Cynric

Mark Cruise, better known by his ring name Cynric, is a retired American professional wrestler. He was a member of the MECCA roster from 2005 to 2008, and performed for FPPVW/RCW prior to that. He was most well known for his martial arts based offense.

In MECCA and FPPVW/RCW, Cynric was a part of many major matches and angles. He formed a part-time team with his brother Ronin Fox, who he later feuded with, and was a part of The House of Lords faction in MECCA. In MECCA, he won the MECCA Tag Team Championship once teaming with his brother, and the MECCA Toughman Championship once.

1 Early career
2 Professional wrestling career
         2.1 Future Pay-Per-View Wrestling
         2.2 Renegade Championship Wrestling
         2.3 Modern Establishment of Competitive Combat Arts
3 Other media
4 In wrestling
5 Championships and accomplishments

Cynric

Professional wrestling career

Early career

Cynric began to train in 2001 under Jon Z, a college classmate of his brother Ronin Fox, who had become a professional wrestler but had to quit due to injuries. He made his debut in September 2001 and worked various independents for the next couple of years.

Future Pay-Per-View Wrestling (2003-2005)

The Beginning

In July of 2003, Jon Z started his own promotion Future Pay-Per-View Wrestling. Cynric and his brother were hired, and competed in the very first match of the first show, Premiere Showcase. He competed in a battle royale, but was eliminated by his brother. He competed in a three-way match at Shut Up and Wrestle against Alan Mayse and Dusty Schneble, but was pinned by Mayse. He then had to take some time off to deal with an injury, but returned on the October 3 episode of Foundation with a win over Aki Mann. With a chip on his shoulder, he demanded more competition, and received a challenge from Austin Lee. They met at Homecoming Hell, with Lee winning the match. At Darkest Night, Cynric confronted Cody Hawk, who was a former high school classmate of his. Cynric seemed to harbor some resentment over how Hawk treated him back then, and the two exchanged barbs. They met on the next Foundation, with Hawk walking out and taking a count-out loss after not being able to put Cynric away.

Cynric also helped his brother out in his feud against Nykk and The Heel Stable. He made a challenge to Nykk on January 30, but came up short in their match. He also competed against Hawk again on February 13, but won when Hawk got himself disqualified this time. They met again the next night at Pain and Glory, with Hawk getting the pin after hooking the tights. When Nykk tricked Jon into authorizing him to crown The Pyro Twins the first FPPVW Tag Team Champions and Jon counted by introducing a double elimination tournament for the Ohio Tag Team Championship, Cynric formed a team with his brother to compete in the tournament. On March 5, they defeated Joey Sprinklers and Swinger in the first round of the upper brackets. Unfortunately, Fox was put out of action with a stinger after Nykk deliberately dropped him on his head at Gauntlet, causing Cynric to ambush him on the next episode of Foundation. Jon allowed him a replacement partner for the tournament, and he picked Silver King. However, they lost their second round match to Austin Lee and Cody Hawk. The next week, they lost a three-way match in the lower brackets to The Eccentrics, putting them out of the tournament. Two months later, he met Hawk in the ring at WrestlingRevolution, FPPVW's first anniversary show, to finish their rivalry. However, it was Hawk who came out on top.

Cynric continued to try to get his career on track, teaming with the Eccentrics to beat the Heel Stable in a six-man tag at Sunstroke. He teamed with former Heel Stable member Kevin Stone to face the Pyro Twins for the RCW Tag Team Championship at Breakout, but lost. On July 20, he confronted RCW's resident campus preacher Brother Jim, who had been running down those in RCW he found to be sinful, with a particular focus on Cynric's long hair. Brother Jim tried to attack him when his back was turned, but Cynric turned the tables easily and beat him to the point that EMTs needed to be called. Cynric told him that if he's going to preach in a wrestling ring, he should pay a wrestler's dues, and challenged him to a match. Brother Jim refused at first, but Jon revealed he had signed him to a very generalized contract, and put him in a match with Cynric at Firestorm, but Jim won the match after nailing Cynric with his loaded Bible. They met again at Homecoming Hell in a Hair vs. Hair match, with the stipulation that if Cynric lost he would have to shave his head, but if Jim lost, he would be required to grow his hair long. Brother Jim tried to forcibly shave Cynric's head after the match, but Cynric turned the tables and knocked him out with his own Bible.

