Countdown to Rasslemania #1: Countdown

[Smash INC]

Keaton Saint in...
Countdown to Rasslemania #1: Countdown

Contract - Round One

Keaton had entered Survive & Conquer at number 34, he placed at a number only the most hardcore wrestling statisticians would remember. It was a reflection of Saint's existence in APW as a whole.

Since joining APW Keaton had been fulfilling an internal requirement to face some of the most talented wrestlers in the world and attempt to prove just where he stood in comparison. From a business standpoint it had done wonders, the near-legendary status of Keaton's match with Level One in the 2009 Experts Extreme Tournament had created a hype around their eventual clash on TV. The match in 2009 was held in front of a very small group of people and had only ever been available on underground torrent sites ever since that day, many knew of the match but few had ever seen the uncut footage. Keaton Saint taking on Level One had drawn a huge amount of interest which was only truly surpassed by Keaton's feud with Terry Marvin. The business of wrestling was good, the actual wrestling part wasn't anywhere near as kind for Keaton.

Keaton Saint arrived in 2012 as an international superstar, he opened up 2013 as a solid and somewhat dependable APW wrestler. Survive & Conquer 2013 represented Keaton's existence in APW up to that point. It was in a word, disappointing. To further burn this into his mind, the eventual winner of the Survive & Conquer match felt like a cosmic joke at his expense. Terry Marvin's victory capped off a year that had seen him become the centre of the APW universe, a man who would now have everything available to him when renewing his contract. Being the centre of the universe essentially made him an irresistible force.

Keaton had long wondered what would have happened if Rasslemania or Mayhem went differently, it wasn't a thought he wanted to stay in his head for too long as the time to change it had passed a very long time ago. The spectre of Marvin's victory loomed however, a constant reminder that he had choices available to him that Keaton did not. It wasn't just Terry Marvin however, Sally Talfourd placed second in the biggest match of the year from an outside perspective so when she sat down at the negotiating table she would also have options that Keaton did not.

Finally there was TJ, Keaton would team with him on Asylum but the reality of the matter was that TJ's stock had risen considerably in the past few months. It may not have been as dramatic as Phil Atken becoming the World Heavyweight Champion but TJ had cemented himself as the 'Knockout King' of the Tap Out division. TJ had elevated himself, he had risen much like a Pillar should and now he would have the options available to him that few wrestlers ever do.

After all, you don't refuse a champion.

It wasn't about the money, Keaton knew that intimately. It was about the ability to control your own destiny, to have a choice in who you fought and who you competed against. For Keaton Saint it wasn't a matter of how much his annual guarantee was but of who he would face in the future. Marvin would face the absolute best that Overdrive had to offer much like Atken would on Asylum, Sally would have the virtue of her status and her recent endeavours allowing her any match she wanted. TJ would be able to defend what belonged to him up until someone's claim to the gold became stronger than his own. Keaton was left with the rest and as talented as they were, they were not the best. There was a reason that Keaton Saint still believed in himself as the Paragon and the Patron Saint, the only way he could prove himself as a model of excellence would be to face the absolute best and overcome them. It was something he had failed to fully accomplish in APW since he became a megastar. What mattered in wrestling was how you performed on the big stages and Keaton Saint had failed to win when it came to the crunch.

The model of excellence was a model of mediocrity, Survive & Conquer hammered that point home before Keaton's contract renewal appointment came in. It was then that he was faced with the reality from an outside perspective, Keaton had his own ideas about what needed to happen but the proposed contract was different to his internal beliefs.

It was why Keaton turned the contract renewal down, it was also why he ripped it in half and advised the attendees to consider recycling it for something worth putting on paper. It was why he took his leave, but not without informing those present that he had until Rasslemania to show that he still had time to do something big. It was why he said that Asylum in Vancouver marked the countdown for his career in APW.

Keaton looked at his bare wrist as if to reinforce the idea to himself and everyone watching that the countdown for the Paragon to regain control of his destiny had begun.

