| abstract | - Kael's wrestling career begun in SCW (Samurai Championship Wrestling) in Japan in 2000, where he was sent under the pseudonym and mask of Kugutsumen, 'The Man Of A Thousand Faces' to face of against the masked Unholy Assassin, who later joined HIW as Axis. The two fought to a draw and Axis beat the federations world champion in the following week, with the young Kael seemingly retired after this one encounter. He arrived in HIW in 2002, masked and under the pseudonym BloodBath. The mask did not last for long however, and BloodBath's image was under a state of constant flux as the company struggled to integrate Stanton into a western professional scenario. His first match was a battle royale on the companies then development show, Warzone. From here he began to be recognised by being both loud and conspicuous in his attacks on fellow roster members, particularly Bulldozer, who he fought an early rivalry with. When HIW entered one of its frequent Hiatus periods, Only The Best Wrestling was a fledgeling promotion which inherited most of the federations talent. Seeing an opportunity to shake up the established order of things, Stanton entered the federation and established a cult following under a vampiric theme, though particulars of the image often changed. Here he became a two time X-Division Champion, Tag Team Champion, International Champion and World Champion, forging his 'legacy' and defeating Carl Sturm, Randy Wylde and Seth Hudson in the same match to win the federations biggest prize. It was at this point that the federations political undercurrents began to take sway over BloodBath, who quickly tired of the backstage antics of several of the rosters members, and eventually bought out his contract with the company after the loss of his title to an enraged and betrayed Seth Hudson as a result of BloodBath's first evil masterplan. Re-entering the now re-opened HIW, BloodBath participated in the 2004 I-Crown, defeating Chi in the opening round in an epic match of martial arts pitted against luchadore techniques at a blinding pace. This did not sit well with the HIW legend, who took his revenge the following week in ensuring BloodBath was eliminated from the tournament in the next round by Tiger. The very next week, he proved his detractors wrong once and for all by defeating Matt Essex and Chazz Mazzaratti for the HIW International Title. Stanton realised that what may have worked in OTB at gaining the fans appreciations, was no longer the aim nor method of his intended ascension through the ranks of HIW. Realising his intellectual prowess gave him a natural advantage over his competition which his diminutive form could not match, he made the decision to throw off the pretense of his vampiric persona and be known only as himself. His rivalry with his contemporary Matt Essex was to be a recurring one, and resulted in many memorable matches. Stanton's affiliation with Reverend Chaos led to a series of stable incarnations under the banner of The Institute, including third members Bane, Ave, Nick Fowler, and Kai Tanaka. Nick Fowler was to become the protoge of Stanton, inheriting his characteristic devious streak and eventually turning it on his master, resulting in Stanton being overthrown by Fowler who began his own Institute. Stanton defeated and retired Fowler in an ultraviolent match at WrestleWars III. With nowhere left to go but up, Stanton engaged the man who begun his career: Axis. A storied and complex history between the two men, their joint-protoge, and the need for the championship drove both men to such extremes that the resulting match was both memorable to the world and devastating for Stanton, who in refusing to tap out to the undefeated finishing move Odessa Steps was removed from the match by the referee upon sustaining a very visible broken neck. He was out for just six weeks from this injury, undergoing major cutting-edge surgery which allowed him to return ahead of even the most optimistic estimates. Stanton went on from this to compete once again in the I-Crown Tournament, winning his first two rounds and continuing to the PPV. In the same night, he defeated former stablemate Ave, long-time rival and monster Carl Sturm, and his ultimate nemesis, Matt Essex to win the HIW World Championship. Every match was won with the Henan Constrictor, Stanton's own undefeatable submission move. The unbelievable speed of his return followed by this meteoric rise to fame left Stanton at the top of the mountain, and it was to be an idealistic crusade that followed. The week after the I-Crown PPV, High Impact Wrestling was invaded by the XWA, a long-standing faction of HIW superstars hailing from a previous federation. At its head, Demon Knight. Knight began a smear campaign against HIW and as its champion, Stanton stepped up to the challenge, agreeing to place the World Championship on the line against Knight, in Knight's own arena, by Knights own rules on the condition that Knights own Title be on the line. The match was set, and in a brutal and bloody confrontation, Stanton defeated Demon Knight and unified the HIW and XWA titles, ending the XWA's idealistic crusade and consolidating his place in HIW history. Kael Stanton is the first (and last) wrestler to have held the Interpromotional Triple Crown: HIW, OTB, and XWA World Titles. But such a move came at a price. The surgery, while a success beyond anyones best estimations, could not hold up to the extremes of the I-Crown Tournament and the continued assaults by Knight and his XWA troupe. Fast weakening, Stanton found himself being challenged by the young up and coming Jack Logan, cashing in his hard-earned Money In The Bank shot. Stanton sought to align himself with Logan, realising his now multiple injuries left him weak. Demon Knight demanded he be granted a rematch for the World Title, and so he too was put into the fray. During the match, Logan became an opportunist, taking advantage of a weakened Stanton as he defeated Demon Knight with the Zai Xian Kick, and dropped him on his injured neck with the Black Canyon Slam. The Title lost, Stanton found his exaccerbated injuries catching up with him at quite a rate. In his desperation to continue fighting, he hid his weakness long enough to strike back at the new Champion, performing a coup de grace using a carnivale as a cover for his malevolent attack. The resulting meeting between Logan and Cain resulted in Stanton being committed into a rehabilitation centre for three months, forcing him to take his health into account. During this time, a bizarre friendship was struck between Blake Judge and Stanton, both of which had experienced being on the receiving end of Jack Logan's ambitions. This friendship allows Kael to operate behind the scenes in HIW with Judge as his right hand. Together, they plot Kael's return and subsequent plots for the future. This time allowed Stanton to take stock of his ambitions and his place in the federation, together with how to better maintain his health. A new Kael Stanton re-entered HIW, but for now at least, the story seems to be the same.
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