Henry's World

For the first time since capturing the NXT Championship at Takeover: Chicago, Hideo Itami is in action as he faces the debuting Adam Cole in our main event. Drew McIntyre looks for momentum against Andrade Almas, plus William Regal has a special announcement about the situation with Ricochet and Apollo Crews. Universe Mode NXT May 31st, 2017 Location: Full Sail University Drew McIntyre vs Andrade Almas The Sinister Scotsman Drew McIntyre may have come up short in the NXT Championship Tournament, but he proved why he is a highly dangerous competitor against Andrade Almas. El Idolo threw his best shots, but couldn't match the power and intensity of McIntyre, who put things away with a Future Shock DDT. That wasn't enough for Drew, though, as he locked in the Iron Maiden crossface after the bell had rung to send a message. Winner: Drew McIntyre William Regal Promo The NXT General Manager had big news for us regarding Ricochet and Apollo Crews. Next week, ...

After defeating The Club at Backlash, the unlikely partnership of Cesaro and Roman Reigns faces it's toughest test yet, as they face the Wyatt Family in a non-title match. Plus, Money in the Bank qualifiers continue, and Charlotte hosts an open challenge. Universe Mode SmackDown Live May 30th, 2017 Location: Philadelphia, PA Charlotte vs ??? The SmackDown Women's Champion looked in good spirits to open the show, but she was not a fan of the woman who answered her open challenge, the returning Bayley! We hadn't seen the Hugster since her loss to Asuka at Fastlane, but she was in top form in her return to the ring. She out-wrestled Charlotte, something we haven't seen many do, including hitting an impressive corner dropkick. Bayley countered a Spear from the Queen into a Bayley to Belly to score the huge win. Bayley took the time to celebrate with her fans, when she was attacked by Nia Jax. Jax was apparently not a big fan of Bayley, as kept the assau...

Thanks for joining us here on Raw. With just six days until Extreme Rules, action on the red brand is really heating up. Tonight, champions face champions while challengers take on challengers, as Samoa Joe faces Chris Jericho while Kevin Owens tests Seth Rollins. Plus, Matt Hardy takes on Jason Jordan and Becky Lynch finally gets her match with Asuka. Universe Mode Monday Night Raw May 29th, 2017 Location: Las Vegas, NV Kevin Owens vs Seth Rollins You could tell that Seth Rollins was working injured here tonight after his war last week with Austin Aries, as it was all Kevin Owens from the beginning. The self-proclaimed "Face of America" brutalized Rollins with big strikes to the ribs. You can never count the Architect out, though, as Rollins rallied with his aerial assault. He had just enough strength left to deliver the Gourdbuster GTS, as the vicious knee to the temple got the job done. An enraged Kevin Owens wasn't going to take this los...

After a fantastic performance in the NXT Championship Tournament, tonight Ricochet has been granted a Cruiserweight Championship Match, as he faces Neville in the main event. Plus, Aleister Black is in action, as well as the new NXT Women's Champion, Ember Moon! Universe Mode NXT May 24th, 2017 Location: Full Sail University Aleister Black vs Brian Kendrick Aleister Black may not have been victorious in the tournament, but it only made him more dangerous, as he had a point to prove. Kendrick did his best to slow Black down, but he was worn down with kick after kick, strike after strike, and eventually put away with a Black Mass. Winner: Aleister Black Carmella vs Ember Moon The new NXT Women's Champion was making her first appearance in Full Sail University as she took on the Princess of Staten Island. Although Carmella has a lot heart, and she fought well, it just wasn't enough, as she was taken out with a middle rope stunner. Winner: Ember Moon...

After failing to defeat Cesaro and Roman Reigns at Backlash, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows have been ordered to prove themselves by AJ Styles, as they face Enzo and Big Cass in our main event. Plus, the blue brand builds toward the first ever Money in the Bank ladder match, as Tyler Breeze faces The Miz and Tyson Kidd returns to face an "elite" talent. Finally, Tye Dillinger must defend his spot on SmackDown Live against one member of the Social Outcasts. Universe Mode SmackDown Live May 23rd, 2017 Location: Rosemont, IL Tye Dillinger vs Heath Slater It was go big or go home, as Tye Dillinger put his job on the line, while Heath Slater, looking to prove himself, put his spot in the Social Outcasts on the line. While Dillinger was clearly superior to Slater throughout the match, the One Man Rock Band survived thanks to Dallas and Axel at ringside. In the end, even their involvement wasn't enough, as a Tye Breaker put Slater away. After the match, Slat...

