobody else in our bracket can boast that they had to go through half a roster to be here: first to find the focus to team with somebody you probably didn’t like or identify with and win a tag team match; second, to survive the ordeal and jeopardy of a battle royal. Fair enough, Steve, you’ve earned your place, but your ticket is golden because your position is unique and it affords you opportunities that I’m sure are the envy of your peers.
In many ways, Steve, you’re the guy to be in this tournament. You come to Test For The Best with nothing to lose and everything to gain: not just a shot at the biggest prize, but I’m sure with it the choice to ply your trade where you want and on your own terms. I know exactly how people are looking at this, and that view probably doesn’t include Steve Stryker in the latter stages.
Don’t get me mistaken; I’m not one of those people. I may not be acquainted with you and I may not have given you much thought or attention before now. But, believe me, you have mine full and undivided. When it comes to our match at Test For The Best, I won’t be making the mistake of thinking it is all about Keaton Saint and John Dionysus.
That leads me onto A.C. Smith because if there is one thing I’ve learnt from last week it is that not paying attention to the whole field is a grave mistake.
A.C., people may think this pay-per-view is your proving ground, your chance to back-up all the hype you came blazing into APW with. But I’m gonna disagree with that kind of talk because as far as I’m concerned this isn’t any kind of proving ground for you because you’ve already past that test.
Last week on Overdrive you gave every single person watching reason to believe you are as much a threat as anyone else to Kurt Noble’s championship reign. The net result of last week is that nobody goes into Test For The Best with more momentum behind them and reasons to be confident than you. Not only did you stand up to Terry Marvin, but you also proved to myself and Keaton Saint that you’re not here to collect a pay-cheque. If I was guilty of underestimating you last week, right now I’m sat here devouring humble pie, but I’ll be damn sure I won’t be repeating that mistake again if we meet further down the line.
Physically you are an imposing presence, and I now have first-hand knowledge of the power in those muscles of yours and the pain they can inflict. I guess that’s why the people call you ‘The Big Apple Ass Kicker’, and I know that you’ve been doing exactly what it says on the tin for over a decade. But right now, A.C., all that’s being asked of you is that at Test For The Best you do us all a favour and kick the ass of one individual in particular.
You’ve seen for yourself what Terry Marvin is capable of, and I hope now you understand why it is important for this company and this business why that cockroach is stopped, whether it be by the hands you, me, Saint or even Stryker.
I would dearly love to be the one that finally punches that man’s teeth down his throat and puts an end his bullshit, but I assure you I won’t feel I’ve been sold short if we meet in the semi-finals.
Prove yourself better than Terry Marvin? No way. From what I’ve seen, you’ve already done more than that. But you may never get a better chance to not just stand up to the bully, but knock him. The Big Apple Ass Kicker is coming to Chicago – I just hope he doesn’t fail with his aim.
*
Chapter III
Acta deos numquam mortalia fallunt
(mortal actions never deceive the gods)
T4TB Audio Blog #2: On Terry Marvin.
Let’s not waste time pretending here: I don’t like Terry Marvin.
I know I am not alone in this; in fact fewer men have connived to plant more targets on their back than he. As a wrestler and a competitor I have to respect him; but shake the man’s hand I could not for fear that he may spread some of his vileness right into the pores of my skin.
Terry, I know you think that your worldview raises you above everyone else. I know that you think that walking the corridors of every arena we visit like you are the Lord of Creation, stomping over anybody and everybody that you believe is in your way, makes you strong. Certainly to your mind it gives that impression, but really all it does is highlight just how weak you are.
You’re weak Terry because you always look for the short-cut; you’re the tax evader who rips off millions of people in this country because it benefits you; you’re the guy who takes more than his share of the pie, even though there is barely enough to go around. I watched you twice defend the Overdrive Title against Keaton Saint, and twice I watched you pull every cheap trick and attempt every short cut in the book – like a builder who knows he could do more to improve what he builds, but chooses not to. And while those two ‘victories’ certainly proved that you are willing to do anything to succeed, and that you are arguably the wiliest wrestler in the business today, what it doesn’t do is dispel the notion that sooner or later you will have to pay the reaper. Mud sticks, Terry, and sooner or later it has to be cleaned up.
However, let’s be clear here, we’re not competing for the Nobel Peace Prize, we’re fighting for a shot at the Undisputed Championship - the greatest honour to be achieved by warriors such as us - so while I may think you are the measuring stick for all that is lowly and despicable in this business, just because I don’t like you doesn’t mean a damn thing. Sadly, the selfish, egotistical asshole sometimes gets success in life, while the hard-working man who merits better is left to be trampled underfoot.
