Indy Five Hundred preperations/The Real Deal discussion with Solom and beating a Real Deal Wrestler.

Indianapolis, Indiana. Friday 16th May (Off-Camera)

It's been a busy few weeks since I decided to do this whole Indy five-hundred run since it would cause major issues next year when I become a NASCAR Cup Series driver full time and the truth was I could very well miss some ECE shows if there's rain delays to races on ovals that could happen on Mondays. I know that would be a major issue I need to talk to President Ervin about for next year's ECE wrestling schedule that it could happen right at the last minute that I would need to race.

While the NASCAR All Star race was on my mind because I had Josh Williams doing practice and qualifying for the race which I qualified for because I won Atlanta races last year and this year, on top of some other races for Cup Series I won last year. The point was I was able to be in it again for Kaulig Racing.

But that was for Sunday, today was solely on doing more practice times, but this time, it's known as fast Friday where we get the chance as Indycar drivers to receive Turbocharger that we didn't get on other practice days where it was mostly about getting the feeling for the car and make changes. Saying that, I also saw how dangerous and life threatening this Indycar is which is something a lot of wrestlers neglect and ignore how dangerous this was. I saw at first a driver called Marcus Armstrong having a pretty big crash at turn one which honestly wasn't that bad.

But he had injuries from the crash and could now miss the Indy five hundred race altogether, but he got out fine, but that wasn't the worst crash I saw. My team mate and friend Colton Herta, he had a nasty crash as he spun to the wall and not only that, but his car flipped over and Colton basically landed on his head. It's beyond belief how me, Mario Andretti, Marcus Ericsson and Kyle Kirkwood were stunned to see how Colton was up and walking like nothing happened. Also how professional he did that interview as well.

Of course this was much earlier in the day and I'm still in shock how Colton Herta managed to walk away from that still alive and still able to compete with zero injuries. If this was back in the nineties or even early naughties, he would've died. Just shows how much safer these Indy-car's were. Did give me a bit of flashbacks of the crash I had with Kris Wright at Homestead Miami Xfinity Series race, but nowhere near that bad.

We had race meeting and after that, we could go back to our motorhomes. So I did and as I got there, Solom stood there, waiting for me as he knew I would be at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend for Indy five hundred race. I nodded and shook his hand as I unlocked my motorhome door and let myself and Solom in and then closed the doors as I took a can of Celsius out of the fridge and passed one to Solom. I closed it and sat down in the living room of my motorhome.

Solom: “Honestly, you were extremely rusty and nervous in the tag match.”

Konrad Raab: “Tell me about it because I'm just not used to failing a tag match that I would care about. I've taken losses in tag matches before, but none that I really cared about.”

Solom: “Oh Konrad, I thought we got rid of those shackles. But I guess you still need to get comfortable with them because the next team you and Doomsday may face, they aren't going to be afraid to expose that with you. But something senses that you're afraid of something else. Don't tell me that you're afraid of Indycar racing, are you?”

Konrad Raab: “No, but I feel like this because my friend and team mate Colton Herta had one hell of a crash and worried for my friend to see if he's got a concussion. It's beyond belief and shocking how he got out of that alive.”

I had to mention that to Solom because to make him aware of the dangers of motorsport and how people can be killed for doing it. I know he's here to talk about wrestling, but that crash reminded me of what Kris Wright did to me at Homestead-Miami. Still I knew I had to get over it quickly especially Solom wasn't here to mess about.

Solom: “I do fully understand why now you do this, it's taking a ton of risks and now I see why it's dangerous and you can be killed if you had one massive crash. The point is you know damn well I'm not here to talk about that, it's about Real Deal you're facing.”

Konrad Raab: “Yeah, I know he beat Jason Cross at Ring Of Dreams.”

Solom: “He's beaten a lot of big names in the past, even Crush so you better be on your ballgame this week, you can't for a second slip up and be locked in your shackles of darkness. I must admit though that I did get jealous somewhat of the fans reacting so loudly to you and Crush having a face off for the first time though. I got those reactions, but I have a history with Crush, you don't.”