Cynric would continue to team with his brother and Kevin Stone throughout the fall in the hunt for tag team gold, and also challenged Fox for the new RCW Television Championship at Darkest Night, but failed to win it. He joined the Road to the Revolution Tournament for a shot at the RCW Championship, but before his quest for a title could come to fruition, the promotion closed down and went dark. The roster would reunite one last time for WrestlingRevolution II in May 2005, where Cynric would again challenge his brother for the TV belt, and win it to become the final champion.

Modern Establishment of Competitive Combat Arts (2005-2008)

A New Beginning

With RCW's funds gone and the promotion caught up in a legal battle with its creditors, Nykk hastily put together a deal of his own. He started MECCA in early 2005, which at first stood for the Midwestern Establishment of Competitive Combat Arts, in order to save the jobs of the workers and crew of RCW. Cynric showed up on the third episode of Go Time, and was inserted into the main event against Nykk and Bryan Danielson. He also teamed with his brother several times against members of SELF over the next few weeks as he tried to position himself as a contender. On March 15, Cynric teamed with Nykk nad Fox to meet SELF in a six-man tag, but was cost the fall when Eddie Crowe hit him with a chair. Cynric confronted him two weeks later, but Eddie was being protected by the Pyro Twins. Realizing he was outnumbered, Cynric recruited Amazing Red and his old partner Kevin Stone for a six-man tag at the first MECCA Challenge in April. However, his team lost the match when Eddie pinned Red.

Cynric would continue feuding with SELF, and gained a pinfall victory over Jay Crowe the next month at Punked Out. On the next Go Time, he won a shot at the tag titles along with Stone for Midsummer Night Slam, but the next week he won a Four Corners Match for a shot at CM Punk's MECCA Championship. Forced to choose, Cynric had to go with the World Title shot. He met Punk at Midsummer Night Slam, and thought he won the title when the ref counted Punk's shoulders down, but saw his foot was on the rope before he called for the bell. Punk went on to win the match. He and Stone would get their tag title shot at The UK Wrecking Crew on July 5, but lost after Cynric accidentally nailed Stone with a knee. Upset after the match, Stone attacked Cynric and spat on him before leaving the ring.

They met in the ring at Liberty or Death, with Stone picking up the win after nailing Cynric with a chair. They had a rematch on the next Go Time and brawled all over the arena, going to a no-contest. The score was settled in an Anything Goes match at Summer Showdown, where Stone won by choking out Cynric with his own nunchukus. Despite the loss, Cynric and Stone both received a title shot at MECCA's first television special, At Your Own Risk in September. They competed in a Four Corner Chaos match against Alan Mayse and the champion Nykk, but Nykk won after pinning Cynric. Cynric would go on to team with Mayse in an attempt to win the tag titles, but grew even more frustrated when they failed to win them.

Meanwhile, Cynric's brother Ronin Fox had gone over to the dark side, turning his back on the fans and trying to coax Cynric into joining him. Cynric didn't see things his way, and a rift grew between them. It got to the point where they faced one another in the ring on Go Time, with Fox cheating to score a victory. However, Cynric had previously won a Supernova Spectacle match to secure a shot at Kevin Stone, who was now the MECCA Champion. They met at Snowed In in January 2006. Once again, Cynric thought he had won the title when Stone apparently tapped out to his sharpshooter. But Stone complained after the bell that he had been reaching for the ropes, and upon seeing the replay, the ref restarted the match, which allowed Stone to get the victory. Absolutely devastated and sick of being screwed over, Cynric was approached by Fox on the next episode of Go Time. Fox apologized for low blowing Cynric during the match and said he had talked to MECCA co-owner Katie Piehl and gotten the decision reversed, giving Cynric the win by DQ and allowing him to keep his spot on the Contender Star. Cynric thanked his brother, and showed up at his side the next week on Go Time: Night of Champions, where they nearly won the tag belts.