What it really boils down to is that you are a heck of a wrestler, Terry. I know it, Keaton Saint knows it, and you know it as you are at great pains to remind us every week. A second place finish in any match as chaotic, unrelenting, brutal, and testing as Survive & Conquer is enough to demand that you are paid attention to. But if we add to that everything else you have achieved then we’re forming a picture of a guy who is rightfully the favourite to progress to the final and represent Overdrive.
Let’s just look over the list: not just the current Overdrive Champion, but one of the longest-standing Overdrive Champions in history. You were the star turn at High Stakes, where I failed, but you came so close to victory in the battle royal and finished 4th. Not to mention you hold a rare pinfall victory over Level-One and have twice beaten Keaton Saint – a feat most men would fail to achieve once – and, of course, you have your own talk show. Or as it is less affectionately known: ‘Terry’s ten minutes of insidious delusional ranting’.
It is all highly impressive, Terry, and if that wasn’t enough to stoke the coals under my belly, we do have previous. Twice we have met in one on one encounters, and even though I’m sure you’re going to tell me for the umpteenth time how the Championship I hold is worthless next to the one you have, the fact is we are one and one. Bearing that in mind I can’t help but feel it is highly convenient that we have been kept apart until now. I may even be inclined towards thinking it is Fate herself that determined it should be that way.
And if Fate should decide that we do meet in the semi-finals I will truly relish that battle, Terry. Make no doubt about it: you are among the best and impossible to ignore, anyone who wants to aspire to win this tournament has to want to face you and desire nothing more than to beat you. I can find no greater purpose for winning this tournament than putting you down and proving to the world that your way is not the best way.
Your time is running out, Terry. Everything you have done, every short-cut you have taken, and every crime you have perpetrated against wrestling, is catching up with you. I know the gods are watching, and although you seem to think you are some gift of the gods, never forget Terry that mortal actions never deceive the gods. You are mortal Terry, you can be beaten, I have seen it with my own eyes, I have done it by my own hands. Like Karmic retribution I am coming for you, Terry. Look at my face and remember my eyes because within them burns the vengeance that Nemesis has sent to punish you.
Last time we met I simply wanted to prove I could hold my own against you. Now it’s about showing the world that I am better than your test; that I can beat you because I am ‘The Best’.
Tick-tock goes the clock. The countdown to your comeuppance when you will hear these words ringing in your ears...
THE SHOW IS CANCELLED!
*
Chapter IV
Asinus asinum fricat
(the jackass rubs the jackass)
I know I am not alone in this; in fact fewer men have connived to plant more targets on their back than he. As a wrestler and a competitor I have to respect him; but shake the man’s hand I could not for fear that he may spread some of his vileness right into the pores of my skin.
Terry, I know you think that your worldview raises you above everyone else. I know that you think that walking the corridors of every arena we visit like you are the Lord of Creation, stomping over anybody and everybody that you believe is in your way, makes you strong. Certainly to your mind it gives that impression, but really all it does is highlight just how weak you are.
You’re weak Terry because you always look for the short-cut; you’re the tax evader who rips off millions of people in this country because it benefits you; you’re the guy who takes more than his share of the pie, even though there is barely enough to go around. I watched you twice defend the Overdrive Title against Keaton Saint, and twice I watched you pull every cheap trick and attempt every short cut in the book – like a builder who knows he could do more to improve what he builds, but chooses not to. And while those two ‘victories’ certainly proved that you are willing to do anything to succeed, and that you are arguably the wiliest wrestler in the business today, what it doesn’t do is dispel the notion that sooner or later you will have to pay the reaper. Mud sticks, Terry, and sooner or later it has to be cleaned up.
However, let’s be clear here, we’re not competing for the Nobel Peace Prize, we’re fighting for a shot at the Undisputed Championship - the greatest honour to be achieved by warriors such as us - so while I may think you are the measuring stick for all that is lowly and despicable in this business, just because I don’t like you doesn’t mean a damn thing. Sadly, the selfish, egotistical asshole sometimes gets success in life, while the hard-working man who merits better is left to be trampled underfoot.
What it really boils down to is that you are a heck of a wrestler, Terry. I know it, Keaton Saint knows it, and you know it as you are at great pains to remind us every week. A second place finish in any match as chaotic, unrelenting, brutal, and testing as Survive & Conquer is enough to demand that you are paid attention to. But if we add to that everything else you have achieved then we’re forming a picture of a guy who is rightfully the favourite to progress to the final and represent Overdrive.
Let’s just look over the list: not just the current Overdrive Champion, but one of the longest-standing Overdrive Champions in history. You were the star turn at High Stakes, where I failed, but you came so close to victory in the battle royal and finished 4th. Not to mention you hold a rare pinfall victory over Level-One and have twice beaten Keaton Saint – a feat most men would fail to achieve once – and, of course, you have your own talk show. Or as it is less affectionately known: ‘Terry’s ten minutes of insidious delusional ranting’.