[==========]

Pillar Talk

TJ had almost bolted himself to the wall as he waited for Keaton Saint to finish with his contract negotiations. It wasn't business as usual for the Soul of Philly, who had today become the centrepiece of a Vancouver office wall. A casual onlooker may have mistakenly assumed that his station was to protect whatever was inside the room rather than observe what was going on inside. TJ could hear most of the ongoing spectacle inside the room, which is why he wasn't surprised when Keaton came out of it with a sour expression.

"It wasn't what I hoped for." Keaton straightened himself out and shook his head as he reflected on what had just occurred during his contract negotiations.

"You think?" TJ spoke with the slightest hint of sarcasm.

"Maybe I was expecting too much, but that just practically told me I'd lose my vote in who I face." Keaton stated as he signed himself and TJ out of the building.

"I still don't see why ya wanted me here." TJ mused as he exited the building with Keaton following closely behind.

"Honestly, I wanted to make sure you understood something." Keaton pointed towards his left. "The place we're going to is this way."

"Yeah." TJ acknowledged the directions and strode side-by-side with Keaton. "Y'know, I gotta say that my way of negotiating is better."

"Think that's a negotiation?" Keaton smirked.

"A bad one, yeah." TJ let out a hearty laugh.

"I guess you don't know everything about me yet." Keaton began laughing along with TJ.

"I know enough." TJ stated.

"Fair enough, I meant to ask you how much you heard." Keaton cocked his head towards TJ before facing forward again.

"Plenty." TJ responded confidently.

"Good, then at least you know that it's not like I was turning down something small." Keaton sighed.

"Small?" TJ stopped in his tracks which prompted Keaton to do the same. "They offered you more in there than what I originally signed for."

"They'll offer you three times as much whenever you're next in." Keaton paused, as if debating his next sentence. "Assuming you're still champion by then, of course."

"Ya know anyone that can step to me?" TJ mused as he sized up invisible challengers and swatted them down with straight punches that would make a boxer jealous. "Ain't nobody taking this away from me. I'll knock them out faster than Raab can tweet."

"Wait." Keaton clicked his fingers. "Has he said anything recently?"

"Has he said anything?" TJ laughed as if the thought of Raab not saying anything was impossible. "Take a look at this!"

"Oh yeah." Keaton looked at the screen of the phone thrust in his direction and sure enough, Stefan Raab was busy making enemies on Twitter. In this case he was continuing to antagonise TJ.

StefanRaabAPW
@soulofphillyapw Call the cops, I don't give a fuck.
#DeathByRaab #Raabtastic #BetterThanAPW @apwefed

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"At least he don't give up." TJ said as he retrieved his phone. "Gonna make it all the better when I make him WISH he had amnesia."

"It's admirable in some small, twisted way." Keaton mused. "But that's getting away from my original point."

"Ya don't say." TJ laughed as he put his phone back into his pocket.

"Well, allow me to divert this back." Keaton nodded.

"Sure." TJ replied.

"That whole thing just now, I wanted you to be absolutely sure that I just gambled my career on how the next couple of months turn out." Keaton sighed. "I was offered something in there that would make the Meltdown guys spit out their drinks and I turned it down because I believe, no, I am sure I can do better by Rasslemania."

"I believe ya." TJ spoke, contemplating the gravity of the situation.

"So at least I've done my part there." Keaton paused. "Here's where I might come across as condescending."

"I've lasted this long." TJ said with a hint of sarcasm.

"You're lucky I'm even telling you where this gym is." Keaton laughed. "Pillar or not, you're getting some knowledge here that even Sally would kill for."

"Ya know I have my own spot." TJ responded.

"It's also not in Canada." Keaton said flatly. "At least with this you don't have to waste time dealing with the travel before Asylum."

"Cool." TJ nodded, agreeing somewhat with what Keaton said.

"Anyhow, I bet you're feeling good about yourself considering how the last few weeks have been." Keaton smiled.

"Yeah, everything has been--" TJ stopped himself as he felt something hit his shoulder. "Did ya just hit me?"

"I did." Keaton replied.

"I've been hit harder by children than what ya just did." TJ burst out laughing.

"Nice to know since I wasn't aiming to hurt you." Keaton said, shaking his head slightly.

"What?" TJ stopped himself.

"I'm making a point of saying that you're not untouchable." Keaton stated.

