Here comes the backlash, right? The naysayers who intently watch all of my matches hoping I'll lose so they can point their grimy fingers at me and say, "I told you so." What separates me from those simpletons is that I don't dismissively excuse my losses; I learn from them. The never-ending battle pitting seekers of knowledge vs. seekers of convenience is one I'm always on the winning side of. It's easy to take the coward's way out and feed people an exaggerated, comforting version of what you consider to be truth. The craven and weak-willed are more concerned with conjuring a face-saving explanation for their defeat than improving, for instance, while I just march upward and onward. I'm going to take full ownership of The Mercenaries' loss on Dynasty because I'm something no one in EAW gives me proper credit for: a man of character. I lead by example, I exude confidence, and I command respect from my peers because I demand that the blame for losses be delegated to me. I don't sulk and give my teammates surly looks or say, "well if you hadn't let them plant your face into the mat with that game-changing drop toehold, who knows what would have happened? Curse your neanderthal-like awareness!" because I know the blame game is a recipe for disaster. I bridge the gaps people are afraid to cross. Thus leaves us with the million-dollar question, how am I going to approach my match on Voltage vs. Ryan Savage after a frustrating loss on Dynasty? I bet the "educated" fans in the arena buying tickets to Voltage think they're going to see an impassioned performance! I'll stake a pretty penny that some believe I'm going to undergo rigorous exercises preparing for this match to avoid another debacle like last week's Dynasty. First it was losing our championships at King of Extreme, the next thing I know we're losing yet again to Stand and Deliver, and suddenly the wheels have fallen off the wagon! For ordinary elitists, that's just the nature of the beast, an affair perpetually chalked up to the fact that people "win some and lose some," but I never achieved success simply by being ordinary. I broke barriers by being extraordinary. I went against that logic and succeeded precisely because I not only defy convention; I shun it. I don't fuck around twiddling my thumbs, mouth agape watching The Walking Dead whilst contemplating what fictional character I'm going to dress up as at Comic-Con, and I don't tolerate disrespect. I can already envision shoddy tabloids sparking fictitious rumors about my love life, claiming The Mercenaries' synchronization is off-kilter because I'm withholding sex from HBG -- well, I can tell you THAT'S not true. But the thought is crystal-clear in my mind and I have such little patience for the questions of my critics that simply imagining it riles me up. So, I'll skip all the EAW-mandated interviews I'm expected to partake in, accept the fines, and be Casper-transparent about what I plan to do before this next Voltage.