Konrad Raab: “I guess it's because of me not losing thing. If I had lost matches, it wouldn't be a big deal. I know I may have pissed you off by saying I should be the ECE Heavyweight title contender, but it's only because I hear from fans saying it and not just wrestling fans, even racing fans too.”

I knew that I crossed the line and I do regret saying that, but it was all people were talking about, more than my confrontation with Sean Matthews who finally is interested facing me for the Intercontinental title. But Solom while did look a little pissed at me saw me wearing very different overalls to the ones he's used to seeing.

Solom: “No, I get it. Part of me was pissed when you said that, but I can't deny that Intercontinental title is holding you back from achieving darkness. I can't deny nothing you said was a lie, even from the fans. Just the reaction you got was wild. But remember that darkness you have in you to beat The Real Deal. He's beaten everyone, but me in the Dark Dominion.”

Konrad Raab: “I wasn't aware of that information. Interesting that he seems to be good, but to be honest, the only time I've seen him around is in the ring. Rarely see him backstage doing anything.”

Solom: “That is true, but you can't keep your eye off him as Jason, Lenny and Doomsday did. You got to put this Indycar and NASCAR stuff to the back of your mind when it comes to The Real Deal.”

Konrad Raab: “No problem, I got that covered and I even put the Sean Williams thing to the back of my mind as well.”

Solom nodded as he pats me on my back and leaves the motorhome, while Colton enters in my motorhome, wondering who that guy was as he had never met him before since when I started racing, Solom nor ECE was on my mind. So we got talking for a bit and looked around my motorhome. Played playstation five of NASCAR and we had a race together before he left to head back to his motorhome, while I got up and went to my anger room to let out frustrations for a couple of hours before I headed to bed, knowing I got qualifying potentially the next two days for Indy five-hundred, All Star Race and then wrestling against The Real Deal.

------------------------

Indianapolis, Indiana. Saturday 17th May. (On-Camera)

This time, I wasn't here for a NASCAR race which was strange for me to be sitting at Indianapolis Motor Speedway track instead of North Wilkesboro track for the NASCAR All Star race. But I was and I'm wearing very different overalls that people are used to seeing me wear with how silver it was with the IMSA, along with Indycar logos on it and a bit of NASCAR logo attached to it. It was six in the morning long before any racing got going as I managed to get ECE cameraman to come here instead of North Wilkesboro as he made a mistake, but got here just in time overnight. I was sitting in the grandstands with the start and finishing brick line and with the podium in front of me as well. I clicked on my pen and got my notebook out and started to write after the cameraman took the camera to see all over the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“The Real Deal huh? The Real Deal who's been on somewhat of a path recently with advancing to the finals of the ECE Global Heavyweight tournament. I hear from a source you've beaten nearly everyone in The Dark Dominion, including Doomsday in the past, that's remarkable and even beating Crush too? You're the third biggest threat I've had to face after Solom and PG 13 I've been put against and I'm not just saying that, that's the truth and it took me a bit of research to discover that. According to your website because yes I look at people's websites before I address my opponents to not make myself stupid, you've won the tag titles and you won the Southern Championship. Impressive stuff.”

But writing all that down, it only got me thinking, if he came so close to beating Crush for the ECE World Title and Doomsday for the Global title, why the lack of records apart from his win and losses tally. That's something I will question about as I saw him as a talented wrestler who quite frankly deserves better.

“But the problem is you've barely shown anything for it. Sure you've won the two titles in your career, but I wonder why that is. I wonder why you've not shown the fire to go for other titles, like challenging me for the Intercontinental title for an example or even HBR's United States title because you're way too good to have minimal efforts. Because beating Crush isn't easy, but it seems while you've beaten him and Doomsday in the past, you lost to them recently. Maybe because they've stepped up a lot since then and I can totally see how much Doomsday has turned around since joining Dark Dominion, but here's another problem I have with you. Why do I see you as a TJ Alexander of the world outside of here, just wrestle inside the wrestling ring without any sort of promotion for yourself?”

