Wayward Thoughts: Diary of an Exile

[Cyrus Truth]

On Cyrus Truth's profile page on CWA.com, there is a link to what appears to be an online journal of The Exile's musings, mostly revolving around his matches and what-have-you. The following excerpt was uploaded after his loss against the Cobra Army's New Chapters:

Bravo, Jay...bravo, Hade. I'll admit, I may have underestimated you...if only a little bit. But more than anything, I underestimated just what kind of faction your little army truly was. At first glance, I saw it as little more than a collection of gutless ham-and-eggers who banded together under a slightly more successful ham-and-egger in the hope that you could just bully your way through the ranks of High Voltage. Instead, I've come to realize that The Cobra Army is a cult, a fascist organization of zealots sworn to protect Kyle Crosby and implement his vision without thought or conscience.

I hate zealots.

Zealotry is stagnation...there's no creativity, no thinking outside of anything not related to that which you swore absolute obedience to. There's no desire to improve oneself, to become stronger and smarter for one's own sake. Instead, you trade all that for blind fealty and mindless devotion. What kind of man would sacrifice his free will to an ideology so easily? Blind loyalty to one man and his whims is not the way a man, an Exile makes his mark on the world...but yet it seems that there are many who would do such a thing and not give it a second thought. Jay...Hade...you two are talented and you may indeed become as great as Kyle Crosby says you can be one day. But I wonder...how strong will the Cobra Commander let you become before he sees you as a threat to his grand designs?

But there's no need to worry, fellow travelers...no need to get upset. There are many twists and turns on the Road ahead, and the Truth is I still have yet to be pinned or made to submit on High Voltage. And I know full well that my journey is far from over after just one tag team match on High Voltage with a partner I've never worked with in the past. But here's the thing you need to recognize, Cobras...and especially you Blair. You've gone and done the worst thing you could've possibly done. That which has been the bane of many men before you will now come back to haunt you...and that bane was born when you robbed me of what obviously was going to be my first victory on High Voltage. And worse still, you have the gall of selling me off as just a hardcore wrestler and a nobody. Boys, I'm not just another garbage wrassler...I'm the Messiah of Hardcore and a technical wrestling machine. I break just as many people with my submission holds as I do with a Singapore cane or a steel chair. But you'll find out soon enough just how grievous a mistake you've made. Just remember one thing...

You reap what you sow...

[Cyrus Truth]

Upon the release of the match card for High Voltage's upcoming show in Olympia, Cyrus Truth's online journal is updated with a new entry:

So, I once again team up with Mike Carnage, this time against FTK.

Yeah, like that went so well the first time.

In any event, it's still a match and I'm still The Exile, and I have a responsibility to the paying crowds and to management to compete in this match. I just feel very sorry for Nero and Vincent, as I'm already in a foul mood and will look to take out my aggressions on them. Just don't take it personally when I make you scream in unholy agony...after all, it's not like I have anything against you guys. You just happened to get a bad draw.

I am a bit perturbed by General Manager Orlando Maxwell's decision to include Jason Blair in the X Fly Contendership Matches to be held on High Voltage. I understand that Blair's tenure and rankings for the X Fly Championship do say something, but I'm the type who prefers not to reward mindless drones with championship opportunities when they choose to willfully interject themselves into matches they have no business in. One wonders just how deep the fear of the Cobra Army is throughout High Voltage...but then again, I'm one of those types who prefers fighting back rather than cowering in fear like some refugee in a bombed-out, war-torn city. Eventually, Blair...eventually you and any of the rest of your Cobra companions will answer for what you've done not just to me, but to this entire roster. No ill deed goes unforgotten.

As to you, my fellow travelers...never forget one thing. Nothing worth having is just handed to you. That which you didn't obtain through your own talents and resolve is fleeting, meaningless. If you haven't got the determination to follow the path, then move aside and let the rest pass you by. But if you have the resolve to overcome the hardships of the Long and Winding Road, then you too can do the impossible.

See you in Olympia.

[Cyrus Truth]

Shortly before his and Mike Carnage's match in Olympia against FTK, Cyrus posts a short blip on his online journal:

Been training most of the afternoon, making sure all of my strikes are as lethal as I can make them. I refuse to let my tag team partner or anything else stand between me and earning my first victory on High Voltage.

So many things in motion, so many obstacles to overcome...