It is all highly impressive, Terry, and if that wasn’t enough to stoke the coals under my belly, we do have previous. Twice we have met in one on one encounters, and even though I’m sure you’re going to tell me for the umpteenth time how the Championship I hold is worthless next to the one you have, the fact is we are one and one. Bearing that in mind I can’t help but feel it is highly convenient that we have been kept apart until now. I may even be inclined towards thinking it is Fate herself that determined it should be that way.
And if Fate should decide that we do meet in the semi-finals I will truly relish that battle, Terry. Make no doubt about it: you are among the best and impossible to ignore, anyone who wants to aspire to win this tournament has to want to face you and desire nothing more than to beat you. I can find no greater purpose for winning this tournament than putting you down and proving to the world that your way is not the best way.
Your time is running out, Terry. Everything you have done, every short-cut you have taken, and every crime you have perpetrated against wrestling, is catching up with you. I know the gods are watching, and although you seem to think you are some gift of the gods, never forget Terry that mortal actions never deceive the gods. You are mortal Terry, you can be beaten, I have seen it with my own eyes, I have done it by my own hands. Like Karmic retribution I am coming for you, Terry. Look at my face and remember my eyes because within them burns the vengeance that Nemesis has sent to punish you.
Last time we met I simply wanted to prove I could hold my own against you. Now it’s about showing the world that I am better than your test; that I can beat you because I am ‘The Best’.
Tick-tock goes the clock. The countdown to your comeuppance when you will hear these words ringing in your ears...
THE SHOW IS CANCELLED!
*
Chapter IV
Asinus asinum fricat
(the jackass rubs the jackass)
T4TB Audio Blog #3: On Keaton Saint
Test For The Best begins with arguably my biggest challenge. Not just because it is the first, which is always the most intimidating, but because of who it is I am challenging.
Keaton Saint.
When I refer to Keaton Saint as the ‘biggest test’ or the ‘sternest challenge’ that awaits me, it isn’t because I believe Keaton is the best wrestler I will face, or even the toughest competitor. Although Keaton’s record and his reputation speak for themselves, and I have no doubt he is one of the best there is, it is because of all the wrestlers in this tournament he is the one I identify most with; in him I see more of myself than I do in anyone else. The challenge of facing someone you feel reflects yourself is always the hardest.
But more than that I see in Keaton Saint an ally; a role model; a guide. Approaching this moment I cannot help but compare it to the matches I fought with Kurt Noble months ago – meaningless to some; everything to me. I look back now and I know I froze in the face of a man I admired so much....too much: for his ability; his achievements; his ideals; but most of all his conduct. As much as I wish I could be someone like Kurt Noble, I too wish I could be someone like Keaton Saint.
This is exactly why I failed at Ascension: I couldn’t beat Kurt Noble because I was afraid. Exposing the fragility of one’s demi-gods is always a more bitter pill to swallow than sighting one’s own in the reflection of a mirror. I couldn’t beat Kurt Noble because between myself and victory there was a barrier I could not overcome: hero; guide; idol; potential ally.
Now I am faced with a man with whom I share a greater bond. Keaton & I have stood together in the ring as brothers, and we have shown respect to each other peers. In some ways recognition is everything in this business, it is the life blood of a career, and I will never forget that handshake from Keaton Saint when I won the CWC South American Championship at Ascension Finale. A handshake that was born out of respect; a handshake that gave me recognition; it gave me blood and life.
But I have to forget all of this now. I cannot go to Test For The Best and think of Keaton Saint as an ally; the situation demands more, it demands a complete volte face; the situation demands that I view and I treat Keaton Saint as an enemy.
Because I want to win this; I want to pass this Test and become ‘The Best’.
Beating Keaton Saint takes me some way towards doing that. Not just because he is in the tournament, but because he is a benchmark in this business. Just look at his career and how it is so powerfully intertwined with the success of others: Level-One, Georgie Nickles, Terry Marvin, Dan Ryan. These are all wrestlers who had to go through Keaton Saint at some stage in their career in order to achieve success and recognition. He is the guy holding all the keys to all the doors. Not just because he is the paragon of excellence in this business; not just because he has stood up to the many and succeeded in ways that only few have done so; but because he is ‘The Patron Saint of Wrestling’. He is the gatekeeper and the guardian of everything this business should and does mean. Keaton Saint walks a loftier path, from beyond the reach of men like Terry Marvin. That means something.
Nevertheless, Keaton Saint remains a wrestler that has always failed to scoop the biggest prize. In spite of the fact that wherever you go the name ‘Keaton Saint’ is recognised and respected, he remains a wrestler that has never fully fulfilled his promises or delivered his true potential. As much as I admire Keaton Saint I want to be better than that; I want to be better than him.