Back in the latter months of 2012, I was dealt a difficult hand and initially fell victim to my ordeal by failing to qualify for the Extreme Elimination Chamber that was to decide the Answers World Champion. I slithered my way out of this predicament in true Y2Impact fashion and claimed the elusive "Iron Man" title by being the first entrant in and the last out with my newly won championship in hand, but I'm a firm believer in the end result being less important than the process, so I'll clue you all in on a little secret -- I could have never achieved this if I hadn't began eating copious amounts of Taco Bell burritos. Occasionally, you read articles and you hear of the strict diets maintained by athletes like Tom Brady where green grapes are considered a "cheat meal." I did the exact opposite of this, I hit up my good buddy Rick Ross and his groundbreaking advice drastically altered the complexion of my career -- all by simply thinking outside the bun. Whether it was the XXL Grilled Stuft burrito, the Smothered burrito, the Cheesy Bean and Rice burrito, or if I wanted to taste that forbidden fruit and commit taboo, even the cheesy fiesta potatoes, I dominated Taco Bell's food like a mountain of pancakes on a Sunday morning, then I dominated my competition in that ring with the zeal of a warrior who just decimated his foe and was now about to award him with an honorable beheading. I plan to employ that same foolproof strategy as I approach my match with Ryan Savage this week. I know some of you are raising your eyebrow questioning my sanity and thinking Taco Bell was just a placebo to placate me and ease my nerves, but the surge I felt rushing through my veins as I chomped down those tasty burritos was, in fact, quite real. It was all thanks to the gift of Taco Bell! Have some quasi-journalist write an article about that while you plaster the following headline all over your fake magazines: "Y2IMPACT ADMITS TO PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING TACO BELL USE," and I guarantee you some people are going to believe it, not because they're delusional, but because they listen without questioning what they're hearing. They don't possess original thoughts, they have a hankering for others to produce them so they can co-sign whatever is popular, and my opponent on Voltage is no different. He's in the same special class of nitwit that gets his kicks reading headlines like "KANYE: Does he like mustard?" and feeds off whatever mind-numbing narrative he can possibly grasp, just like when I channeled my inner Nostradamus and predicted back in October that he would eventually betray Mr. DEDEDE once satisfied with the fame he'd attained from riding his coattails. You operate, function, stop, and start according to the messages others send you because you're a dispirited piece of trash without a voice of your own to guide you. You're the type of lowly, bottom-feeding filth of the wrestling society that honestly believes not being pinned in a multi-man match entitles them to claim they weren't actually defeated. The worst part is that when you actually do get pinned, you dive into the lowest depths of your excuse pool and lie to yourself saying, "I would have easily defeated Brian Daniels if Mr. DEDEDE wasn't in the match holding me back from fulfilling my destiny." You're not rabid, but maybe you should consider wearing a muzzle to spare yourself the indignation and the embarrassment of your fairy tale impulses. That's not just some harmless isolated incident, either -- that's Pain for Pride, House of Glass, and even Shock Value when Brian Daniels pinned you down to the mat. You, Ryan Savage, are the perfect antithesis to all of the qualities that have established me as a leader. The lack of accountability, the roundabout explanations for your losses, the inability to admit to your shortcomings stunting your growth as a wrestler, but above all else, the little brother complex; the slights constantly thrown your way on a weekly basis because your highlights are dimmed by the actions of all those you've affiliated yourself with in the past, with your former allegiance to Mr. DEDEDE representing by far the most outstanding hurdle you've proven unable to leap. But your failure to overcome that obstacle is rooted in your inferiority complex, your seemingly innate desire to conquer the big bad always betraying you in the spotlight of FPVs when you become overtaken by the atmosphere and fall victim to its many pressures, and I know your rainbow-shaded true colors will shine through yet again this Sunday. On Voltage, your pitiful attempts to continue that fruitless cycle will all be in vain because my victory will be so decisive and complete that like the shadow of Mr. DEDEDE you live in, nothing, not even the most outlandish and bizarre of excuses, can help you escape.

Alright Liam, I get your point. You want to push my buttons like there won't be any repercussions from that or anything. No that's fine I got it. I got your message, you sent it loud and clear. I know what you want now. You want to look like an actual threat so badly. You want people to respect you and take you serious. You think skirting your way around actually being a winner and taking shortcuts to the top by making demands and picking fights you cant win, somehow means you actually deserve to be there. You just want to be the main event again. You want to feel like you're the man again... so much so, that you're willing to throw away everything you have just for a narrow shot at it. You realize that's what you're doing right? I actually don't think you do. I don't think you have any idea of what I'm capable of doing to you. As hard as you're trying to come off as some legitimate badass, as much as you want to look edgy, as much as you want to be 'hard', I don't know anyone with a brain who would do what you did in your shoes. Especially after what I did to the last guy tried to make it personal. You have to fucking understand man, it's not "cool" to fuck with Mr. DEDEDE anymore. Not at this point. There's no bravado, or machismo, or any gravitas behind this. No one even cares. You don't get respect for it because it's a dumb decision, and to top it off, as I just said, no one even cares. The same story happens over and over again, you try me and then you regret it. You try me, you regret it. You try me, you regret it, you try me, you regret it. Even the greatest story ever told is only interesting a number of times. Soon after it becomes redundant. It becomes redundant because it's predictable. That's not to say that I still don't put on the most memorable matches of the year, every single year. That's when I have something to work with however. You bring nothing to the table. No one cares about you, let alone thinks you're brave; especially when you push things as far as you did on Voltage and even on Dynasty. That's when it's not bravery at this point. Bravery would be stepping up to me and challenging me like a man, knowing that you can't hang with me in the first place. I'm fine with a challenge. I can respect someone who wants a true opportunity. But there's a thin line between bravery and stupidity, and I am that line. On anyone else, what you did would have been pretty cool. On me, it's a mistake. It's stupidity. Stupidity is antagonizing me. Stupidity is provoking me on more than one occasion. The worst thing you could have ever done was try to bring out the worst in me. But I think at this point the worst of me is exactly what you deserve, because it's sure as hell what you asked for. So I'll warn you right now I'm coming to see you. I'm coming to you this time, this time you don't need to find me, you don't need to seek me out. You don't need to go through customs, you don't need to fly to Japan, you don't need to go anywhere. I'll meet you half way. We'll see what happens next time we meet. Never try to fucking trade blows with the champ cocksucker, I'm a fucking God to you remember that. You've never ever had shit on me, EVER. I tried to somewhat show you a modicum of respect as a man just because you were able to accomplish something worth a damn in your career a few years back, but fuck it none of it means shit now. It really won't mean shit when I beat your ass at Fighting Spirit. If you were hoping to gain everyone's respect I can already safely say you're a failure at that too, as well as many other things, because no one's going to respect you by the time this all comes to an end. 