...I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Cyrus Truth]

After an eventful edition of High Voltage, where Cyrus Truth and his "partner" Mike Carnage secured a win over FTK and Cyrus himself cost Jason Blair a victory in his X-Fly Contendership Match, Cyrus updates his online journal with the following post:

My, my...how deep the machinations of the man in the hood go. And moreso than that, how grand the victories secured by The Exile this past High Voltage. First, the lesser of the victories...that being, myself and Mike Carnage winning against Nero James and Victor Thompson. Now, it is a bittersweet victory, since that garbage-wrestling Neanderthal Carnage did exactly the opposite of what I told him to do when he tagged himself in without my permission. As any of my fellow travelers know, I did all the work in that match as I did exactly what I told Mike I was going to...that being, bringing the murder to FTK and proving just what kind of man Cyrus Truth was. So naturally I got into Mike's face after the match and reminded him of all of his shortcomings. But then again, a win is a win and I did do a good job of setting the proverbial table, and I can't blame the guy for wanting to try and show up the Messiah of Hardcore...the key word in that sentence being "try." So I think that, in light of winning my first match, I'll forgive him...just this once.

With that said, if I have any desire to do any more tag matches, I will definitely need to find a partner who I can trust. Bless his sorry excuse for a wrestler routine, but Mike Carnage is not a man I can trust when it's crunch time, when it's kill or be killed. But I think I know of such a man in CWA...but that's for another time.

My greater victory was in the very first match that night, when I returned the favor from my very first match in CWA. Did you think I was the kind to shy away from what was obviously a man...or in your case, a machine...throwing down the gauntlet? You cost me victory in my first ever match in CWA...so I cost you a shot at the X Fly Championship. Jason Blair...a mindless automaton like you has no business even being close to championship gold, if for no other reason than when you had the chance to compete for the title, you gave that up to your "vaunted" Commander Kyle Crosby. So in essence, I did the entire company a favor by making sure a simpleton like you would never become X-Fly Champion.

But I'm sure that a loyal beast like you wants to redeem himself in the eyes of his master. Well, I'm never hard to find. And tearing you apart will undoubtably silence any naysayers who think that I'm too much talk. Strength, aggression, or any other semi-worthwhile trait you might possess can't save you from the cold, hard Truth that I will force into your thick skull, and nothing save for pain and utter despair awaits you at Journey's End.

In any event, I'm readying myself for the journey towards Hostile Takeover.

Let's just see what kind of mayham this Exile can wreak along the way.

[Cyrus Truth]

Cyrus's online journal is updated just four days before Hostile Takeover, where he makes his PPV debut in an eight-man elimination tag team match. Here's the latest entry:

My first night in Rome was rather eventful. Newman and The Johnsons invited me out for a night on the town. I'm beginning to remember why I don't do things like that very often as I felt like hammered shit after the night was over at around 4:00 in the morning. Still, it was rather fun and I did manage to get into a fight with some 300 pound Italian who though I was eyeing up his girl (which I might have been, the details are a bit fuzzy). Needless to say I locked him into the Long Road to Nowhere and had him crying his eyes out like a little baby. The bar owner didn't press charges provided we left, which we were more than happy to oblige with.

An interesting lot, Newman and the Johnsons. Especially the so-called Unstoppable One. It will be interesting to see just how deep his determination runs at Hostile Takeover, but considering his track record I doubt I have much to worry about.

In any event, outside of my training regimen and film study on my opponents I've taken to sightseeing. After all, it's been years since the Road has led me to Rome and I was only there for a short period of time competing in several wrestling matches held at a couple of dilapidated warehouses. I visited several major sites in Rome...the site of the former Circus Maximus, the Roman Forum, Trajan's Market...hell, I even managed to visit the Vatican. Seeing Saint Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel was truly a sight, but my visit was cut short after I was standing in Saint Peter's Square next to the obelisk. Apparently, the cardinals didn't take too kindly to me explaining the principles of the Long and Winding Road to passing tourists and asked me to leave. At least it was nice of them to escort me out...or drag me out, depending on your interpretation of the events.

At any rate, there's one more site I've yet to visit before Hostile Takeover...an ancient architectural masterpiece that holds a special place in my heart for its historical significance not only for me personally, but for the industry that I love so much.

Don't worry, fellow travelers...you'll understand what I'm talking about soon enough.

Until then, I offer only this to my opponents on June 14th...I sincerely hope that you have alternative endeavours lined up in your near future. Because after Hostile Takeover, your future won't be in a wrestling ring. I will not hesitate to break each and every one of you, and I'll do it without regrets. After all, what better way to start out one's career in CWA than to win his first PPV match on the first-ever High Voltage-exclusive PPV? Gentlemen, prepare for war...and prepare for annihilation.

See you all in just a few days...

