Henry's World

Holy sh**. WWE spent a lot of time hyping up their two Rumble matches this year, and boy did they deliver. The rest of the card was meh at best, but when you advertise heavily for two matches, and they are that damn good, it doesn't really matter what the rest of the card looks like. Royal Rumble 2016 Score: 9/10(that seems a little high) Royal Rumble 2017 Score: 7/10 - Let's get this out of the way right now. If you came into this show expecting great wrestling, the type you saw at Takeover last night, then this isn't the show for you. The Royal Rumble as an event is very rarely about great technical matches, although there have been quite a few. This was a show built around nostalgia, suspense and entertainment value, and it absolutely nailed all three.  - I can't say I love the Owens/Zayn vs Bryan/Shane storyline all that much, but the opening handicap match was fine. There were a few nice near falls, and AJ took a crazy bump or two, as is traditi...

After a well regarded Takeover in Houston in November, there was surprisingly little hype coming into this show. On paper, the card was very solid, but there just wasn't quite the level of fan interest. But when has that ever held NXT back before? - I feel like I say this every review, but it is really impressive just how far the Authors of Pain have come in the time they've been on the roster. At this point, it seems like they might be being held back by continuing to wrestle on NXT, so you have to wonder when they will get the call up. This was a fine opening match, but like most matches on the card, had very little heat, with the crowd not fully into AoP as faces. I did like the finish, with Akam's leg so crucial in the loss, but it's a shame the announcers didn't really bother to try and sell it. Oh well. - Forget Bray Wyatt, The Velveteen Dream truly has the whole world in his hands. The heel/face dynamic was all out of whack, with the crowd having no...

It's been an unfortunate trend in recent years that the Royal Rumble, generally the most unpredictable event on the calendar, has become the most obvious to call. Since 2013, every Rumble winner has been easily spotted in advance by the fanbase, although in fairness, last year was a bit harder. This year, at least at the outset, appears no different, with the way the night is going to finish seeming to be written in stone. But you never truly know what's going through Vince McMahon's head, so we could be in for a major shock on Sunday night. Or maybe not. Pre-Show- Bobby Roode's United States Open Challenge It's an open challenge on a pre-show, so I wouldn't expect much. Maybe something to set up a spot in the Rumble later? Pre-Show- Kalisto, Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik vs TJP, Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak Mask guys vs non-mask guys. Pre-Show- The Club vs The Revival I know a lot of fans were disappointed to see the Top Guys take the 'o...

The NXT Championship Tournament 1st Round continues on this episode of The Revolution, as Hideo Itami faces "The Sergeant" of the Wyatt Family, Luke Harper, plus "The Destroyer" Samoa Joe takes on Akira Tozawa. Hideo Itami vs Luke Harper- NXT Championship Tournament 1st Round Match Luke Harper was out here alone, and seemed ready to prove a point, as he jumped Hideo Itami before the bell could ring. After a brief brawl, both men re-entered the ring, and the match was officially underway. Early on, Itami scored with his nasty strikes and kicks, keeping Harper off balance. He stayed one step ahead, connecting with a hesitation dropkick in the corner for a near fall. The GTS was signaled, but Harper was one step ahead, countering with a knee to the skull of his own. He then rallied, hitting a few big rights and lefts and then a beautiful butterfly suplex for two. Big clothesline in the corner, right across the throat, and then the running big boot for another ...

The first round of the NXT Championship Tournament continues here on The Revolution, as up first, we will see Cesaro take on Dolph Ziggler. The "Show-Off" will be in for quite a fight tonight, as not only must he do battle with the unmatched power of Cesaro, but the "Swiss Cyborg" also has his tag partner Sheamus along for back-up. In the main event, two men who have traveled the world together and formed an everlasting bond will face each other for a spot in the next round, as Dean Ambrose faces Roman Reigns. Cesaro vs Dolph Ziggler- NXT Championship Tournament 1st Round Match Right out of the gates, Cesaro was all over Dolph, showcasing his impressive display of power moves. Butterfly suplex, german suplex, Ricola Bomb and twisting uppercut scored a two, as Sheamus shouted encouragement. Dolph scored with a strike or two, but it remained all Cesaro as he took the match to the ground. Ziggler does have an amateur wrestling background, and he was able to es...

Welcome to the first episode of The Revolution. Over the next few weeks, we will embark on the start of what will hopefully be a very long and enjoyable journey, as the first NXT Champion will be crowned. Today, we begin with what should be two incredible matches. First up, the man who refers to himself as "Mr. NXT", Roderick Strong, faces the final graduate of the Hart Dungeon, Tyson Kidd. In our main event, "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles faces former Olympian, Chad Gable. Welcome to NXT. Roderick Strong vs Tyson Kidd- NXT Championship Tournament 1st Round Match Straight away, these two technicians opened up with a collar and elbow tie-up, exchanging hammerlocks and escapes. Kidd took control early with a series of strikes in the corner, and got a few near falls following two beautiful suplexes. Strong fired back with incredible power, planting Kidd with a big facebuster and a nasty half nelson backbreaker. This set up an early connection of the Sick Kick, but...

"You've seen us in many forms through the years. You've seen the talent we produced, and the stars that we created. You've cheered our heroes, and booed our villains, and cared about our stories. You've seen us rise and fall, persevere through adversary and come back from the brink. But what if I told you that what you've seen, what you've experienced was only the beginning, the start of the tale. What if I told you there was more to our story, much, much more. What if I told you that we had the power to take over the world, to be the kings. Would you believe me? Welcome to our Revolution. Welcome to N..........X............T!" - Triple H, Owner, Operator and Creator of NXT With that very grandiose(and very fictional) intro, I will now welcome you to The Revolution, the newest Universe Mode series on my blog. If you read my post back in October where I discussed my plans for WWE 2k18, then you already know what this is. However, if you didn'...

I will start this out by saying that I've watched a decent amount of New Japan in the past, enough to have a general idea what's going on. Having said that, the one rule I will have for this review is that I will not be grading any of the stories or build. The final score will be based entirely on in-ring action, just to make things simple. With that out of the way, let's do this. For the first time in my blog's history, let's head to the Dome for my first non-WWE pay-per-view review. - I did skip the New Japan Rumble. I know it's always quite fun, but this is a six and a half hour show, I had to cut time somewhere. - I will admit to not knowing a huge amount about Roppongi 3K, but this opener definitely got me on their side. The Young Bucks are, of course, awesome, but it was very refreshing to see a more psychology-driven match. The selling from both sides was top notch, and the tag team work was incredibly crisp. Great opener, and congrats to Matt a...

Considering how often I've been needing to post updates over the past few months, I'm thinking of just making this a monthly thing. Anyway, here's what's happening with my blog this month. Henry's Universe Mode First and foremost, I think I may have made a huge mistake when I brought Henry's Universe Mode content back onto my blog. I was very satisfied with the way things ended at Summerslam, but over the few months afterward, I began to have doubts. I drew out my decision on what content I intended to make for 2k18, and because of that, I really wasn't ready to start producing any series on the game after release. The posts have been sporadic, and not really my best work, and I can honestly say that I'm not really looking forward to posting anything. For me, the most important aspect of this blog is that I enjoy making everything I produce, and that just isn't the case. So for now, for a second time, Henry's Universe Mode is cancelled onc...