You know the sad part is despite a brutal hammer shot to the back of the head, I'm still cleared to compete by Sunday. Meaning fail fail fail fail fail. You fucking failed again Liam Catterson, already. Gee, didn't take long did it? That should have put me out for at least a week or too right? Nope. I've fought through worse than that. Nice try. It was a good one, I'll admit. I didn't know who was who, what was what or where I was for the rest of the night. I could hardly walk out of the arena without any help. It was hard to climb a set of stairs. It was hard to look at flashing lights and reading text off of pages. It was one hell of a shot, I could tell you put your all into that hammer to the back of the head, but guess what? As usual, your all wasn't good enough. It hasn't been good enough from the moment you returned, so I wonder what makes you think it'll be good enough now against your God? Figure that out, and get back to me maybe, because I'm dying to know. 

This Sunday on Voltage I'll be back like I never left and that's because I didn't. I get the Pure Champion one on one and I'll be at 100 percent, although it's not like I need to be. Now my opponent for this Sunday, J.D. Damon, is someone who I somewhat admire. Unlike Liam, he's someone who has potential. Unlike Liam, he's competent. It's not just that though, there's something about him, I just like his attitude, I think you need an attitude like his to succeed in EAW. It's almost too bad he's an insect to me in comparison. I would really have loved this match if he weren't still a wet around the ears jabroni getting his ass handed to him by the likes of Kenny Drake. I think if you gave him 2 or 3 years he'd put up a damn good contest against me, although sadly he's just not capable of it now. I won't hold it against you though Damon because you still have a lot to learn in this business. Even if I can't be excited about this match, I'm sure you feel honored to be able to share the same ring as a God right!?!?!? Not many people get that kind of opportunity you know. It's a humbling experience, especially with someone like you who has a belt of his own. Lord knows any time you hold a championship in EAW, your ego starts to balloon out of control and just can't help but feel on top of the world, that is until you go against the real Man. There are so many champions in EAW who have themselves fooled into thinking they deserve to be in the same conversation with me. Whether it be guys like Dark Demon who smears my name every chance he gets out of panic and frustration, or people like Impact who's not a champion anymore but still considers himself superior to me, I'm in a completely different conversation than them. Despite whatever delusions people may have, it's abundantly clear who runs the show isn't it?. No matter how much power Hexa-Gun tries (and fails) to obtain, or no matter how many tomato cans Dark Demon beats, they're not on my level, nobody's on my level. It's obvious I'm the marquee. It's a good feeling JD. Who knows, maybe you'll familiarize yourself with it maybe one day.

I'm so confident in my own abilities and I'm genuinely looking forward to see what you bring to the table. I'm so confident, I'll tell you what, how about I let you pick your poison. You pick the blade that beheads you, so to speak. I'm indecisive about this match, because a part of me just wants to toy with you and test your limits, maybe drag this out and make this a little bit more fun you know? Another part of me just wants to meet you in the ring and mow through you. I mean just crush you and absolutely leave you flattened like a speeding train. I could save time and finish you off quick, although I can't save you the embarrassment of being defeated so quickly. I could also make you an example to Liam Catterson and pick you apart from every direction. I think doing that actually sends a good message. I have a few other options as well. I can beat you by pinfall, I can submit you, I can have you lose by count out, maybe even by knockout although that's a little extreme and I don't think I have any point to prove to you. I'm obviously a giant to you. But even a giant has the choice whether to step on you or simply pick you up and drop you. I could finish you off with the Meth Lock, or maybe pin you with the Grand Slam. Do you think the Corkscrew North Star would be excessive? Maybe just a regular North Star? Let me know, Damon. You decide, you tell me how you want to be beaten and I'll do the rest. I need Liam Catterson to see this for himself because I know he'll be watching. He needs to see someone better than him struggle to last against me in the ring. He needs to have a fire lit up under his ass, and you're the fall-guy to do it. Fuck it, he's probably gonna run out there anyway and try to interfere, so maybe I should beat him to the punch and finish this early, so I can light his ass up too and punch that big fucking nose over and over again until it caves in his face. In fact, that's what I'll do. Just make quick work of you and wait for Liam to come out and try to be a badass again and fail miserably once again, after  I punch him right in his fucking head so many times I straighten every wrinkle on his forehead. Yeah, I think that'll work. Thanks for the help Damon.