"Goddamn, of course I know that!" TJ exclaimed, shocked at Keaton's train of thought.

"That's good." Keaton paused. "It takes more to recognise who you are at times like these, when the success can get to your head. That's why I'm trying to ensure I'm as honest as possible here without coming across as condescending."

"Ya were called a legend, I ain't gonna ignore your words." TJ nodded his head, deep in thought.

"Do I look like a myth?" Keaton asked.

"Ya look like a wrestler." TJ replied.

"At least a wrestler is real." Keaton said. "That's what this is all about, keeping ourselves grounded and real when everything around us changes. It doesn't matter how good or bad something is as long as you don't let it sway your core, adapt to it all you want but don't change yourself."

"I get that, it don't take much to see that I'm still the SOUUUUUUUUUUL--" TJ began to burst into his trademark speech.

"--Save that for the cameras." Keaton interjected. "That's a lot louder than I expected."

"Ya sure I didn't break your dainty little ears there?" TJ slapped his thigh as he laughed.

"The comedy van is over there." Keaton pointed behind himself before pointing forward to a different destination. "But our port is over there."

"It's about time too!" TJ proclaimed as Keaton opened the door to the gym.

"You'll like this place, it's quiet." Keaton opened his hands as if presenting the inside of the gym to TJ.

"How quiet?" TJ posed the question.

"We'll probably be the only guys in there." Keaton replied.

"That's real nice." TJ nodded.

"Did I ever tell you why you're a better champion than Terry Marvin?" Keaton asked TJ as he exchanged a few words with the gym owner.

"No, but ya gotta say something now." TJ smirked.

"I'm being serious." Keaton reaffirmed his previous words.

"Oh yeah?" TJ shrugged.

"The one thing that Terry Marvin did right was that he approached every challenger as a threat, I'll tell you exactly why he did that too." Keaton spoke as he pointed over to a set of sliding doors.

"I thought you hated the guy." TJ stated as he opened the doors to reveal a large array of weights and weightlifting equipment.

"I don't know if I do, not after I came to my conclusion." Keaton looked to the ceiling, pondering his own words.

"Which is?" TJ looked over to Keaton expecting a quick answer.

"Terry Marvin is scared of every challenger that comes his way." Keaton began to consider his words. "He approaches everyone as a threat because he's scared of what they can take."

"So what you're saying is?" TJ looked quizzically at Keaton.

"That you're not like that, the moment I knew you were a proper champion and a better one than Terry Marvin was when you stated your intent." Keaton nodded.

"I'm only playing to my strengths." TJ flexed his arms almost on instinct.

"But you went out and said it anyhow, it takes something deeply ingrained in yourself to be able to go out and proclaim that you can, you will and you must." Keaton paused. "That was when you cemented yourself because now every threat is something you respect rather than fear, every possible challenger is welcome rather than avoided and the fans know that you're legitimate rather than someone who lives on statistics."

"Knocking people out is what I do." TJ motioned to deliver an uppercut, finishing off a foe that only his mind could describe.

"Making them tap is my thing." Keaton smiled. "And before you say anything, I know you can beat Williams already but I still want to take care of Hopkins."

"Wanna prove yourself to the fans?" TJ mused.

"I aim to do that every time I'm out there.." Keaton paused. "But if I make him tap then I'm practically sticking a middle finger up to Juan Ramirez."

"Who the hell is Juan Ramirez?" TJ paused as he looked for his own answer and realised he had none.

"Ah." Keaton laughed. "That's a story for another time. Although I stand by what I said, I want to make Hopkins tap."

"Why don't ya stick a camera in your face and tell him?" TJ smirked.

"I could, but I fear he'd ignore it as some sort of generic promotional material." Keaton shook his head. "But I can tell you and you can hold me to this one, I'm gonna put it all out there to make Hopkins tap because he's not going to beat us in that ring."

"Oh yeah, why is that?" TJ asked.

"Because I bet my life on it." Keaton stated with intent, exchanging a silent nod with TJ as they both began to place weights on a set of barbells, a sense of camaraderie and competitiveness being shared in the process.

Fade to a renewed sense of purpose.