A New Path #1: A New Path

[Smash INC]

Keaton Saint in
A New Path #1: A New Path

October 30th, 2012: Reflection on One Night in Hell

Before I went into the chamber, I was told a lot of things about my placement and what I was expected to do. Most of them were things I already knew to an extent, I didn't deserve to be given the opportunity and I wasn't going to be able to walk right in and dominate. There were other things said as well, some of which I wouldn't repeat in my own head let alone out loud but it all came down to a simple rule of thumb. Everything I was being told was as clear as someone explaining that water is a liquid. It was obvious, obvious enough that I already knew the vast majority of the how, the when and the why.

I did not deserve to be granted a placement in the chamber, but that was my calling. The fact that I was there, the fact that I was able to perform to my best was evidence that I was one of the few who could use the opportunity and run with it. It was never going to be something I expected to walk in and win, my skills and abilities have hit a ceiling and I'm fully aware that to be the champion on Asylum takes more than what I currently offer.

I went into the chamber knowing that any eyes on me would be evaluating my worth for now and for the future, as a match it was a ferocious and hellish competition but it was more than that for me. My career was on the line, my name value was going to rise or fall depending on how I did. the lack of a victory denies me the championship but I like to feel as if I put myself out there again. Keaton Saint is marching again, more than ever and that is the start of something much better for my career and for my impact on the sport.

I outlasted some and was outlasted by others, twists and turns within the match gave us all something to follow up on. I've got a clear path out of hell now and I will walk it. I like to feel as if I opened a door with the way I wrestled and that open door leads to something new, it's time to be another inmate in the Asylum.

But first I will close the door on my Overdrive endeavours.

==========

November 2nd: The Ladder Chapter

Nothing says kill yourself like a #1 contendership match TLC bonanza, it's a match that few would dare to watch and even less would dare to compete in. It takes something special to be able to face a match like this head-on, it'll take even more to conquer it.

I've always had the feeling most people understood the basics of what a ladder match meant in wrestling, don't let the TLC moniker fool you because this is all about the ladder and the ascension it entails.

It never ceases to amaze me how many fans of wrestling hold a ladder match of some kind as their favourite of all time, I might be one of the few who believe that the best matches are the pure competitive encounters but ladder matches always hold something extra. I think that has to be what leads the fans to bask in the light of it all. But that is getting away from the matter at hand, TLC is announced and the prospect of a title opportunity is at stake. This is a match and a chance that towers above pretty much everything I've competed in, Survive and Conquer tends to top those lists just by sheer spectacle but this match has much more personality to it because it's APW-centric, it's ours and by the end of it I want that shot to be mine.

TLC, contract on the line and a chance to ignite the imaginations of everyone in Lexington and around the world. As great as this match is for providing memories, it's just as bad in causing injuries and shortening careers in the ring. Nothing proves just how far a wrestler is willing to go in the sport than a match like this one, nothing says that they will damn near kill themselves JUST to have a chance, not a guarantee but a chance at glory. We're in the sport of making memories but that comes at a price, the price is our bodies and our lives. Mine as well as those of my opponents is at stake but I'm not here to give my body for nothing in return. Whether you look at it as the mantra of the Patron Saint of Wrestling or just a statement by a man fuelled by his own belief, I am here to win and I am here to prove that I can ascend in the chaos of Asylum.

Of course, I'm not the only one aiming to do that and when you look at the field you can see the depth of competition right away. Even when it comes to names I'm not as familiar with as I should be I recognise just how stacked this match is. I've seen enough of TJ, Jair Hopkins and Yarmouth to know that on the right occasion they can contend with the best of wrestling. This might be one of those nights where they decide it's time to level things up a notch. I may not be as familiar with them as others but that does not mean I expect anything less from them. They'll get the best of Keaton Saint in this one, just like any opponent I face.

If there is a name that describes any opponent, it's Phil Atken. With the events leading up to One Night in Hell, Phil Atken said something that affected me more than I would ever had expected from him. On the night of the match, Phil Atken was closer than myself to becoming the champion. On two fronts he proved himself to be the better man, mentally and physically he proved to a hell of a lot of people out there that he had everything it took to become the best on the brand. He might not hold the title, but he has my respect for going out there and doing what he did. The problem now is that we all know what he's capable of and unless Phil Atken decides to step it up another notch, I might be someone in the match who has him covered. We are both driven individuals, but if I have to drive myself harder and faster I know I will. The contract is more than enough of a reason to do so.

This match isn't built on one reason alone, I've got more than my share of reasons to go out there and succeed in the match. One of them is being able to get one over on the fabled political savant, Michael Callahan. He's still an ambulance-chaser in another life but in this one he's my opponent. Maybe it's because I'm more impressed by Atken's performance in the chamber or maybe it's because I still have a certain amount of sneering disrespect to Callahan but I'll admit it any day of the week. There is just a little something about Michael Callahan that I don't like. This doesn't give me a free opportunity to smash a chair into his skull nor does it allow me a chance to focus on extracting some small sense of glee from ensuring he doesn't make it past the first rung, but it does indicate that when the bell rings I will do everything to him that I set out to do in this match. Michael Callahan isn't Keaton Saint, he's not the man or the wrestler that I am. Keaton Saint is VERY real and Michael Callahan will understand the meaning of this on the night when our forces collide. I'll do whatever it takes to beat him, I know I can do it.