I owe you nothing. Did you defeat Tyler Parker for the World Heavyweight Championship? Did you become undisputed? Did you endure the feeling of piercing glass? Did you feel the electricity? Did you lock yourself inside a chamber full of savages? Did you go against the greatest of all time? No, you didn't. I've experienced more than you can imagine throughout my entire reign; what it's like to be cornered, and still find your way out of sticky situations. And you want me to express my gratitude toward you? I want to clearly remind you --- YOU GAVE ME THIS OPPORTUNITY. That's all that you ever gave me, and it was the worst decision that you've made your entire career. I've seen you grow up from a mere kid who was tagging along with a nobody, to winning the Cash in the Vault, and becoming the World Heavyweight Champion in the same night. Where did everything go wrong? What wire was cut inside that thick headed skull of yours? I don't fully understand what kind of thought process you've been going through --- especially when you thought you could use a man like myself at your own expense. I'll give you credit where it's due; you manipulated, and you deceived the likes of Tyler Parker and Xavier Williams to win this company for you. But did you think it was going to be that SIMPLE to transform me into one of your corporate tools? I don't know if you've myself - conflict with several authority figures of the years, but I'm not easily convinced. I know your emotions are driving you insane right now, I know you've indulged yourself into the rumor mill --- and you've developed this "feeling in your gut"... everything is starting to seem like an easy uphill battle for yourself. But at what point did you consider a rumor, to be just that; a rumor. I've fought tooth and nail for every accolade I've accumulated within these company walls. And at what point do you think I have the board to thank for all of that? They've never been a fan of mine, and I've never been a fan of theirs. If anything --- they've persistently attempted to hold me down. And when have I ever laid down for them? When have I ever given up? I was World Heavyweight Champion when Damien Murrow wouldn't allow me to celebrate my victory. Did that stop me? NO. I went on to successfully defend my championship against YOU.

You can make a mockery out of that reign as you please, because I've made a mockery out of it myself. I "tucked my tail" between my legs, and I left this company for what I thought would be a permanent absence. But have you ever thought about that? I've been in and out of this company --- whether it be me getting fired, or me walking out the door... and I've still accomplished more than you can ever dream. Do you think running this company gives you prestige? In my honest opinion, running this company is just as easy as it is winning it. I've seen the likes of CM Bank$ all the way to the underwhelming Scott Diamond take the reigns of this company; from extreme to elite. It's almost as if every Territorial Invasion, we'll find ourselves a new bad guy to run this place. What made your stint as chairman any different from the likes of Scott? I really want you to give me an honest answer, because I find these chairmen to all have one thing in common; the act of corruption. You can bend and twist your way around that word all you want, but it's never going to change how you acted as chairman. You know, you ALMOST... ALMOST deceived me back then. Everybody had thought that Mr. DEDEDE was treating everybody "unfairly", you felt slighted by him. And what did you go and do? You became worse than what you saw within him, and it made you a shell of what you once were. If I were to address the former Zack Crash from those days, I would be speaking to a man who would be willing and able to earn a World Heavyweight Championship --- not strip someone of it, not demand someone to face them, and then when things don't go your way... you go and have a tantrum, and fire the same person you sent to retrieve the title. You haven't impressed anyone, and you certainly haven't impressed me. I know you're going to claim "I'm not here to impress anyone, I'm here for myself!" --- but have you ever stopped and wondered... maybe that's why you haven't been ever so successful with your career? You've went from the head honcho, to now playing the part of my personal punching bag. That's how far you've fallen, and if there's anything I TRULY owe you, Mr. Crash... it's my right hand, across your face, leaving behind a bitter taste you'll never forget.

I don't think anyone is interested in hearing your boring tales and sagas, Rhaegar. Especially since you are right. Time IS running out. Not for the land of elite or it's dwellers, not for the EAW universe, FOR YOU. YOUR time is running out. Rising Tide draws near and so does your demise, Rhaegar. You see, I can't let you walk out of the Tokyo Dome unscathed. I HAVE to establish dominance over you and secure victory if I want to make it to Grand Rampage. Because if I don't you will. I refuse to make the same mistake you made of underestimating your adversary. I won't underestimate you. In fact, I know how good you are. I know you're without question one of the very best in the world today, but I hope you know how good I am. For your own good. Because if you come into this match lacking preparation you will most certainly be embarrassed, humiliated in front of millions.