[Cyrus Truth]

A new journal post on Cyrus's online diary pops up shortly after the conclusion of Hostile Takeover, which saw his four-man team emerge victorious over the Cobra Army and JT Saxton. However, the victory was not without controversy as Cyrus and his part-time tag partner Mike Carnage were eliminated for brawling with one another after Cyrus accidentally bumped into him in the course of the match. The entry reads as follows:

Mike Carnage...you drunk, garbage-wrestling Neanderthal.

You just couldn't suck up your pride, could you? A little bump and you fly off the damn handle? You're grateful that Newman managed to pick up the ball that you dropped and secured the victory for our team at Hostile Takeover, or I'd be a whole hell of a lot angrier. Bottom line...I'm through with you. The next time you and I are in the ring, it'll be as opponents. And if you thought the beating I put on you backstage was brutal...boy, you've yet to see what The Exile is truly capable of.

Oh, and Mike? Sooner or later, you'll have to answer to the Reaper...just like Blair did. So enjoy those brewskis and the cheap pops from the crowds for as long as you can. After I get my hands on you, the only thing you'll be drinking is blended carrots through a mechanical straw...and the only thing you'll hear is the beeping of the hospital equipment. Because I've buried many men like you beneath the Road, and I don't think you're even close to being the one that I don't.

Newman, I don't know if you've received my texts, but if not, I want to formally apologize for Carnage's reckless and unprofessional behavior, and I also want to say I'm sorry for getting caught up in his ego-fueled vendetta. But I do want to congratulate you on handling McKenzie and securing victory for our team. I look forward to facing you myself one day down the Road, to see just how unstoppable you truly are.

At any rate...despite the best attempts of Mr. Has-To-Name-Himself-Something-Intimidating-To-Compensate-For-His-Inadequacies to derail our team's chances of winning, the four of us did secure victory over The Cobras and that tool JT Saxton. My first PPV victory...the first of which I am determined to be many victories to come. It has been a trying time since coming to CWA, having to settle for tag team victories with men I've not had the chance to get to know or trust. But that's the price one pays for heeding to the tenements of the Long and Winding Road. Were it so easy, all would follow in my footsteps.

I'm currently awaiting boarding for my flight back to the States. The next High Voltage show is taking place in Columbia, South Carolina. Let us hope, fellow travelers, that General Manager Orlando Maxwell has something lined up for the Messiah of Hardcore that will allow me to truly prove that I am the best wrestler walking the planet.

Arrivederci, Rome...

[Cyrus Truth]

After his and Surge's tag team victory against Jackson Sonik and Mike Carnage on the last edition of High Voltage, Cyrus's online journal is updated with the following entry:

Vindication.

What a wonderful feeling it is to be proven right. I've said for weeks that I needed a partner who was my equal instead of being a liability. I needed a tag team partner who could be there to help bring the violence to anybody who dared stand against us.

I needed Surge.

My old friend, my brother in-arms...and at times, my greatest rival. The man who will be Ruler of the Ring...Surge was always Cyrus Truth's true tag team partner. And I proved it last night on High Voltage when Surge and I ran through Jackson Sonik and that peon Mike Carnage. It was a decisive victory for the Patron Saints of Murder as I unveiled for the first time in a CWA ring the sheer lethal potential of Journey's End, and there's little doubt that I put a stop to any of Mike's aspirations as a member of High Voltage. That's it, Mike...our little squabble is finished as far as I am concerned. I put you down like the ham-and-egger you are and left you broken. It's over...and I am moving on.

And yes, fellow travelers...I have yet to be pinned or made to submit in CWA.

Oh, and before you raise hell about that low blow...Mike, if you're as hardcore as you'd like the people to believe, you should've expected that. Besides, I was conducting an experiment to see if you had any balls. Turns out you do...tiny, shriveled raisenets, but they were there nonetheless.

Fellow travelers and devotees of the Long and Winding Road, last night was merely the first step on the path towards wrestling immortality for myself and Surge. There's little doubt that the CWA World Tag Team Championships will find their way into our iron fists in short order. However, Surge's first priority and rightfully so is to secure his spot as Ruler of the Ring by eviserating Adrenaline Rush's representative. And though I will stand by Surge's side as he undoubtedly will Killdoze through and lay claim to the throne, where then will I go in the meantime?

Whose delusions will I get to shatter?

[Cyrus Truth]

There's been scuttlebutt running rampant through the High Voltage locker room regarding the 4 on 2 Handicap Tornado Tag Team Match for both Clint Shepard's CWA X-Fly Championship and Tigre Los Santos's AMLL TV Championship. Cyrus Truth, one of the participants in that match, posts another journal entry.