He joined Fox in his feud with The Eccentric Alliance, and defeated Huh and Cheesecake at The MECCA Challenge II and again on the next episode of Go Time in a Falls Count Anywhere Match. Fox and Cynric turned their attention to the Tag Team Championship, and got their shot at Midsummer Night Slam against The Pyro Twins. Fox and Cynric caused an intentional DQ when it looked like the Pyro Twins were about to win, and worked toward getting another title match. They received their rematch at Summertime Showdown, and finally won the belts thanks to interference from The UK Wrecking Crew. Fox and Cynric defended their Tag Team Championship successfully in the rematch at At Your Own Risk, and helped his brother as he sought to win the MECCA Championship from Eddie Crowe. Cynric received a shot at Eddie himself in November during the Championship series, in which all of MECCA's men's titles were defended against other champions. Cynric failed to win the belt, and the next week he and Fox lost their tag belts to Eddie Crowe and the Toughman Champion Alan Mayse. Cynric continued to help his brother against their enemies throughout the winter, and in April developed a brief rivalry with Delirious, beating him at The MECCA Challenge III. Cynric interfered in the main event, a title match between Ronin Fox and Eddie Crowe, but he was countered by interference from Nykk.

The House of Lords

After the main event of the MECCA Challenge, temporary MECCA co-owner Nykk revealed that he and Lisa Letty had formed an alliance, and took control of the company, beating up much of the roster that came out to stop them. Cynric was angry that Fox had not told him of the plan, and confronted him on the next Go Time. Nykk and Fox assured him that he had a spot in their House of Lords if he wanted it, and he accepted. He became their enforcer and helped them take out the remnants of The David Caldwell Project. He helped Nykk and Fox against their enemies, and helped Lisa win back the MECCA Ladies' Championship at New Dawn. Ronin Fox would gain the MECCA World Championship later in the event, and the House of Lords set their sights on other titles. Cynric challenged Low Ki at Punked Out for the MECCA Toughman Championship, but came up short. In July, former MECCA co-owner Katie PiehL reappeared as the new authority appointed by the board of directors to counter the House of Lords, and issued a Best of Three tag team series for Liberty or Death with the winner getting to book the matches for Summertime Showdown in August. The deciding match came down to the UK Wrecking Crew against Nykk and Cynric, with the UKWC picking up the win. However, the next night Cynric finally won the Toughman Title in a rematch with Low Ki, giving the House of Lords control of every title in the company.

Cynric was booked in an eight-man tag for Summertime Showdown, teaming with Nykk, Huh, and Joey Sprinklers against the entire UK Wrecking Crew. The House of Lords won the match and every match they were booked in on the show, but cracks started to appear in September when Fox lost the World Title to Bryan Danielson. Cynric, meanwhile, had been successfully defending his Toughman Title by knocking out all the competition. He had more trouble with Matt Sydal, who he faced at At Your Own Risk. Sydal proved his toughness by refusing to be knocked out, but Cynric was able to score the pin and still get the victory. However, he would lose the title the next month at Scared Stiff to The Wild Wolf. Cynric unsuccessfully challenged for the World Title in a Four Corners match at No Regrets, just as the feud between the House of Lords and the MECCA loyalists was coming to a head. Katie Piehl proposed a Best of Five series for control of the company at End of the Line in December. Cynric teamed with Huh, Joey Sprinklers and Alan Mayse in an eight-man tag, but lost to The Lee Brothers, Matt Sydal, and Delirious. The House of Lords would go on to lose the series, and on the next Go Time Nykk decided the House of Lords needed to be downsized. He fired everyone who lost their match at End of the Line, except for current title holders Shadow and Ronin Fox. Despite pleading with his brother, Cynric was out of the group.

