Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from June, 2017

Henry's Universe Mode #179: NXT

It's Championship Night on NXT, as all four championships in NXT are on the line. In a pair of Takeover: Chicago rematches, Natalya challenges Ember Moon for the NXT Women's Championship, while The Ascension take on the Authors of Pain. Cedric Alexander will take on Neville, and in the main event, Hideo Itami looks for redemption against Adam Cole. Universe Mode NXT June 28th, 2017 Location: Full Sail University Ember Moon(c) vs Natalya- NXT Women's Championship Match The story throughout this match was Natalya's fear of Ember Moon's big middle rope stunner, as she did her best to avoid the maneuver. The Queen of Harts was on the attack for most of the match, with Moon never quite getting out of the gates. It took awhile, but the War Goddess would eventually fire up, and had Natalya right where she wanted her. She went for the stunner, but the challenger got out of the way, and locked in the Sharpshooter. The vicious hold was lo...

Henry's Universe Mode #178: Raw

Apologies for this post being a day late. Also, although I'm trying not to make cancelled shows the norm, this week's edition of SmackDown Live has been cancelled, although NXT will be posted tomorrow. With just under two weeks until Bad Blood, Raw has a big night in store, with three contendership matches. Following the events of last week, Shane McMahon has agreed to Rusev's demands, as the Bulgarian Brute will face Austin Aries and Kurt Angle in a triple threat match. Representatives from six tag teams face off in a battle royal, with a title shot at the Hardy Boyz on the line, and Sasha Banks faces Becky Lynch in a massive main event. Plus, Seth Rollins returns to Raw to open the show. Universe Mode Monday Night Raw June 26th, 2017 Location: Uniondale, NY Seth Rollins vs Sheamus This would certainly be a tough test for the returning Rollins, as he went one on one with the Celtic Warrior, Sheamus. Although Sheamus looked good for most of the match, ...

Henry's Universe Mode #177: NXT

After his impressive performances over the last few months, tonight Rich Swann has been rewarded with a one on one match with the Cruiserweight Champion, Neville. Plus, William Regal debuts his new tag team, Nikki Cross makes her debut and Roderick Strong faces TJ Perkins. Universe Mode NXT June 21st, 2017 Location: Full Sail University Blake and Murphy vs ??? William Regal had been hyping his tag team all week, declaring that they would arrive and change the game. His charges were revealed to be two of England's hottest young stars, Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne. Although incredibly young, Bate and Dunne showed the fans exactly why William Regal chose them, running right through Blake and Murphy. Dunne, known as the Bruiserweight, finished Blake off with the Bitter End to pick up the easy debut victory. Winners: Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne Nikki Cross vs Billie Kay It was clear that Nikki Cross wasn't all there throughout parts of this match, as she seemed ...

Henry's Universe Mode #176: SmackDown Live

Controversy reigned at Money in the Bank, when Fandango was attacked before the match, leaving Tyler Breeze to take his place and win the contract. For his part, Breeze has called the attack "heinous" and although he has no love of Fandango, is determined to get to the bottom of the case. Before he can, however, Daniel Bryan has ordered him to face Big Cass tonight in SmackDown's main event. Universe Mode SmackDown Live June 20th, 2017 Location: Memphis, TN Bayley vs Emma Just two days removed from completing the Triple Crown at Money in the Bank, Bayley was back in action. Although she showed a lot of the fire and competitive spirit we've come to expect, it's clear Bayley wasn't at one hundred percent. A Dana Brooke distraction cost Bayley huge, saving Emma after a Bayley to Belly. This moment changed the tides of the match, as Bayley was off her game and got caught with a Michinoku Driver for the surprise three count. A poor first night ...

Henry's Universe Mode #175: Raw

Welcome back to Monday Night Raw. Tonight, we have another Extreme Rules rematch, as American Alpha challenge for the Raw Tag Team Championships against the Hardy Boyz. Plus, an exclusive interview with Seth Rollins, and a massive main event sees Austin Aries take on Kurt Angle, with a United States Championship match on the line. Universe Mode Monday Night Raw June 19th, 2017 Location: Richmond, VA Dolph Ziggler vs Finn Balor On the last episode of Raw, it was announced that Finn Balor would be next in line to challenge for Samoa Joe's Universal Championship at Bad Blood. With his top contender in action to open Raw, the champion himself made an appearance, watching on from ringside. Despite the combined efforts of Joe and Ziggler, there was no slowing down Finn Balor on this night. He was firing on all cylinders, and it was only a matter of time before he could connect on a beautiful Coup de Grace for another big win. Winner: Finn Balor Two More Number One...