So it seems that Maxwell has finally had a flash of reason and sanity and has given me an opportunity to win championship gold while my partner and future Ruler of the Ring Surge eviserates Chubby Carlos and claims his rightful crown. However, he's also given that chance to three other competitors. As I understand it, it's the four of us against both members of the Patriotic Foundation, with both of their singles titles on the line. If I or one of my "teammates" scores the pin or submission on Tigre, that individual becomes the new AMLL TV Champion. If instead Clint is pinned or made to submit, then the individual scoring the fall becomes the new X-Fly Champion. However, should either member of the Patriotic Foundation pick up a fall, then the match is over and Tigre and Clint retain.

As any true follower of the precepts of the Long and Winding Road will know, I have mixed feelings about this match.

Of course, I am ecstatic about the chance to become a champion live on High Voltage. And picking up a title win over either member of the Patriotic Foundation will undoubtedly raise my profile and lend legitimacy to my claims of being one of, if not the best wrestler walking the planet. And what a feeling it will be to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with my fellow Saint Surge when he returns like a conquering warlord as Ruler of the Ring and hold championship gold of my own.

On the other hand, it seems rather strange to defend singles championships in what is essentially a tag team match. Granted, under tornado rules there won't be any semblence of tagging in and out, but the principle of a team verses another team is still firmly intact. After all, it's not like I can pin JT Saxton and win a belt...no, I have to beat either Tigre or Clint to accomplish that. So why a tag team match? And with only one fall to a finish, one of my "teammates" could cost me a chance at becoming champion by doing something stupid and gettting pinned by the champions.

It is definitely a unique challenge (and to be quite frank, it seems that Maxwell just loves throwing these "unique challenges" my way, i.e. Mike Carnage), but not one that I'm wholly unprepared for. I'm Cyrus Truth...and even when the odds are staggered against me, I always have a plan...I always find a means to emerge on top. Mark my words, fellow travelers...one way or another, I will beat either Tigre or Clint. Whether it's in this Tornado Tag Team Match in Lansing, or in a future one-on-one title match that I will find a way to make happen, I will become a champion.

Clint, Tigre...I doubt you have enough courage to make this match two falls and thus risk losing both belts instead of one. Perhaps you need a title belt to hold together the crumbling walls of your Patriotic Foundation. Regardless, I hope you've spent plenty of quality time with those championships and have said your farewells to them. Because whether it's in Lansing or further on down the Road, I will take what you hold so dear...

...The Exile will become a champion.

[Cyrus Truth]

After the inconclusive finish in the Tornado Tag Team Match where both the X-Fly Championship and the AMLL TV Championship were up for grabs, the latter title has been held up and will now be contested between Koran of the Sunshine State's Finest and Patron Saint of Murder Cyrus Truth. Days before the biggest match of his CWA career, Cyrus Truth uploads a new entry onto his online journal:

If my fellow travelers and devotees of the Long and Winding Road will bear with me for just a bit, I would like to recite a old parable to you that I've personally taken to heart:

Once, there was a scorpion standing on the western banks of a mighty river. His one and only desire was to cross the river to the other shore and explore the lands to the east. The scorpion searched high and low for a means to cross the river, but he could find no way to cross, and he could not swim. Then one day, he by chance saw a large bull frog swimming in the shallows, happily living content in his own little existence, with no dreams of expanding his horizons past what he already knew.

The scorpion, seeing the opportunity he was waiting for, approached the frog as it hopped onto the shore. The scorpion asked the frog to carry him across the river on his back. The frog, leery of the scorpion, asked him why he wanted to cross.

"There is a whole other world on that side of the river that I have never seen...things I have never even imagined. I wish to see those things, to find them and take them for my own."

The frog asked, "Why should I carry you across? How do I know that you will not simply sting me, like any other scorpion?"

"You have my word that I will not sting you as we cross this river," the scorpion insisted. "After all, if I did that, it would doom us both as I cannot swim."

The frog pondered the scorpion's words and, despite its trepidations, allowed the scorpion to climb upon his back as he started to swim across the river. In spite of the river's might, the frog was able to power through with the scorpion hanging on. Finally, after a full hour, the frog made it to the eastern shore. Exhausted, the frog took a moment to breathe a sigh of relief...before feeling a sharp pain in his back. The scorpion, having gotten what he had wanted, sunk its stinger deep into the frog and released his deadly toxins. The frog started to convulse as the scorpion crawled off the back of its carrier as the frog demanded to know, with his dying breath, why the scorpion broke his promise.

"I kept my word," the scorpion plainly explained. "I did not sting you as we were crossing the river. I said nothing about whether I would sting you once we reached the shore."