Seemingly, you have something against EAW. Something against the guys in the back and the people that pay to see us week in and week out and if you have something against them I have something against you.  EAW made you and your brother not the other way around. Therefore calling the place responsible for your own success as a professional wrestler is straight up hypocritical of you. You call these fans cockroaches but you know damn well you are the only insect here. And come Rising Tide you will be exterminated. Not me. You vow to do what no man or woman has been able to do in the history of this company or any other. You vow to end my career, to make sure I am destined for perpetual irrelevancy and misery. And I vow to make sure that you don't succeed! If you want to end me then you better be willing to kill me . That's the only way you will ensure my presence is never felt in any wrestling promotion across the globe again.

It's not that nobody has decided to erase me from existence permanently. Many men have actually tried to eradicate me and everything I represent, but NOBODY has been able to do it. You will be no different, Rhaegar. You will fail miserably just like all the men who have shared the same goal as you, just like all the men who have stepped into the ring with me with the aspiration of putting me on the shelf. I haven't been handed anything, every damn opportunity I had I EARNED, I FOUGHT for. But what do you know about hard work? You're just here because of your brother. The only reason you wrestle for this company is Johnny Ventura. He's the reason you are famous, the same reason you are a success. You can't deny it as much as you would like to but you know I am speaking the absolute truth. I didn't force these people to root for me, I didn't delude them into following me in my crusade to become World Heavyweight Champion. I don't understand why they like a guy like me after everything I did, but I appreciate their support. It means the world to me. You wish you had that, don't you? That's probably what this is all about.. you're envious of me. You wouldn't be the first and you certainly won't be the last. Having these people on my side is without the shadow of a doubt my greatest blessing, my biggest accomplishment. Even bigger than removing Crash from his position as chairman, bigger than pinning Mr. DEDEDE and even bigger than defeating the legendary Heart Break Boy. 

I probably lost everything except for a few things, Rhaegar. Their love and their support and their respect and admiration. Not everything is lost. And if it was I would just fight to get everything back. Because that's exactly who I am: a fighter. Undeservingly??? I deserve every accolade listed on my resume, I have deserved every blessing that has been bestowed upon me in my life. I have fought for them valiantly, even when the odds have been stacked against me. If you were in my position at King of Elite you would have failed too. Actually, you wouldn't even have made it to the finals of the tournament. I'm not weak, I am not fragile and I am certainly not bad. Unlike some other guys who have been guaranteed to become World Champions in the main event of Pain For Pride and despite having the odds on their side, despite having the fans on their side, every factor in their favor they go ahead and lose the whole thing. I bet this company would be in your hands if you earned the same amount of opportunities I did... Just like it was in your brother's hands after losing to Liam Catterson out of all people at Pain For Pride, right? I will achieve greatness, I am destined for it I just know it. I guess we will have to wait and see. Grand Rampage is just around the corner... I have no heart???? I have no drive???????? If I didn't have any heart, if I didn't have the drive, do you honestly think I would still be doing this? After everything I have been through? I wouldn't, I would have surrendered my fight a long time ago. I'm not fleeing away so you can keep dreaming, son. I own this yard, you've walked into the lion's den and you will regret it, Rhaegar.

I do this. I do that. I've done this. You can't do that.

The most overused words in this business and sadly, it will probably continue it's longevity. You know, I've had my mind seduced this evening into hearing all members of pride and selfishness come together. It seems as no one has overstepped their boundaries in this business. No one wants to grow but rather debate over chances, all the good things that happen to them and reflect off your past failures. Don't get me wrong, I have never signed up to lose to Dark Demon, back-to-back or title matches. But dwelling on the past is just one thing that the Heart Break Boy doesn't do. Now you may claim that my glory-days were in 2011 because the Heart Break Boy held the EAW Championship. It seems like holding a title has to raise the eyes of men such as Scott Oasis. Better yet, just simply winning a match assures that you're some type of "God" in the mind of those that are carnal thinking. I rather not judge a book by it's cover. Because long as I have been in EAW, I've seen people become champions without even deserving it. I've seen people such as I get screwed over opportunities when they're on the top of their game. I'm a witness to that and beyond the years of 2011, were also five hard-fought, consistent years that were dedicated to the EAW Universe. Fast-forward to 2016, I'm not particularly young as I was back then. I'm bounded by the effects and nostalgia of my time. I am a living legend in the eyes of some. And still, there are majority of those that expect the Heart Break Boy to break his nose to please them.