Feud with Fox and Retirement

The next week, Nykk, Fox and the Pyro Twins attacked World Champion Bryan Danielson after his match. Cynric came out, pleading for one more chance. Nykk told him to take his shot at Danielson, but instead Cynric helped the champ clean house. Cynric sought his revenge the next week on Go Time's third anniversary show, attacking Nykk and challenging him to a match, which ended when Cynric deliberately got himself disqualified to harm Nykk. He teamed with Danielson on the next Go Time and beat Nykk and Fox in a non-title match, earning themselves a shot at the tag titles. They received it on January 23, but were unable to get the win. Cynric challenged his brother to a match for Bloody Valentine in their hometown of Dayton, and Fox accepted. Fox won the match, but that wasn't good enough for him. He attacked Cynric afterward in front of their own mother at ringside and tried to end his brother's career by dropping a guardrail on his head. Cynric was stretchered out, and though he tried to compete in the Six-Man Apocalypse match later on, he was quickly eliminated.

Cynric returned on March 5, barging into the House of Lords' dressing room and challenging Fox to the MECCA Challenge match at The MECCA Challenge IV. Fox accepted, but challenged Cynric to a dream partner tag match for Melee. Cynric accepted, and chose Austin Lee as his partner. Fox brought in Japanese striker Yoshiaki Yago, and they were able to get the victory when Fox pinned Cynric after Yago knocked him out. Cynric got some payback by beating Yago on the next Go Time. On the April 2 episode, Cynric announced that the MECCA Challenge would be his last match and win, lose, or draw, he would retire afterward. At the MECCA Challenge, Cynric was able to make Fox submit and win the MECCA Challenge match, ending his career on a high note.

The Authority

On the May 9, 2012, episode of Go Time, Cynric returned after a tag team match, announcing that he had been hired by the board of directors to be the new authority and matchmaker in MECCA. He would exercise this authority in the coming years many times, making rulings and matches to satisfy the competitors, management, and fans, including instituting the Independence Challenge, where MECCA alumni could return to challenge for a title on Fourth of July week, and introducing the MECCA Legacy Championship. Later year, it was unified with the MECCA Toughman Championship under his watch.

In wrestling

• Nicknames
       
• "The Chief Assassin"

• Finishing moves
       
• The Lift Off (Step up knee strike to crouching opponent) - 2002-2008
       
• The Shock Cannon (Muscle buster, either a flat or sitout version) - 2002-2008
       
• The Shockwave Pulsar (Muscle buster off the second turnbuckle) - 2005-2008, used rarely
       
• Roundhouse Kick to a kneeling opponent's head - 2007

• Signature moves
       
• Savage Elbow (Top rope elbow drop)
       
• Sharpshooter
       
• Rolling heel kick
       
• Top rope martial arts kick
       
• Tornado kick

• With Ronin Fox
• Double team finishing moves
       
• Dead End (Electric chair lift (Cynric) / Top rope leaping DDT (Fox) combination
       
• Curb stomp (Fox) into Cynric's raised knees

• Double team signature moves
       
• German suplex (Cynric) / STO (Fox) combination

• Entrance themes
       
• "Soul Creation" by Cinder (FPPVW/RCW/MECCA; 2003-2008; 2012-2016)
       
• "Third Reich from the Sun" by Hanzel und Gretyl (MECCA; 2007; used as a member of the House of Lords)
       
• "Zoo York" by Paul Oakenfold (MECCA; 2016-present; used as a member of The Fox Administration)

Championships and accomplishments

• Renegade Championship Wrestling
       
• RCW Television Championship (1 time)

• Modern Establishment of Competitive Combat Arts
       
• MECCA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ronin Fox
       
• MECCA Toughman Championship (1 time)