"But...why?" the frog painfully asked as his breathing became more and more labored. "Why would you do this...after I carried you across the river...to the lands you never would have reached?"

The scorpion turned his back on the frog as he simply said, "I am a scorpion, you foolish frog. You should of known better...after all, I cannot deny my own nature."

The frog eventually passed away on the eastern shore of the river as the toxins finished working their way through his body. Meanwhile, the scorpion set his sights to the new frontiers he now could explore, never feeling any remorse for slaying the creature who carried him to his destination...

An interesting tale, to say the least. It serves as a warning to guard oneself against trusting those you shouldn't trust...but there's more to it than that. This parable gives us insight into something that I feel is lacking in many of my supposed peers in the High Voltage locker room...that being, a willingness to expose themselves for who they truly are. Many of the wrestlers on High Voltage and in the entire Clique Wrestling Alliance put up walls of deceit, lies meant to hide their true natures so that they can trick the fans and their fellow competitors into believing they are something that they are not. There are many glaring examples of this (Mr. Willis, Snake Eyes, NovaKain, Grande) but one in particular holds the most interest to me at this particular juncture.

That being my opponent for the next edition of High Voltage...the man I must pin or make submit to become the AMLL Television Champion...Koran.

Koran, up until after the events of In Exile, was a renegade, a scoundrel who relished the hatred of the fans and fed off it. His tag team partner, Dave, was much the same...but on a particularly confusing edition of The Majestic, Dave for whatever reason decided that instead, he wanted the Sunshine State's Finest to be cheered! And for whatever reason, Koran agreed! And by some means that I cannot even begin to unravel, the crowd automatically flipped the script from hating SSF to loving them! But the thing is...and I don't understand why nobody can see it besides myself...it's all a charade. I can't speak on Dave Hunter because I've yet to have any interaction with the man, but Koran...he's deluding himself. He's trying to deny his true nature, trying so hard to make the world believe that he's now a hero...a "good guy" as he so emphatically told me.

But trying to hide who you truly are from my eyes is a fool's errand...a pointless exercise that is doomed to futility.

I've spent far too much time traversing the Long and Winding Road, and I've had plenty of time to see the best and worst of humanity. Fellow travelers...no matter what that man tell you, the fact is he cares nothing about you. He simply wants to tug at your strings and make you his puppets to sate his own ego. It's almost sad to see him get away with it, and a bit frustrating. Fortunately, I will put an end to this farce and expose him for the fraud he is once I beat him and rightfully claim the AMLL TV Title as my own.

But never fear...whether I am cheered or booed, beloved or reviled, I am still the same. I hide nothing of my true nature. I am a scorpion...and while you can trust my words, never forget that in the end I will sting you and leave you as dead as that frog on the side of the river. All that matters to me is advancing on the Road...all that matters is overcoming that next obstacle and cementing my legacy.

Trust me. I speak the Truth.

[Cyrus Truth]

Mere minutes after his huge title win against Koran on the most recent episode of High Voltage, Cyrus Truth posts a very short, yet to-the-point entry on his online journal:

Tonight...I made good on my word.

[Cyrus Truth]

After the events of Vendetta, which saw both members of the Patron Saints of Murder eliminated in the 20-Man Battle Royale for #1 Contendership to the PNH World Heavyweight Title, Cyrus Truth posts another journal entry just a few days after the PPV in Dubai, now its own website after the company split:

Had to catch a red-eye flight to make it to the AMLL show in Tijuana, but I managed all right. Surge accompanied me, and he had plenty of fun with the locals and their variety of different alcohols. As for me, AMLL booked me in a TV Title match against Pierre Conti. From what I gathered, he has been making a name for himself in Mexico since the last Senor Los Trios event, and I can't say he wasn't a game competitor having the home court advantage. But in the end I planted his face into the mat with Journey's End and remained the AMLL TV Champion, much to the chagrin of the AMLL fans.

The AMLL TV Champion...just a few weeks ago, it was my biggest accomplishment since coming to the Clique Wrestling Alliance. But now, thanks to the division of the company and the formation of Pride N' Honor Wrestling, that title win has been stricken from the records, never again to be mentioned due to the fact that PNH has no working relationship with AMLL...despite the fact that I won the title on PNH's new flagship show, High Voltage.

That alone wouldn't bother me so much...after all, regardless of whether Jimmy Van recognizes it, I am still a champion albeit an unrecognized one. But I am more perturbed by the decision to award brand new titles to the previous title holders. And while both the new tag titles and the new world championship were contested at Vendetta, one man was handed a title without having to prove that he deserved it.

That man is Clint Shepard.