Money in the Bank 2017 Recap

It's been said many times and many ways, but a main event can make or break any show. However, that rule becomes even more prevalent for gimmick pay-per-views, like TLC, Hell in a Cell, Elimination Chamber and the titular Money in the Bank. As such, this review will actually be quite simple. I get to rag on 90 percent of this show, which I love doing, and then I get to gush about a Match of the Year candidate, which is slightly less fun. Money in the Bank 2016 Score: 8/10 - I went through my whole routine of criticizing the two women's matches on the card yesterday, so I won't bore you with it again. SmackDown likes to pretend they've got a thriving women's division, which is cute, but this match showed just how much work needs to be done. Compare this to the first Money in the Bank match, back in 2005, and you'll understand why this was so underwhelming. Not much more needs to be said: tepid and predictable match, a lack of big spots and a finis...

Henry's Universe Mode #174: Money in the Bank

Opportunity. The chance for fame, for glory, for a spot in our eternal history. Opportunity is fleeting, and only ever knocks once in a lifetime. When it arrives, you must seize, because there will never be another chance. Tonight, opportunity is knocking. A chance at fame, a chance at glory is waiting, waiting for the worthy to seize it. To hold on tight and never let go. Tonight, six men will climb the ladder, with stardom tantalizingly within reach. For most, their journey will end in failure, in the agony of defeat that many have tasted before. For one, tonight is only the beginning. And now, SmackDown presents.............................Money in the Bank! Universe Mode Money in the Bank June 18th, 2017 Location: Indianapolis, IN Official Money in the Bank Theme Song- "Whatever It Takes"- Imagine Dragons Charlotte(c) vs Bayley- SmackDown Women's Championship Match Earlier this month, we saw Paige complete the Triple Crown when sh...

My Money in the Bank 2017 Predictions

I've been pretty down on the blue brand since about October if we're being honest, and not much about this event seems like it's going to be changing my mind. Part of that is the fact that it doesn't really seem like there's a whole lot of unpredictability in this card, aside from the men's ladder match. That said, this doesn't seem like a bad show as a whole, and there should be at least one or two decent matches. Pre-Show- Hype Bros vs The Colons My Prediction: Get Hyped It's a real shame Mojo has been given nothing to do since winning the battle royal, but in SmackDown's defense, jobbers and mid-carders can't hold championships. Zack will likely turn heel eventually, which will be great for his character, but it probably won't happen here. Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair vs Natalya vs Tamina vs Carmella My Prediction: That's a F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S briefcase you've got there "Hey!" said a dumbass. "The peo...

The Dog League: 2017 Draft(Part 2)

Welcome to the second and final part of my breakdown of the 2017 Dog League Draft. In this part, it's last year's championship game reborn, as we feature the Ridiculous Rascals and defending champions Tug of War. Let's get to it. Ridiculous Rascals(Season Prediction: 1st) 1st Round, 3rd Overall- RB Ezekiel Elliott- Grade: A 2nd Round, 6th Overall- WR Odell Beckham- Grade: B+ 3rd Round, 11th Overall- RB Melvin Gordon- Grade: B 4th Round, 14th Overall- RB Jay Ajayi- Grade: A 5th Round, 19th Overall- TE Rob Gronkowski- Grade: C 6th Round, 22nd Overall- WR Brandin Cooks- Grade: B- 7th Round, 27th Overall- QB Andrew Luck- Grade: B+ 8th Round, 30th Overall- DEF Denver Broncos- Grade: C+ 9th Round, 35th Overall- K Matt Bryant- Grade: B 10th Round, 38th Overall- RB Marshawn Lynch- Grade: B- 11th Round, 43rd Overall- RB Christian McCaffrey- Grade: D 12th Round, 46th Overall- WR Demaryius Thomas- Grade: B 13th Round, 51st Overall- WR Sammy Watkins- Grade: B- 14t...