Following last week's attack, United States Champion Chris Jericho made a challenge on Twitter over the weekend. He wants to settle things with Kevin Owens the way all Americans settle their issues: a Street Fight, for the United States Championship! The challenge has been accepted, and the match made official. Tonight, Seth Rollins looks for revenge as he faces Austin Aries in an Extreme Rules match. Plus, Dolph Ziggler hosts an open challenge, Paige prepares for Asuka and American Alpha put their championships on the line. And to open the show, Finn Balor takes on Braun Strowman. Universe Mode Monday Night Raw May 22nd, 2017 Location: Bakersfield, CA Finn Balor vs Braun Strowman We opened the show in a big way, as Finn Balor made his signature entrance, ready to take on Braun Strowman. The Monster Among Men had other ideas, ambushing Balor on the stage. It was a brutal beatdown, as Finn was laid out with two big powerslams for daring to cross Strowman. Ame...

I had such low expectations for this show, and I can definitely say that they were exceeded. That being said, this wasn't really a great show, and there were plenty of lowlights. Despite that, I did enjoy myself, and ultimately, that's all that matters. Backlash 2016 Score: 9/10 - Shinsuke Nakamura is clearly the next big star on the blue brand, as he was the focus of much of the marketing for this event. His match with Dolph was underwhelming at best, as the two didn't really click. Still, just based on entrance alone, Nakamura is one of the most over guys on the roster, and he may be a champion sooner rather than later. - The Fashion Files has been one of the most consistently entertaining parts of SmackDown over the past month, but most would've known that they weren't winning the titles. This was a highly entertaining match, as Tyler Breeze proved just how talented he is with disguise after disguise. Hopefully Breezango continue to remain relevan...

When the lights go out on the Grandest Stage, when the champions have triumphed, the defiant have risen and the fearful have fell, what is left? When a beast arrives to roam a new land, can the hunted become the hunter? Actions have consequences, and never is that more evident than on this night. Tonight, in the Windy City, what goes around will come around. For every action, there in an equal and opposite reaction. And now, SmackDown presents...........................Backlash! Universe Mode Backlash May 21st, 2017 Location: Chicago, IL Official Backlash Theme Song- "Highway"- Bleeker Wyatt Family(c) vs Enzo and Big Cass- SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match Enzo and Cass have not held tag team gold since their days back in NXT, and they looked motivated to end that dry spell here tonight. They focused on the leader, Bray, as they worked him down for much of the match. It was the Wyatts willingness to bend the rules that was the difference, as Rowa...

Top to bottom, this is probably the most I've been entertained by a Takeover since 2014. NXT has been on a huge resurgence lately, and although there were a few misses on this show, it was all around a really strong effort. - I've been a fan of Roderick Strong for a decently long time, but I haven't exactly been wowed by his work in NXT. That said, creative has killed it over the past months with his vignettes, building him as a true top face. Him out-thinking Sanity throughout his match with Eric Young was smart booking. - Smoke 'em if you got 'em gents, because Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne got stole the freaking show. As a pure wrestling match, this is the best I've seen in a while, but it was so much more than that. Both guys had the crowd invested throughout, not an easy task, and sold their mutual hatred to perfection. It's incredible how young both of these guys are(20 and 23 respectively), given they may have put on the best match ever at a Tak...

For the first time in almost eight months, NXT takes over once more. After a triumphant return, the brand of the future is set to crown four new champions tonight. Natalya faces the debuting Ember Moon for the women's championship, the Authors of Pain take on The Ascension for the tag team titles, and four men compete to be crowned the face of NXT. Welcome to Chicago. Universe Mode NXT Takeover: Chicago May 20th, 2017 Location: Chicago, IL Cedric Alexander vs Ricochet- NXT Championship Tournament Semi-Finals Match With a hot crowd here in Chicago eager for action, these two cruiserweights took to the skies to deliver an incredible opening match. You could tell how much this meant from their body language throughout, as the sense of desperation on every near fall was palpable. Neither of these men expected to be in this position, but made the most out of their opportunity. In the end, it was the Future of Flight, Ricochet, who delivered an incredible ...