I won't say anything else, but I will leave you with this: that is which is handed to you becomes a greater burden than that which you had to fight for. I earned the AMLL TV Title...Surge earned the title of Ruler of the Ring. And both of us carry our burdens like the true champions we are. Clint...regardless of what you accomplished in CWA, this is a brand new era and a brand new company. And you and your 25-plus years of experience have to earn what you desire just like the rest of us. You are the PNH International Champion...but your grasp on your charity belt is a feeble one.

And soon enough, both your title belt and your fluke #1 Contender's status will be ripped from your grasp.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

[Cyrus Truth]

After another appearance at an AMLL show and shortly after the card for the next edition of High Voltage is announced, Cyrus Truth updates his online journal with the following entry:

Whoever's in charge down in AMLL suggested that I compete in a tag team match where I would be facing the most recent challenger to my AMLL TV Title, Pierre Conti, and the guy I won the title off in the first place, Tigre Santos. I guess they didn't expect an outsider like me to have any allies down here in Mexico, but unfortunately for them I did...Jimmy Sanchez, who was sent down here by CWA because they thought he needed to polish his in-ring skills.

Well, whether he needed to or not, Jimmy was on point as we worked like a well-oiled machine against an admittedly game duo in Tigre and Pierre. Unfortunately for them, due to both of us teaming with Surge in the recent past, we were able to utilize a lot of the same double-team manuevers that Surge and I typically use and ended up scoring the pin after an Ode to SBS on Conti. Tigre, not happy with the outcome, got on the mic and told me that he was going to exercise his rematch clause for the TV Title at the next show...or at least, that's what Jimmy told me he said, since my Spanish is a bit rusty. So yeah, I'll have that to look forward to at the next show.

Speaking of things to look forward to, I hear I have a match against, get this, an actual worthwhile competitor! Yes, it seems that, live on High Voltage, yours truly steps into the ring with the former 2-time CWA World Heavyweight Champion, Rich Stone. Oh, fellow travelers...you've no idea how long I've waited for a match like this! Since coming to High Voltage, I've been straddled with worthless tag partners like Mike Carnage, put in tag match after tag match with that dead weight before finally teaming with Surge, and had my one shining moment extinguished from High Voltage's record books with the creation of Pride N' Honor simply because PNH doesn't recognize the AMLL TV Championship and doesn't recognize me as its champion! So to say I've been itching for a real challenge is a bit of an understatement...but finally, I have it! Rich Stone...regardless of PNH's inepitude with regards to recognizing me as a true champion, it is nevertheless a fresh start for every wrestler on the High Voltage roster. And so sorry...but I don't hold your past accomplishments with the same gravitas as the other members of the locker room. To me, you're just an obstacle to be broken and a would-be challenger to the titles to be eviserated.

And while we're on the subject of the titles...Maxwell, do you have a death wish? In case you haven't been paying attention, Surge is very angry that you've been completely ignoring him despite the fact that he won the Ruler of the Ring, which was not only a crowning moment for Surge but for the entire High Voltage brand! So the only reason I can think of that you've not given Surge his title shots is because you secretly wish to die but don't have the guts to commit suicide yourself. Don't think because I am calm and collected, reserved and patient that it means that the other Patron Saint of Murder is the same way. Surge hates waiting...it makes him angry. And the last time I've seen Surge this angry, they had to open a new wing in the nearby hospital for all the people he killdozed.

I'm begging you, Maxwell...don't make the same mistakes that so many other promoters have done in the past. Stop ignoring Surge and give him his rightful title shot. Otherwise, the fate of every man that steps into the ring with The Reason Bad Things Happen To Good People will be on your head.

As for Surge's next opponent...Newman, I always liked you. You stood shoulder-to-shoulder with me at Hostile Takeover and you took care of business. So take my advice...don't show up at High Voltage. Because you may think you're the unstoppable force, but you've yet to meet an irresistible object of doom and devastation like Surge. And considering that Surge is pissed...well, I don't like your chances of escaping his wrath with both of your arms still attached to your body.

Take my advice, Newman...just walk away...

[Cyrus Truth]

After "La Masacre," the AMLL PPV, and just a few days before his first main event match on High Voltage, Cyrus Truth updates his online journal. The entry reads as follows:

I'm currently flying out to Louisville, KY, on my way to Frankfurt for the next edition of High Voltage. I was a part of the massive AMLL show, where I being the champion I am defeated Abdul Ackbar Alsam and retained my TV Title in convincing fashion. Apparently, Alsam is even more hated in AMLL than I am, so it was nice for once to have the crowd cheer me. I imagine the fans will go back to hating me again soon enough, as Tigre Los Santos is still pining for a championship rematch, even going so far as to confront me backstage after my successful title defense. I don't fully understand what his problem with me is, but then again being a foreign champion in a fiercely nationalistic promotion like AMLL it's nothing I'm not used to. Still, Tigre seems rather eager to tap out to the Long Road to Nowhere, and I'm only getting better and better competing against the luchadores down here, so I might put in a word to whoever's running this promotion to go ahead and make that happen.