I don’t want to go down in history as another respected wrestler who failed to deliver when it mattered most. I do not want to be a man who looks back on a career of broken promises and unfulfilled potential. To be the protector of most valuable ideals of this business – the code of the warrior – isn’t good enough for me; I want to be one of its champions and make it known that the code I adhere to is not just something to be admired like a ‘form’ or an ‘ideal’, but is something liveable and real...something that delivers results.
I have to beat Keaton Saint and go on to win Test For The Best because it matters to me that what we do and how we do it means something and isn’t just words and posturing. I have to beat Keaton Saint because I will not be just another wrestler who fought with valour but always choked when it mattered most.
It may surprise many people to hear me say this, but it is the truth. I will make Keaton Saint my enemy because for all his merits, he is the symbol of failure.
As far as I am concerned, failure is my enemy.
Keaton Saint.
When I refer to Keaton Saint as the ‘biggest test’ or the ‘sternest challenge’ that awaits me, it isn’t because I believe Keaton is the best wrestler I will face, or even the toughest competitor. Although Keaton’s record and his reputation speak for themselves, and I have no doubt he is one of the best there is, it is because of all the wrestlers in this tournament he is the one I identify most with; in him I see more of myself than I do in anyone else. The challenge of facing someone you feel reflects yourself is always the hardest.
But more than that I see in Keaton Saint an ally; a role model; a guide. Approaching this moment I cannot help but compare it to the matches I fought with Kurt Noble months ago – meaningless to some; everything to me. I look back now and I know I froze in the face of a man I admired so much....too much: for his ability; his achievements; his ideals; but most of all his conduct. As much as I wish I could be someone like Kurt Noble, I too wish I could be someone like Keaton Saint.
This is exactly why I failed at Ascension: I couldn’t beat Kurt Noble because I was afraid. Exposing the fragility of one’s demi-gods is always a more bitter pill to swallow than sighting one’s own in the reflection of a mirror. I couldn’t beat Kurt Noble because between myself and victory there was a barrier I could not overcome: hero; guide; idol; potential ally.
Now I am faced with a man with whom I share a greater bond. Keaton & I have stood together in the ring as brothers, and we have shown respect to each other peers. In some ways recognition is everything in this business, it is the life blood of a career, and I will never forget that handshake from Keaton Saint when I won the CWC South American Championship at Ascension Finale. A handshake that was born out of respect; a handshake that gave me recognition; it gave me blood and life.
But I have to forget all of this now. I cannot go to Test For The Best and think of Keaton Saint as an ally; the situation demands more, it demands a complete volte face; the situation demands that I view and I treat Keaton Saint as an enemy.
Because I want to win this; I want to pass this Test and become ‘The Best’.
Beating Keaton Saint takes me some way towards doing that. Not just because he is in the tournament, but because he is a benchmark in this business. Just look at his career and how it is so powerfully intertwined with the success of others: Level-One, Georgie Nickles, Terry Marvin, Dan Ryan. These are all wrestlers who had to go through Keaton Saint at some stage in their career in order to achieve success and recognition. He is the guy holding all the keys to all the doors. Not just because he is the paragon of excellence in this business; not just because he has stood up to the many and succeeded in ways that only few have done so; but because he is ‘The Patron Saint of Wrestling’. He is the gatekeeper and the guardian of everything this business should and does mean. Keaton Saint walks a loftier path, from beyond the reach of men like Terry Marvin. That means something.
Nevertheless, Keaton Saint remains a wrestler that has always failed to scoop the biggest prize. In spite of the fact that wherever you go the name ‘Keaton Saint’ is recognised and respected, he remains a wrestler that has never fully fulfilled his promises or delivered his true potential. As much as I admire Keaton Saint I want to be better than that; I want to be better than him.
I don’t want to go down in history as another respected wrestler who failed to deliver when it mattered most. I do not want to be a man who looks back on a career of broken promises and unfulfilled potential. To be the protector of most valuable ideals of this business – the code of the warrior – isn’t good enough for me; I want to be one of its champions and make it known that the code I adhere to is not just something to be admired like a ‘form’ or an ‘ideal’, but is something liveable and real...something that delivers results.
I have to beat Keaton Saint and go on to win Test For The Best because it matters to me that what we do and how we do it means something and isn’t just words and posturing. I have to beat Keaton Saint because I will not be just another wrestler who fought with valour but always choked when it mattered most.
It may surprise many people to hear me say this, but it is the truth. I will make Keaton Saint my enemy because for all his merits, he is the symbol of failure.
As far as I am concerned, failure is my enemy.