I'll tell ya like I've told almost every single opponent that I have faced since my return in October. The Heart Break Boy did not return to earn glory, he did not return for the purpose to stat-pad on championships. The Heart Break Boy returned to a passion that he loss due to his blindness. I was hidden in the dark, fearful of stepping outside into the light. Then something changed my ways. It came from the mighty hands of God that led the Heart Break Boy into change. People recite my change as "weak," or poor. A lot of us don't even believe in Christ. That's okay, long as it's working for someone like me, you shouldn't have a problem. It's exactly the same way I don't have a problem with this current body. In 2011, my body was ruined by my heart being desperately wicked in all ways. But now my current body is a living sacrifice and I wouldn't give it up for some sense of ego-static remembrance. The best thing you will come close to that era is inside that ring because clearly, judging off the buzz surrounding my matches of late, I'm still able to steal the show at any given moment. And that's apart of that accumulated success. All of those moments led me to grow into the man that I am today. Some of you may shake your head at the struggling motions of my time but can you understand? I love the struggle. I love to hear my opponents talk about my failures as I spit it back into their faces and tell them to "try harder." I love it when guys like Scott Oasis informs me that they've beaten certain wrestlers not named the Heart Break Boy, which should be his only concern. Now tell me this... How is blaming or pointing out that your only weakness as none other than yourself called prideful?

How can a man boast on himself and say he's not prideful? Maybe the Goldprint isn't the only thing still valuable in my day and age. A dictionary might also be another great resource to help Scott Oasis realize the plagues in his voice, the incomplete utterance to understand or comprehend what the Heart Break Boy is really all about instead of reading the next gossip magazine and mimicking another guy's essay. You think you're on top of your game? You believe that? Then why say it? Show me. This is what hinders our next generation of wrestlers. They get all big-headed after a few moral victories than later on as the pages turn, they so-ever regret echoing these words in the face of someone who has made a living to yield your self-centered attributes. You've not only set your very own words on thin ice but you have also degraded your own match as a "mid-card level." Get this, kid, I don't care if my match is the opener, people will see the Prodigal Son's match as the best on that card as they wished it was a main-event. You can take my match with Lioncross as an example. I'm not boasting on myself but providing the truth of this matter. I can't hide what's real inside of me. I'm an open-minded type of person. I can tell you to your face when every single excuse or point you've made are weak. I can tell you that you have no other argument other than how long I have been in EAW or how many matches I have lost.

Therefore, now I'm issuing a challenge of conformity. I want you to conform to the sequences of maturity otherwise you will finally see the results of facing someone who has grown with this business or how they can come back stronger and better than ever after a loss --- Or you can keep on blaming your "has-beens" so you can gain attention for World titles. You can either man up or stay on the same level. I don't know about you but my level is so high, it's unreachable. Meanwhile, we all in the EAW Universe can stare at the level of Scott Oasis. We can determine what lies for his very own fate. At Rising Tide, there's no better way to determine this information. I'm going to make sure you'll finally realize what's more important about this business. With that being said, I'm just going to add that the legend of the Heart Break Boy's career is already dead. I rather walk around with life than die under the spirit of pride. In fact, I'm walking into this match against Scott Oasis with life and allowing God to use me to provide some life into him. Then maybe after all of this meaningless talk is erased out of our minds, he will see how far he really is from the top and how close there lies the bottom, where he shall sink.