Seeing Roberto here in AMLL and winning the World Title was a big surprise. I don't get all the fanfare for him, but I guess when a former...what is it? Four-time CWA World Champion? Yeah, either way, it's apparently a big deal to the AMLL fans. Still, I've already beaten Rich Stone, who's a two time CWA World Champion. So maybe it's time to up the ante and see if I can take down a four-time champion. If nothing else, it'll get the whole CWA vs PNH debate up and roaring again.

Speaking of PNH...it seems that my victory over Rich Stone has finally opened the eyes of Maxwell and Van. I'm getting my first main event match in my career as a member of High Voltage, where I'm competing against both Showtime and NovaKain in a tag team match. The only real bummer is that my partner in mass murder Surge is booked to Killdoze Willis that night, so I'm teaming with Jackson Sonik for one night only. Still, considering Sonik's ability to team with the less-than-intelligent, it'll be interesting to see how he fares when he's tagging with the mental master that is Cyrus Truth. Either way, I have no intention of buying into the hype and I will find a way to shatter the delusions of both of my opponents. I've tried to contact Sonik, but there's no reply. Perhaps I'll agree to another interview with that Katie Shields woman and see if she can point me in the direction of her boyfriend.

I simply refuse to allow my first main event be marred by a loss.

It's time for a changing of the guard...and nothing fuels a revolution quite like a little bloodshed.

[Cyrus Truth]

Days before High Voltage rolls into Des Moines, Iowa, Cyrus Truth updates his online journal with the following entry:

I've been hearing rumblings as of late...men and women, wrestlers and fans, they're all talking about my seemingly sudden rise in Pride N' Honor. There are many who are taking notice, beginning to acknowledge that my boasts about my talents are not without merit. And then there are those who are insisting that my recent run has been little more than a flash in the pan, a fluke string of victories by the newest flavor of the month.

The Truth is, I couldn't care less.

It's always been the same for me, everywhere I've gone: I place little weight in the opinions and analysis of others. I know full well who and what I am. Although I will admit, it does seem odd that folks still seem to shortchange me when, in the span of two shows, I've beaten two men with a combined four world championship reigns between them, including retiring one (and yes, I am the reason why Rich Stone is no longer wrestling, and don't let him tell you any different) and pinning the reigning PNH World Champion. I've been warned by some of the boys in the back to not let my recent success get to my head, but they fail to realize just who they're talking to.

When you're a true disciple of the Long and Winding Road, you learn very quickly that things like pride and ego are only useful when tempered and held in check by one's dedication and desire to continue moving forward. Unlike my opponent in Des Moines, Mr. Showtime, I am firmly in control of my arrogance. Do I believe myself to be the best? Absolutely. But unlike Francis, I don't wave a title belt around and demand to be recognized as such. I prefer to fight and make people believe it.

Francis, you're dead. I've beaten you once and humiliated you. In Des Moines, I'll beat you again. But instead of simply embarassing you, I'm going to humble you. Trust me when I say that you've not fought a man like me before, and that nothing you do can prepare you for the war you're about to get involved in.

Oh, and NovaKain? I know you won't physically assault Francis since you're not that stupid. But knowing you, you're probably trying to figure out some way to screw me over after calling you out like the fraud you are. So please...just do your job and count the fall. The last thing you want is to make me your enemy.

I'll be flying out to Mexico City for another AMLL show over the weekend. I'm not scheduled to compete, but the AMLL management wanted me down there for interviews, fan interaction, all that kind of stuff. It's a good thing that AMLL pays rather well or the flights down there would be pretty steep. At any rate, I'll take advantage of the time I have and continue training for High Voltage.

I hear opportunity knocking...and I'll be damned if I don't answer.

[Cyrus Truth]

After his huge, yet somewhat unsatisfying win against Mr. Showtime on High Voltage in Des Moines, Cyrus Truth updates his online journal with the following entry:

NovaKain, I am no man's pawn.

Do you think for one moment that I'm about to be your puppet? To be a tool for you to use in your quest to become World Champion? Nova, just who in the hell do you think you're dealing with?