I know that might come across offensive to The Real Deal because he certainly was better than TJ Alexander by a long shot, but it was more that he just comes to wrestle and leaves. Never seen him backstage talking to anyone. I shook my hand, embracing the fresh air, away from everything, even the smell of petrol from the Indycar's.

“With all that charisma you show in your match discussions, I've never seen you backstage, interacting with wrestlers or even with Ervin himself. It's a shame because you should know better than just to wrestle to win matches. You see me backstage and appear on shows on every single X-Rated episode and every PPV. Not just because of the undefeated streak I got going on that I don't even try to bring up, but it's forced onto me by you wrestlers making me more arrogant than ever, but because of the big star I am, even outside of wrestling because I do racing as you can see here that I'm doing Indycar Indy five hundred race, the biggest stage of them all in Indycar as the saying goes. We're not puppets or following anyone, anymore. I know and recognise my undefeated streak will come to an end, but the question is not if, but when. I acknowledge this in every blog I write and you lot don't do anything about that.”

I shook my head and I know The Real Deal has been having a hard time getting wins lately, apart from against Jason Cross in the tournament. I had a drink of water before I shook my hand as it does get sore when I write a lot, especially how careful I was with words saying to The Real Deal. I shut my eyes and embraced the breeze on my face and body. I continued where I left off after drinking more water.

“I think you're capable of being much better than the guy that wrestles in the ring. You need to promote yourself a lot more on why you're The Real Deal. Yes you prove it in the ring, but you got to be here at every single show, you got to appear yourself in front of cameras more and speak about what you want. That's how you become a wrestler in the business as well that it's not just in ring action. Like Sean Williams, he was never interested in facing me for the title, his focus was all on Venom, but now since that title match he had with me, he only wants my head and that's the aspect I thought I'd see in you The Real Deal to deliver up to your name. Sean Williams shows me he's The Real Deal by the fire and passion he has on wanting to beat me for the Intercontinental title so badly. Outside of the Global and ECE Heavyweight title, I don't see that passion and fire anywhere else from you.”

I shook my hand as I shaked it like crazy as my hand really hurt, especially there was some damage to it when I crashed on Wednesday in practice, but it was nothing I couldn't handle, especially in a wrestling match. I looked dead serious at the camera, before I put pen to paper.

“There is no hiding for me or that I hide behind Solom and his crew because I've been winning match by match, with and without them, no matter what tricks I use to win them. That's something you need to consider The Real Deal is fuck their minds up mentally to expose them. Like you've already been exposed by failing to win against Doomsday. Not fair to say you failed against Crush as he's on a different level at the moment, but you aren't anywhere near mine. Especially your foolish attempts to try and take out The Dark Dominion on your own. I had to earn their respect to be in that team by beating them one by one and I joined them because I needed wrestling friends and I'll have Lenny's, Jason's, Doomsday's and Solom's back anyday of the week because they cared about me and changed me for good because I always wanted to be in a team and I needed to be.”

Which was true and I still felt uneasy at times that I had a massive social group in wrestling, but I was fortunate to be in the spot I was with The Dark Dominion. I drank some water and shaking my hand and I continued when speaking for the very last time..

“When I lose a match, anyone that beats me gets an automatic Intercontinental title shot and I'll be a man to say congratulations for beating me fair and square. That's how you earn a title shot and each time others have said this, they failed. Just like you failed to beat Crush and Doomsday for their titles. You talk too much and I aim to punch you in the mouth because of it. I hear you say to everyone of your opponents that you never intimidated and more you say that, more afraid you are. I'm going to beat you in many ways possible with less amount of words written that I'm taking this match to win because I'm leaps and bounds better than you and with way more experience. Monday night, you'll be The Real Deal, but I be The Real Deal when I beat you down, pin you for the three count with blood all over you to send Sean Williams a message and to take back the loss that Jason Cross had with you because you need to suffer a loss from a more superior wrestler like me to put you back in the darkness.”

I rubbed my hands together, saying everything I needed to say as I closed the notebook up and clicked on the pen to save some ink as I got down from the grandstands and went back to my motorhome to relax before preparing for Indy five-hundred qualifying for the rest of the day.