In which, holy sh**, Jinder Mahal in main eventing a pay-per-view! Pre-Show- Tye Dillinger vs Aiden English My Prediction: 10, 10, 10 As much as I love Aiden English and everything he represents, Tye is clearly a much bigger star. Baron Corbin vs Sami Zayn My Prediction: Sami's gonna sell that End of Days As much as SmackDown could build Sami as a legit main eventer, now is certainly not the time for that. It looks like Corbin may well be the next WWE Champion, so he needs the win. Luke Harper vs Erick Rowan My Prediction: It's Backlash, you know what that means... It means it's high time Luke Harper finally started getting built as a major face. He had all the momentum in the world back in February, and they killed it off. A big win here could help solidify Harper as a solid upper midcarder, and he could have great matches with guys like Corbin and KO. Naomi, Charlotte and Becky Lynch vs The Welcoming Committee My Prediction: Why would you tru...

With just three days until NXT takes over Chicago, the NXT Championship Tournament nears a conclusion. Tonight, Eric Young of Sanity faces Hideo Itami, and the Knockout Artist Kassius Ohno faces the Golden Star Kota Ibushi in our main event. Plus, the Cruiserweight Champion Neville and the Queen of Harts Natalya are in action. Universe Mode NXT May 17th, 2017 Location: Full Sail University Eric Young vs Hideo Itami- NXT Championship Tournament Quarter-Finals Match Although Young had the support of Sanity and the numbers game in his advantage, Hideo Itami was driven in his pursuit of success, and controlled the match. His strikes were absolutely on point, and it was all EY could do to stay in the match. In the end, Itami simply outlasted him, and advanced to the semi-finals with a Busaiku Knee. Winner: Hideo Itami Natalya vs Peyton Royce After defeating Billie Kay a few weeks ago on NXT, Natalya was in action tonight against Peyton Royce, Kay's good friend....

Alexa Bliss made the request, and Daniel Bryan has granted it, and this Sunday the Wicked Witch of SmackDown Live will face Nia Jax once more. At Backlash, however, it will be a No Holds Barred match. Tonight, Bliss teams up with Nikki Bella to face Nia and Charlotte. Plus, Cesaro and Roman Reigns team for the first time ever, And a massive main event fatal four way sees both the Intercontinental and WWE Champions in action against their challengers. Universe Mode SmackDown Live May 16th, 2017 Location: Tampa, FL The Vaudevillians vs Cesaro and Roman Reigns Daniel Bryan saw the makings of an excellent tag team in their battles against each other, and decided pit Cesaro and Roman Reigns against The Vaudevillians. The Swiss Superman and the Big Dog worked quite well, as they had mutual respect for each other, and ran right through Aiden English and Simon Gotch, Reigns putting English away with a Spear. After the match, we received word of a challenge from the Machine...

Tonight on Raw, tensions between champion and challenger heat up, as Samoa Joe personally picks an opponent for Seth Rollins in the main event. Monsters collide as Braun Strowman faces Mark Henry, and the United States Championship is on the line as Chris Jericho defends against Sheamus. Universe Mode Monday Night Raw May 15th, 2017 Location: Saginaw, MI Braun Strowman vs Mark Henry The Monster Among Men went right at it in this heavyweight collision, opening up with a series of big strikes. Mark Henry wasn't about to back down, and fought with every fiber of his being. The World's Strongest Man could only hold back the tide for so long, and Strowman connected with a running powerslam. Shockingly, Henry got the shoulder up to stay alive, but he didn't survive a second one. After the match, Strowman looked as always to deliver more punishment, when Finn Balor intervened. Balor made the wise choice to stay on the stage and cut a promo, but all intelligenc...

The NXT Championship Tournament continues, as the quarter finals begin this week, with Cedric Alexander facing Rich Swann and Apollo Crews taking on Ricochet. Earlier this week, we learned that NXT with Takeover Chicago on Saturday, May 20th. On that night, we will see the semi and finals of the tournament, with a new champion being crowned. And just announced, the Authors of Pain will face The Ascension, with the winners becoming the new NXT Tag Team Champions. Universe Mode NXT May 10th, 2017 Location: Full Sail University Cedric Alexander vs Rich Swann- NXT Championship Tournament Quarter-Finals Match These two friends have faced off before, and always push each other to their limits. You knew this was never going to be an extended fight, and Alexander and Swann went right at it. Crazy acrobatics and snug strikes was the order of the evening, as these two cruiserweights tore the house down. There was hardly time to catch a breath, as they traded near falls, but it...