As my fellow travelers witnessed on High Voltage, I did indeed secure myself a World Title shot by pinning Francis. However, what was to be another crowning, grand victory for The Exile was instead sullied by our guest referee, who went out of his way to screw Francis at every turn. Now, I really don't care that Francis got screwed...no, I'm mad because I was robbed of my chance to secure victory through my own hand. An Exile does not need help to overcome his obstacles, Nova! And now, despite my expressed desire to wait for Surge to get his title shot before me, Nova has manipulated management and has gotten my title match booked for the next episode of High Voltage.

NovaKain, I hope you get the chance to read this after your twelve-hour jam session of listening to "Crawling in My Skin" to help you cope with your own insecurities. I am not a pawn. I am no man's tool nor am I someone to be manipulated. I'm Cyrus Truth, you fake psychopath! I choose my own path and fight my own battles, not for anyone's grand designs but for my own goals and aspirations. I didn't need you to screw Francis, I didn't want your help...hell, the only thing I want from you is your head mounted and hanging above my mantle. Eventually, you'll have to answer for this insult. And when that opportunity arises...God himself won't stop me from tearing you apart limb by useless limb.

As for the title match on the next High Voltage...Orlando Maxwell, you and I are going to have a little chat about that before the match.

I need to blow off some steam thanks to this. AMLL's running a couple of shows in Cancun and Mexico City, so I may just make the trip down and defend my AMLL TV Title...wash some of the taste of being used as Nova's personal assassin out of my mouth. I would say I feel sorry for whoever gets the title shot against me, but I don't.

As Surge and I always say...everybody dies.

And now that I'm well and truly pissed off thanks to this insult to me and the doctrines of the Long and Winding Road, that saying holds more weight now than ever before.

[Cyrus Truth]

After the most recent edition of High Voltage and upon learning about his three-way Contendership Rankings Match at Pride, Cyrus Truth updates his online journal with the following entry:

It's been a while since I've posted something in my journal, hasn't it? Things have been rather hectic ever since my World Title match against Showtime, and I certainly have quite a bit to say.

First things first: Francis, congratulations. You pinned The Exile, becoming the only man who's ever been able to do it in Pride N' Honor. However, never forget that I've beaten you twice in a row. But regardless, I hope you and NovaKain have fun beating the hell out of one another at Pride. Not that I care who wins, since the last man standing will just be turned into a mangled corpse at the hands of King Slaughter, Surge.

Speaking of Pride, Maxwell in a rare display of competence has installed a system to determine the top five contenders for the World Title. And to fill out the rest of the field, he has booked a three-way elimination match featuring myself, Casey Anomaly, and Grande. Beating both men will catapault me back near the top of title contention and allow me a chance to retake what Showtime and NovaKain tried to take away from me. It will be rather nostalgic, facing my former pupil Casey. However, since I trained Casey myself, I know I'll actually have to be more brutal and vicious than I usually am to put him down. As for Grande...well, I'll reserve my thoughts on the over-sized Mexican, but suffice to say I really could care less about him.

At any rate, before Pride, I'm heading down to AMLL to tour with them for several shows, most of them being tag matches with Jimmy Sanchez. Tigre Los Santos is still whining and complaining about receiving a TV Title shot against me, so management finally gave him what he wanted at the next AMLL PPV. Considering how I made Tigre tap out like Michael J Fox on speed, I choose to not worry about him and instead focus on getting more in sync with Jimmy as a tag team. Who knows? We might even be able to secure ourselves an AMLL Tag Title shot.

Oh, and lest I forget...Roberto.

How are you doing, Roberto? I imagine you're on top of the friggin' world being AMLL World Champion and winning CWA's Rumble. Which, by the way, I call bull crap on. How is it that you got invited to compete without a CWA contract and I didn't? It's obvious to anybody with half a brain that any PNH star would've cleaned house at the Rumble, especially if that wrestler happened to be yours truly. But whatever, you enjoy that little victory and your ongoing love-hate relationship with the Ultimate Pain-in-the-Ass.

But do yourself a favor, "Superstar." Don't go provoking me on your little blog. I've broken men for lesser reasons and buried them beneath the Long and Winding Road. Next time you decide to grace AMLL with your presence, oh great Roberto, perhaps you should just show up, defend your so-called "championship" against one of the many scrubs AMLL has working for them, and leave before you cross paths with me.

It's a shame that CWA and PNH no longer are as one. I would've love to kick your ass in front of a nationwide audience, either by myself or by leading a cibernetico team. But no matter...AMLL can serve as a proper battleground. However, if you wish to survive long enough to become a five-time CWA World Champion, I would recommend you not go provoking scorpions.

Don't say I didn't warn you.