The Dog League: 2017 Draft(Part 1)

Welcome to the official start of Season 2 of The Dog League! I'm your host Henry Keys, and in case you missed it, here's a brief recap in what went down in our inaugural year. Four Smith Ranch Dogs(Trinket, Bucky, Rascal and Emma) formed their own league and stocked up on talent. Bucky's Tailwaggerz side lit up the scoreboards, but it was ultimately Trinket's Tug of War that took home the championship. After finishing in last place, Emma and her Leaping Girl squad will have the first pick, so let's get to it. (Note: This is a custom fantasy football league run on NFL.com. I control all four teams, making decisions for all of them. This was an auto-pick draft, with all draft picks completely random). Leaping Girl(Season Prediction: 4th) 1st Round, 1st Overall- RB David Johnson- Grade: A 2nd Round, 8th Overall- RB LeSean McCoy- Grade: B 3rd Round, 9th Overall- RB DeMarco Murray- Grade: B- 4th Round, 16th Overall- WR Dez Bryant- Grade: C 5th Round, ...

My Top Ten WWE Matches

It has been f***ing forever since I did a top ten list on my blog, but I got some free time this week, so there's no time like the present. This is my list of my top ten favorite WWE matches. Of course, keep in mind that I only started watching wrestling in 2010, so I can't comment on a huge portion of older matches. Despite that, there's only three matches on this list that occurred after I started watching. As always, these lists are extremely subjective, so keep in mind that you may not agree with parts or all of this countdown. Enjoy! 10. Adrian Neville vs Sami Zayn- NXT Takeover: R Evolution NXT is a bit of a weird beast these days, in that I'm constantly wondering whether or not I actually enjoy the product anymore. However, back in 2014, NXT was the hottest commodity in wrestling, and I was a huge fan. For me, this was the pinnacle of everything the brand is about. Two of the best young stars in the business, with a great story, an invested crowd and rid...

Henry's Universe Mode #173: SmackDown Live

First off, would just like to say that there will be no Raw or NXT this week. I have a couple of other things I'm working on, so it'll just be this and Money in the Bank in terms of Universe Mode content. However, I will have a couple of different posts coming out over the next few days, so I hope that makes up for it. With Money in the Bank just five days away, tonight all six men square off in three random singles matches. Who will have the momentum heading into this Sunday's ladder match? Plus, it's a Backlash rematch, as Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson face Cesaro and Roman Reigns, with the winners challenging the Wyatt Family at Money in the Bank. Universe Mode SmackDown Live June 13th, 2017 Location: Biloxi, MS Dana Brooke vs Charlotte With an announced title match against Bayley looming, the champion seemed to be a bit nervous, as Charlotte was accompanied to the ring by the massive Nia Jax. The Queen seemed focused not to lose another non-ti...

Henry's Universe Mode #172: NXT

Tonight on NXT, Apollo Crews and Ricochet finish their feud, as they face off in a Loser Leaves NXT match. Drew Gulak faces Cedric Alexander, and the Ascension and the Authors of Pain renew hostilities. Universe Mode NXT June 7th, 2017 Location: Full Sail University Konnor vs Rezar The Ascension were given another chance to prove themselves against the Authors of Pain, as Konnor took on Rezar. This was a hard-hitting, physical match at the start, as you'd expect with these two men. Paul Ellering's presence at ringside was the difference, as he helped Rezar stay in control throughout, and pick up the win with a big powerbomb. Winner: Rezar Drew Gulak vs Cedric Alexander There had been a lot of trash talk on social media between Cedric Alexander and the Cruiserweight Champion Neville over the past few days, leading to William Regal giving Cedric this chance. The Queen City's Favorite Son showed us everything he has in his arsenal, taking it to Drew G...

Henry's Universe Mode #171: SmackDown Live

Welcome to SmackDown Live, where we are just two weeks away from Money in the Bank. Tonight, tag team partners Enzo Amore and Big Cass face off, with a spot in the ladder match on the line. After pestering Daniel Bryan for weeks to get a second chance, Tyler Breeze will face old nemesis Fandango for the sixth and final spot in the match. Plus, Sami Zayn looks for revenge at he takes on Randy Orton in a non-title match, and AJ Styles faces Bray Wyatt. Universe Mode SmackDown Live June 6th, 2017 Location: Birmingham, AL Enzo Amore vs Big Cass- Money in the Bank Qualification Match They may be tag team partners, but neither Enzo or Cass could afford to let personal feelings get in the way of this huge opportunity. Although many would've thought Enzo would get demolished in this match, it was actually quite competitive, as the Jordan of Jargon used his speed to stay in it. It wasn't enough, as the power of Big Cass was simply too much, and Amore was put away with...