RISING TIDE PROMO #1

Whether you want to belive it or not Brian, you owe me much more than a simple "thank you." In truth you owe me EVERYTHING! All the success you've enjoyed recently all began when you became World Heavyweight Champion and that was an opportunity I afforded you. So in a very real sense, I am indirectly responsible for what you are today, including your attempt to break the record for longest reign. And a good thing I gave it to you too, because I doubt you would've gotten the same chance from the Board. Tell me Brian, have you been listening to the rumor mill lately? Word on the grapevine is that the Board don't want you breaking the record. Now why do you think that is? It's because the Board believes, and justifiably so, that you would be a unreliable champion. They feel so strongly about this that they'd rather see me as champion than you. ME!!! The man everyone hates, the person they worked so hard and desperately get out of power! Tell me...how does that little nugget of truth taste? Not very well I'd expect. But it's a taste you cooked yourself! I may be many things to many different people and perhaps I am those things, perhaps I've changed since day 1,but one thing I have always put is loyal to EAW! Look at my long history here and you'll notice I'm one of the few people who have never had an extended absence from EAW. Dark Demon can't claim that, Drastik can't claim that, Y2impact can't claim that...and neither can you! Since the moment I arrived I have been utterly, and consistently present in EAW. But you...the man who deserted the federation when it needed him most. I remember when you first became World Champion. Oh how people expected great things of you. Sadly however your reign was nothing but broken promises and false potential. My reign as champion may not have been overly impressive, but at least mine lasted more than 3 weeks and I didn't vacate it! I lost in a match like a real wrestler! So if I were you I wouldn't get all high and mighty about beating me previously or that I'm no longer chairman. But that's all in the past and I'm a man who likes to focus on the future. And the future is brighter than ever, as I see myself still leading EAW into an Age of Enlightenment, this time as champion rather than chairman. To you it may look as if I've lost everything, but that's only because you're ignorant and stupid. I've lost nothing! Look around you and you can still see the mark my regime still leaves. This show in the Tokyo Dome would not exist without my World Tour. Elite lives while Extreme remains buried. I may not officially hold the title of Chairman, but unofficially...I still run this yard! I've become like the mafia men of the Prohibition Era. Like AL Capone I control my empire from the shadows. Just because you can't see the strings doesn't mean they're not there. You sleep comfortably thinking the monster is gone when really he's just moved from the closet to under your bed. In fact, I am more free now than I ever was as chairman. Those men who supported me you called leeches and I feel that was an apt name for them. They sucked away the lifeblood I created and held me back. Now that I'm free of them I realize I never needed them or their bullshit bureaucracy. Now I am free of those chains to do whatever I want, whenever I want. Only this time the people I beat won't be able to hide behind the excuse of "corruption" they so often used during my tenure. So what excuse will you create to make yourself feel better after losing to me Brian? You, like so many others, foolishly underestimate me, refusing to admit how good I really am. Have you forgotten already how I became chairman; who I beat for the position; how long I reigned; how many men attempted to end it; and how many men it took to bring it down? If you're honest with these answers, then you should realize just how dangerous I am! You're not the first man to vow to put me in a grave. But I've come to learn how powerless a grave really is, because the dead can always come back to haunt you! I am the monster from those movies, because no matter how hard you try to end me...I always come back! You can hit me and throw me down, but I will ALWAYS get back up in time to watch you fall! I will always win in the end because I have what it takes to outlast everyone here! I come for your championship now, not to save my career, but simply to kill your dream. I ended Jaywalker's undefeated streak, the greatest streak of its kind, and I also ended Dark Demon's streak as longest reigning World Heavyweight Champion. And if I'm honest I did these things not for the glory of being the one who did it, but because I like ending people's dreams and dragging them back to reality screaming. And your sad reality is that this dream will end before it begins. Instead it will turn into a nightmare as you watch me become champion when you were so close to breaking the record. And once again, Brian Daniels will prove himself to be the man who is good...just not good enough!

Valentine's Day. Post-Voltage.


(Cloud walks into the bathroom of her hotel, brushing her teeth. A female voice is speaking to her from the off-scene.)


???: It was crazy you know? The thing felt unreal...almost like a video game.


Cloud: (brushing) Uh-huh.


???: It was everything you said it would be and then some. I gave it my all Cloud I really did.


Cloud: (spits) Yeah.


???: She's amazing...it was like as if she knew all my moves.


Cloud: (rinses): So you don't feel bad about winning?


???: Well of course I'm upset that I lost. But, facing someone as impressive as Cailin Dillon inspires me to fight even harder.


Cloud: She'll have that effect on you...


(Cloud walks into the room, where Angela Salveti is laying on the bed in short-shorts and a t-shirt.)


Angela: Will it be like that when I face you?



Far from it.


(Cloud slowly crawls into bed towards Angela)


Cloud: Only one way to find out...


(Cloud pins Angela to the bed aggressive while looking her over with lust.)


Cloud: (whispers) There's a dramatic difference between Cailin and myself.


(Cloud begins kissing all over Angela)




A difference Haruna will find out about.