The Beast has been unleashed. Tonight on SmackDown, Brock Lesnar has made a challenge for a handicap match, against Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. The WWE, Intercontinental and SmackDown Tag Team Champions are all in non-title action, plus Nikki Bella faces Nia Jax. Universe Mode SmackDown Live May 9th, 2017 Location: Houston, TX Jack Swagger vs AJ Styles The WWE Champion in singles action is a rare sight, and AJ Styles took this opportunity to taunt the fans about that fact. His arrogant attitude almost cost him a few times, but ultimately Jack Swagger fell to a Phenomenal Forearm. Winner: AJ Styles Nikki Bella vs Nia Jax The Fearless One would have to live up to that nickname as she went one on one with the Female Destroyer, Nia Jax. Jax was dominant for a spell, but Nikki showed her resolve and continued to fight. She capitalized on a mistake, as Nia got a little too confident, and Nikki scored with a Rack Attack 2.0 to pick up a huge win and move right in...

Tonight, in an effort to crown a new number one contender, Becky Lynch meets Paige in our main event. But that's not all, as Shane McMahon was approached by none other than Sasha Banks earlier in the day. The Legit Boss made a good case for another shot at Asuka, and Shane decided to add her to the match. Mark Henry takes on Alberto Del Rio, American Alpha in non-title action, and the Universal Championship match for Raw's next pay-per-view, Extreme Rules, is booked. Universe Mode Monday Night Raw May 8th, 2017 Location: New York, NY Shane McMahon Promo Shane O'Mac opened this episode of Raw in the Big Apple, and wasted no time getting down to business. He announced that Raw's next pay-per-view, Extreme Rules, will take place live on June 4th, and the winner of tonight's main event will challenge Asuka on that night. Shane then booked another championship match, as Samoa Joe will face Seth Rollins once more, this time inside a steel cage. The Univ...

Tonight, the NXT Championship Tournament is on break, with the quarter-finals starting next week. In our main event tonight, it's a rematch from the final episode of Main Event, as Noam Dar puts the Cruiserweight Championship on the line against Neville. Natalya looks to continue her winning ways against Billie Kay, plus the Authors of Pain continue their crusade. Universe Mode NXT May 3rd, 2017 Location: Full Sail University Blake and Murphy vs Authors of Pain Akam and Rezar had dark thoughts on their minds as they faced the out-matched Blake and Murphy. It was a dominant display from the Authors of Pain, much to the delight of Paul Ellering. They were not in trouble too much through out the match, and Rezar planted Blake with a massive powerbomb to pick up the win. After the match, the Authors of Pain celebrated in the ring, while The Ascension made their way to the stage. These two dominant teams stared down, but luckily, officials got involved before anythi...

It a big night here on SmackDown, as the blue brand builds towards Backlash. New SmackDown roster members The Usos will test the number one contenders, Enzo and Big Cass, in tag team action. A new number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship will be crowned, and Alexa Bliss faces Charlotte in a WrestleMania Rematch. In the main event, three of Universe Mode's best face off, as Cesaro, Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar compete to be next in line for the WWE Championship. Universe Mode SmackDown Live May 2nd, 2017 Location: Louisville, KY Enzo and Big Cass vs The Usos Jimmy and Jey Uso made their Universe Mode return, this time on the blue brand. Enzo and Cass may be the current number one contenders, but they still lack the experience and chemistry of true tag team champions, and it showed. The power of Big Cass was the huge roadblock for The Usos, but they used their speed to their advantage, and Jimmy connected with a Samoan Splash to defeat the top co...

After the startling events of Payback, the Monster Among Men Braun Strowman will get a huge opportunity in tonight's main event, as he takes on Dolph Ziggler. Austin Aries looks to keep his momentum going, Chris Jericho in singles action plus The Revival host an open challenge. Universe Mode Monday Night Raw May 1st, 2017 Location: Long Island, NY The Revival vs ??? Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder were looking to prove that they are still the "Top Guys" on Raw by issuing this open challenge. They might reconsider issuing open challenges, as they were answered by the returning Hardy Boyz! Jeff and Matt Hardy returned to Universe Mode in a big way, with the Charismatic Enigma connecting on a Swanton Bomb to put Dash Wilder away. Winners: The Hardy Boyz Chris Jericho vs Sheamus Fresh off another successful title retention at Payback, United States Champion Chris Jericho went one on one with Sheamus. Y2J got off to a fast start, before Kevin Owens appea...