I've beaten Slade Craven before, I faced him enough in a short span of time that even I felt as if I had run out of things to say and do. When it comes to a one-on-one match I don't think Craven and myself could ever go any further than we already have. That matter is settled, at least for now. Naturally I don't need to tell anyone that this is not a singles encounter and the usual rules don't apply, sure I can and I HAVE beaten Slade Craven but what matters here is how I approach him AND everyone else in the match. even if there was one absolute standout wrestler amongst the crowd in this, they would still have to contend with the same puzzling situation I have to look at. This isn't a regular match by any stretch, it demands focus far beyond the norm and that forces us all to bring something extra into the match. The chaos rises and I am tasked with providing a counterbalance of order to it, one against many and yet we're all joined in the task of becoming the best. It doesn't matter who I can or could beat, it matters how I approach THIS match and everything in it.

It all comes down to who can rise to the occasion, for me the Asylum doors are already open but the penthouse suite is right at the top rung of the ladder. If I can attain that and grasp the contract with my own hands then Christmas will have indeed come early. I get to close a door on Overdrive so I can face this match fully and be open to every possibility.

I march, but come the first ring of that bell I shall climb and I shall make the ascension as much as I can. Because of who I am and what I do, this Saint is ready to create a lasting impression.

==========

November 5th, 2012: Bonfire

Guy Fawkes.

Infamous historical character for one, immortalised in more than one form. The face of anonymity and a burning effigy on this night. I'm a sucker for Bonfire Night even if I'm in America, even if I have to be the one to make the bonfire.

A couple of years back on this very night, another celebration occurred on the same date. they always say to remember the fifth of November but I could never forget what it was like in 2010. Diwali really did amp up the proceedings on that night, competition that pushed the boundaries of excellent fireworks to a different level because everyone wanted theirs to burn brightest.

That competition is something I dwell on every so often, it's an interesting moment to ponder. I look back at the recent match at One Night in Hell, my final appearance on Overdrive and the TLC at Asylum and what I think of is one simple thing. Can I be the one to burn the brightest? I love the chances I have to compete in this sport, I adore the opportunity to do something GOOD for the sport as a whole and I welcome the TLC match not just because it's an ascension but because it provides an opportunity to burn brighter than ever.

Maybe I'll burn myself too fast in the process but the competition is there and it welcomes those who are willing to go the distance, Bonfire Night throws up thousands of exploding reasons in the air why it matters to do something big and important. It's not always a marathon in the ring, sometimes you have to do something in an unforgettable instant. It's a calling and it's something I believe we've all got within us.

Asylum will come, the ladder will be there and I will burn brightest in the end. Never to be forgotten.

==========

November 10th, 2012: An Attempt At Closure

I wanted to provide a proper closure before I faced the new challenge.

I'll happily admit that now, even if I had to spend hours unconscious and then spend more resting in a medical centre. It's not my usual training regime but like anything in wrestling, it takes those who can adapt to make the most of it.

When a door closes, another one opens but this time it went the other way. An opportunity presented itself to me and in order to take it on I had to close a chapter of my career, I had to close the door on something I wasn't completely sure on ending. However I took the chance, I made the jump to Asylum and because of my actions I wanted to close the door on my past in the right way. I'm the kind of guy who wants to make sure that when I leave, the door is closed gently and a thank you note is left on the handle. Overdrive was good to me regardless of my standing, Overdrive was a weekly test of my abilities in a way that truly pushed me to the edge and beyond.

For a long time that was everything I wanted. I believed that much in the challenge that I did not stop to think about whether I was progressing as a wrestler. My move to Asylum is reflective of my desire to become a better wrestler, a better representative for the fans of this sport. Challenge alone is not enough and right now Asylum has more than just a test for my abilities, there is also the encouragement to progress that I was not looking at enough on Overdrive.

Regardless, the Overdrive chapter of my career is over but I am still disappointed I was unable to end my stint on the brand in the way I would have liked.

What I wanted from Overdrive was a moment to acknowledge the fans, to thank them for supporting me throughout my time there and to bring that chapter of my time in APW to a proper close. I do this for them and if there's one factor of this sport I appreciate and respect the most, it's the fans. So I wanted to make something of my last appearance and ensure that I went out in the right fashion, to make sure my exit was in the right way and to prove that I wasn't jumping to Asylum just because there was a title opportunity on offer.

Clearly, someone or something took offence to that. I didn't get to say my piece on Overdrive and the time to say those things has come and gone. that moment can't be given back and I can't reclaim it, so I have to move on. the Overdrive door closed in a way that I'm not proud of, an unconscious visit to some place in D.C. Where I've had to deal with the possibility of not being able to make the TLC match. that hurt, thankfully whoever was responsible didn't do enough damage to halt my progression to Asylum. I'm still hurt, but those wounds are mental rather than physical. Those wounds can be overcome by my own self-belief.

the closure I could not get on Overdrive will have to be achieved on Asylum, my path may be a new one but my intent is just as complete as it was before. I'm still a wrestler, I'm still ready to take on whatever I must face and I'm still in this for the fans. I am the Patron Saint of Professional Wrestling and no assault will ever change that. No tables, no ladders and certainly no chairs will either. What I say, I mean and what I mean is what I will do. These words are just as real as I am.

Actions speak louder than words and they will speak far louder on Asylum, as I endeavour to do something that secures my name in the history books. I can't see a better way to start this new path of mine than coming into a match that demands so much and achieving even more than that. I've caused offence simply by wanting to respect the fans, I want to cause a lot more offence to whoever that attacker was by coming into Asylum, taking the contract for myself and signing my name in an act that denies them any sort of victory.

I've been beaten before but I have always risen to the occasion, I am as unbreakable then as I am now and nothing will change that fact. I've been knocked down, but I got back up and I'm ready to do some damage. This Saint walks, this Saint marches on and this Saint will do everything he can to ascend.

I'm more than just another inmate of the Asylum.