The One vs. “Burned in Blood” Konrad Raab

[Konrad Raab]

Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Sunday 13th November. (Off-Camera)

Today, I saw the bridge broken in pieces; half of it got broken, preventing many people from going to the other side to get to specific destinations. Over the last few days, I've been busy building a lot of tents and talking to more residents about the situation that happened over the previous three months in Sindh. Still, I arrived in Gilgit-Baltistan to fix a bridge known as Hassanabad. It makes me sick that I'm the only person outside of Pakistan willing to help, more so how much there is to be fixed.

I've already decided to come back here during the Christmas holidays because things are so bad here. I wish I could've come earlier, but Wrestling and NASCAR got in the way of that. I'm here now, so that's what matters. I have rescued a few more people since I came here and provided them with the food they are receiving from America because it's all from me. Of course, they get fresh water supplies as well.

That's how much I take climate change seriously and for me to take part along with five hundred other workers and helpers who spoke English of Ajimal and Mohammed, mainly when translating the Pakistani language from the homeless people in Sindh city. I had to go to other areas of the flooded parts of Pakistan for the next few days.

But this was a big task as everyone huddled around and went into a big team meeting with Ajimal and Mohammed, translating everything the leader of the project going by the name of Hashim, said. It would be a lot of work, especially when we needed to use moving cranes, floating cranes, bridge booms and hydro platforms to get under the bridge. Hashim told people to stay at certain ends, but regarding me, Mohammed and Ajimal, Hashim told us to go to the other side.

We had to go on the boat to the other side and start to work on the build. The equipment to build it was on the other side already, steel metal pipes for constructing the bridge that will never be broken as glaciers that held the bridge completely collapsed and wasn't doable. Many of us went on a large boat to the other side, and we started building.

Mohammed: "It takes a huge amount of guts to do a lot of work you've done back in Sindh, but to do this as well, we can't admire that enough."

Ajimal: "I still can't believe you're here from Germany to take this massive job."

Konrad Raab: "Beats being at home and only caring about myself, that's for sure. I can't do this in the wrestling world. I got trashed and not cared about when I thought of others and disliked them."

I had to be careful with words. I was always angry with wrestlers for treating me like a piece of shit, but I nearly swore, and I had to keep that under control, considering how difficult it was for me to do that due to my Tourette's Syndrome that I couldn't stop swearing. I had to take deep breaths to avoid using it because I showed respect to the Muslim community. So we all got a piece of metal pipes and placed them at the start of the bridge.

Mohammed: "It shows you want to help. I understand it must not be easy to be a professional wrestler to be nice to everyone, but I think something triggers you to be nasty, and from what I've seen, you're not a bad guy."

Konrad Raab: "I'm only an asshole to wrestlers, not non-wrestlers outside the ring. I can't stand wrestlers. Especially they would find me helping you guys build a bridge, one big joke like wrestlers take about Climate Change. I'd do anything to help more than give you guys money. I decided something last night about what I'm going to do for Christmas."

Ajimal: "What's that?"

Konrad Raab: "I'm coming back here during Christmas to help you guys because you need it."

Mohammed: "Wow, you're a nice guy. If only wrestlers saw that in you."

Konrad Raab: "Yeah, but they don't get it. I have nothing in common with them. It's hard to say words because I have to respect this country. So, not using swear words is hard; I got Tourette's Syndrome. I'm always angry, but instead of angry, I felt sad when I came here and cried my eyes out on Thursday at the hotel."

I knew I had to continue working, and I did for a bit, even if I was emotionally torn up by the damage the weather had caused. Although this case was the heat, Pakistan has gone through such hard times lately and being here to rebuild this bridge means more than many people go through. I have played with kids here for an hour a day, but I wish there were more hours to play with them and build things.

I was sweating a lot with this heat, and I could understand why the glaciers fell apart. I need to withstand the heat just for the sake of the people and get this bridge done so people can walk across the bridge to get to and from places. The project's leader saw that the number of metal pipes we placed on the bridge was arduous to hold into place and construct. It was a hard job, but one needed doing. I couldn't imagine how America, when the bridge collapsed in the flooding, could do this such hard work.

Ajimal: "I never thought you were an emotional guy; you don't seem like it."

Konrad Raab: "I'm very emotional, especially regarding things like this. I never built bridges in my life, so I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm doing it to benefit the country, to help Pakistanis get across the bridge to get to and from places."

Mohammed: "Along with getting to buy food and drink as well. Where we are, many shops would benefit a lot of people."

Ajimal: "I feel people don't understand you because of your strong German accent. We know that feeling when it comes to speaking in English. Nobody understands us and what we need help with."

Konrad Raab: "That's most likely why you don't get help. Sickens me, to be honest."