NHL 15: Philly Flyers Regular Season Part 2(Year 5)

It has been a very long time since I posted in this series, but I've wanted to finish this up for a long time. For those of you who don't remember or weren't around when this series was running, this is my Phildelphia Flyers GM Mode, back on NHL 15 on the last gen. This is Year 5 of the series, with Year 4 ending in a Stanley Cup Finals defeat to the Colorado Avalanche. When I last posted in November 2015(link here ), we had just reached the trade deadline, with a record of 34-21-5, good enough for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. We had struggled during the season thanks to an injury to captain Claude Giroux, who recently returned. Looking at the lines and the stats, the two pieces I wanted at the deadline were a solid third line right winger, and a backup goaltender, as youngster Carl Schmidmeyer hadn't worked out. I couldn't find the goalie, but did find the winger, acquiring Ty Rattie from the St Louis Blues from 7th d-man Samuel Morin and some asso...

Henry's Universe Mode #170: Raw

We are one night removed from Extreme Rules, and the Raw brand begins the build to their next pay-per-view, Bad Blood, on July 9th. Already announced for that night, we will see Finn Balor, who ended the undefeated run of Braun Strowman, take on Samoa Joe for the Universal Championship. Tonight on Raw, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa look to get back on the same page as they face the Lucha Dragons. In a match-up of rising stars, Jinder Mahal faces Austin Aries. After capturing the Raw Women's Championship at Extreme Rules, Paige puts her new belt on the line against the furious former champion, Asuka. Universe Mode Monday Night Raw June 5th, 2017 Location: Indianapolis, IN Lucha Dragons vs #DIY The story of this match was the continual communication problems between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, as they never seemed to be on the same page. Despite that, they controlled most of this match, as Kalisto and Sin Cara struggled to get any momentum. Several tim...

Extreme Rules 2017 Recap

Tuba music intensifies.... Extreme Rules 2016 Score: 7/10 - Before I start, brief shout-out to the commentary team, who killed it all night. That's the best I've heard a WWE commentary team since the days of JR and the King, and they deserve some props. - The Miz and Dean Ambrose have not had the greatest of matches during their near six-month feud, but I have to say that tonight's was the best. Although the middle of the match was kind of muddled, the psychology involved near the finish was top notch. Get out the champagne and strike up the bank, because The Miz's Never-Ending Intercontinental Championship World Tour is back in town, and we're all the better for it. - Although I may not like it, I understand why Sasha was thrown into a low-scale cruiserweight feud. Using her to help the stature of a guy like Rich Swann is a smart move, and those two are an excellent combo. - On the other hand, I have no clue what Raw is doing with Alexa Bliss a...

Henry's Universe Mode #169: Extreme Rules

For most of the year, men and women will go to war. Competition is welcomed, cheating discouraged. Intelligence and skill are the deciding factors, the keys to victory and the downfall of defeat. There is one night of the year, though, that is a little different. Chaos embraced, insanity encouraged, even essential. This is that night. Welcome to the Extreme. Hope you enjoy your stay. And now, Raw presents..............................Extreme Rules! Universe Mode Extreme Rules June 4th, 2017 Location: Baltimore, MD Official Extreme Rules Theme Song- "Wicked Ones"- Dorothy Chris Jericho(c) vs Kevin Owens- Street Fight for the United States Championship This was an absolute war to open Extreme Rules, as these two men brawled all over the arena. All the bad blood spilled over quickly, as the fight was taken out of the ring and all the way to the back. Both Jericho and Owens just traded rights and lefts, both men bearing a crimson mask. The ...

My Extreme Rules 2017 Predictions

This is a pretty unpredictable pay-per-view, with a decent card around it. Extreme Rules pay-per-views generally rely on their gimmick matches, and there's some potential between the steel cage match and the main event. Raw Tag Team Championship Match- The Hardy Boyz vs Cesaro and Sheamus My Prediction: My boys need those belts I didn't think I could possibly like Cesaro and Sheamus as a team any more, and then they turned heel. In my opinion, they're easily one of the best teams on the main roster. Jeff and Matt, on the other hand, have yet to really impress in their return. A loss here could help build their characters beyond just being the champions. Cruiserweight Championship Match- Neville vs Austin Aries My Prediction: The King is dethroned I feel like this pay-per-view can be used as a way to do a mini-refresh on the Raw brand, and this is certainly a feud that could use a title change. Try as you might, you can't convince me that the submission...