I wanted to tell them what I had planned back in Germany regarding other nationalities in wrestling getting ignored. I've noticed that only Americans, Canadians, British, Japanese and Australians get into the sport. I'm going to tell them that we had floating cranes, bridge booms and hydro platforms that just arrived to start from the bottom of the bridge building.

Konrad Raab: "Even when I noticed the nationality of wrestlers coming in, it's all from the English-speaking countries. You barely get countries like here, Germany, France, Italy, and China, just countries that would benefit the sport that no wrestler can be bothered to get things going in those countries to inspire. But that's changing sooner than later; everyone, but UK, American, Canadian, Australian and Japanese wrestlers, can come to my and my twin brother's wrestling and racing school. We will give a chance to wrestlers and even car racers from countries that wrestling and car racing aren't well known in."

Ajimal: "If I didn't lose the strength, I would love to be a professional wrestler, but it's so much money, and we'd have to go to Saudi or India to get there."

Konrad Raab: "We will cater to Pakistan. I mean, a few kids here did want to be wrestlers. Anyway, I hope my being here will inspire people to be wrestlers because of the work I've done here."

Mohammed: "You're a NASCAR driver, too, from my discovery."

Konrad Raab: "That I am, and that's going to go farther than what I've done this year. I'm going to be a NASCAR Xfinity Series regular-season title contender. Won a few races this year. But my job now is getting this bridge fixed."

It would take a lot of hours to get this fixed, especially since we would have to get breaks here and there, but I didn't want to break, not even to eat lunch. I came to help, and sure, I talked about wrestling, but I had to tell them my plan, and they liked it. I would welcome any Pakistani person, male or female, if they ever wanted to become professional wrestlers. However, I got quite a bit of attention from other workers, well, ones who could understand English which was few.

Hashim told me to go on the floating crane by Hashim via Ajimal translation. We stopped and let the other workers build the bridge on land. We climbed up, and Ajimal took the controls while I was the guy because they saw I could be better at climbing; while wearing a hard hat, I put the metal pieces together with Ajimal's help. I got right under, seeing the damage of how the bridge broke into pieces.

Three hours into the job, some parts were coming together, and some bits were built, but still had a long way to go, and part of me thought that it would take more than just today to reconstruct this critical bridge. Hashim saw I was better off being on the crane ladder to put pieces together; it wasn't anything different from climbing wrestling ladders; only the machine on the crane moves for you. Of course, I was given equipment to put things together, but this was an excellent job for me.

Ajimal: "Hashim said you've done a lot for us today with the bridge and knew you would be good going on the crane on a ladder to fix things."

Konrad Raab: "He must've known about me being a wrestler then. It's no different from climbing ladders, just a lot taller, is all."

We did this all day, and even if I didn't eat lunch, I didn't care because I wanted to help and always felt better after I had. It got dark at five in the evening when Hashim told us to get off the crane, and it was half done. It took eight long hours to get where we are with the bridge, knowing we couldn't complete it today as much as I wanted to. Hashim praised us, or it seemed like it was, as he patted my shoulder when we returned to where we needed to be.

Mohammed: "I agree; you've done a great job with the bridge building. We love your being a part of the team and being able to know you and doing this job."

Konrad Raab: "Climate Change is my passion, and I can go without food in a good cause like this to improve lives. I quite enjoyed the hard work of rebuilding this incredible bridge. It's a shame I have to go to other parts of Pakistan tomorrow, but if the bridge isn't built when I come back here for Christmas, I will be back to help."

Ajimal: "We'd love that, and Hashim said you're more than welcome anytime to come back and help finish off the bridge if we don't get it done in time."

Konrad Raab: "Hopefully, with help from all of us and the workers here and on the other side, it will get rebuilt quickly, and you won't need me for the task. I'm exhausted; better get back to the hotel in Islamabad to get some rest and something to eat."

Mohammed: "Thank you once again for helping these guys. We'll come to other places in Pakistan with you tomorrow to help because we're inspired to help more parts of Pakistan cos of you. See you tomorrow."

I nodded as the boat picked me up since everything was flooded entirely to go by car to go halfway and then get the car straight back to Islamabad to get something to eat and honestly, think how hard it was for me not to swear today. Still, I had to go by the laws here and saying bad words could land me in trouble. I was sweaty from the work I had to do with the bridge rebuilding, so I got in the shower before ordering some food and then headed straight to bed.

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Austin, Texas. Monday 16th January (Off-Camera)

It's been a long damn time since I got into a NASCAR car again, but it was a request from Brad, who wanted me to get comfortable with doing road courses, although I had one more day to test and then doing NASCAR photo shoots and a video for the match on Wednesday. It was one busy week, so I got the chance to relax in my motorhome after doing so many laps. Brad said I did slightly better but still need more time on road course racing. Luckily I have tomorrow for that. However, as I ate pasta with vegan chicken, I watched a film called Backdraft, where people burn homes on fire. It's something I've gotten addicted to the last few weeks now.

I may end up going with Burned In Blood nickname for life because I didn't want to be associated with Selena and Deanna Frost with the Ice nickname anymore. I smirked as I got the mace I always carry, but with a few modifications. Instead of a grey steel metal pipe, I got in a red steel pipe shaped like a fire. I loved the backdraft film, and as I watched it, I cleared my throat, not wanting to take my eye off the TV.

Konrad Raab: "Nobody in SCW knows what's coming for them, especially that fucking bitch, Kandis. She has no clue whatsoever about me wanting to fucking burn her. But what I said on Breakdown last week, I fucking meant it. I'm now dreaming about burning things down and seeing people drip with blood and burns all over the place."

I smirked as I talked to myself since I rarely ever got alone time. It was a nice change as my loved one was at college, studying for the NASCAR engineering and spotter course, and everyone else was busy. But I had intense dreams of blood and fire of buildings being burnt down, especially watching an arsonist doing so.

Konrad Raab: "That guy is what I will end up being. What Kayla or Kim did was the best part of the show; I loved seeing CHBK's house on fire. How I masturbated on the excitement I got from watching it burn to the ground. How I dream of trapping Kandis in her own home and getting her to be fucking burnt. Or even better, I lock down the Nationwide arena and burn everyone in it, even myself, since I embrace that shit, just like this dude who starts fires and causes arson."

I licked my lips as I got excited about the idea last week I made in my mind, although I wish I were facing Kandis instead of Lucy One, which I called her recently because I don't buy the name The One when it's full of bullshit when nobody believes in her fucking crap. I certainly don't believe it's the only name she has. But it should be Kandis, not The One, who isn't at the top of my targets. I banged my fist on the table.

Konrad Raab: "I want everyone to feel the pain I go through every fucking day of the flames and the blood; it's a terrible combination to have, but at the same time, a much stronger and deadly version of me and my vision for what I deemed to be hell. I want to burn Nationwide arena on Thursday to send a goddamn message and maybe burn Kandis too. Of course, that fucking idiot Reginald Dampshaw had no business with me, but I'll burn his ass too, leaving him and Kandis in their blood with their bodies of burns too."

I laughed like a maniac as the mace wasn't the only weapon I'll have with me anymore. I pulled out of my bag a specially designed fire and blood lighter, and I've not tested it yet, but that will come later on, how deadly the thing will be. I enjoyed every minute as I rocked back and forth on the sofa, playing with my hands, pretending my hands were on fire.

Konrad Raab: "I would love if my hands not only cause people to bleed but to start fires too. I guess I've always thrown punches like I was on fire. I thought about putting red as my hair dye colour to make it as seem I'm in love with flames. Besides, as I said, it will make people see the new me. Not the idiot people step up to, but one who they will fear, one they will never want to mess with. I've ended multiple careers of professional wrestlers, but I want more than that. Do I want the power of SCW? Yes, the more I thought about it, honestly. Because no top guy wants to face me, and if I do what I plan to do, maybe they'll beat the shit out of me, cause me to bleed and cause burns."

I loved being on my own and talking about things I couldn't say, considering The One will be my focus when I quickly go to Chicago on Wednesday and do a video for the match. I closed my eyes for a bit, envisioning the dream I had last night of seeing flames at Nationwide arena with me using gasoline all over the building before lighting it on fire.

Konrad Raab: "I hate every single person in that damn arena, and nobody is going to stop me, and that's the thing that makes me so deadly, even more so than Xander, who always had a manager with him to stop him from doing shit, but no one will stop me. I will trigger fires on my own with Reginald Dampshaw and Kandis in the same fucking room. After the match against The One, SCW can say goodbye to their stupid boring wrestling, where I will be the talk of the town, where everyone will fear me and see me for what I truly am, a psychotic, evil, fire-loving bastard. An arsonist. Just like my dad planned to do with me when I was ten years old, to burn me alive in his home, only I will do it much bigger, even more effectively than when Giovanni did it. You wait and see motherfuckers."

I laughed again evilly as I flickered the lighter more than once, even placing the flame on my skin as I loved the pain I felt. I loved that burns can make anyone bleed, even myself. If someone were to burn me, I wouldn't be screaming; I would laugh and enjoy it. Everyone else, however, especially that big ass bitch and an unknown overrated bastard, will cry and hate me more than ever. I will make sure I will face Kandis next time I wrestle in the ring, whether she's champion or not. The film finished, and I turned the TV off and went straight to sleep for the next day of NASCAR testing work to improve road course racing.