Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Unbalanced.
The World Heavyweight Championship is Back!
Hours prior to Monday Night Raw's beginning, it was reported that Triple H had a huge announcement as part of the episode's synopsis. My first two thoughts: the upcoming WWE Draft was involved, and I figured/hoped that he would address the World Title situation. Sure enough, Triple H did address Roman Reigns, adding that Reigns' near 1000-day reign as WWE's Undisputed Universal Champion was mentioned, as well as the fact that he hasn't defended the title as much. After stating that the WWE and their fans deserved more than that, Triple H then mentioned the Draft--saying that in the upcoming Draft, when Reigns is drafted by either Raw or SmackDown, he'll take his title and stay there.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
XFL Week 9 Recap: Close to the Finish Line
Hard to believe that the XFL season is almost over. There hasn't been a completed XFL season since the first year all the way back in 2001, but this go-around is nearing the finish line, and it will be quite a climactic finale. Week 9 actually had a chance to complete this year's playoff field, and again, here is the XFL's playoff format. The format sees the top two teams in each division (North and South) qualify, and after the regular season ends, the division championship games commence. Home field is determined by regular season record, and of course, the winners advance to the XFL Championship, which will be played in San Antonio this year.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Reviewing Trish Stratus' Villainous Explanation on Raw
April 25, 2005. What's so significant about that date? Simple. That date was the last time that Trish Stratus appeared on Monday Night Raw as a heel--coming six days before that year's Backlash event, which was Heel Trish's last overall appearance. Trish's latest return saw her as an ally of her fellow Hall of Fame bestie Lita, as well as Becky Lynch, and the three of them even teamed together in defeating Damage CTRL. Becky and Lita were set to defend the Women's Tag Team Championship against Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan on April 10, 2023, but prior to the match, Lita found backstage, having been attacked.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
2023 Division Semifinals Preview
The ultimate madness begins! The greatest championship chase in all of professional sports is all set! For the next two months, we will bear witness to a chaotic, thrilling, and fantastic journey to the holy grail known as the Stanley Cup. For the first time in nine years, the Nashville Predators and the Washington Capitals won't be involved. Even more shocking, for the first time in 17 years, the Pittsburgh Penguins won't be involved.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
XFL Week 8 Recap: Playoff Bound
The numbers are starting to thin out in this XFL season, as we are closing in on the XFL's playoffs. Not only did Week 8 kick off the process of the playoff picture becoming more and more clear, we were also introduced to the format I had been waiting anxiously to see. Week 8 began with the St. Louis BattleHawks hosting the already eliminated Vegas Vipers, who were looking to play spoiler in St. Louis. It looked like they would; Vegas was up 8-0 after one, and 11-8 at the half, but the Hawks did battle back, and with 15 seconds left in regulation, Donald Hageman nailed a field goal that tied the game at 17.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Islanders Complete 2023 Stanley Cup Playoff Field
The field of 16 is complete! Only three games took place on this Wednesday, April 12, but the main one was the only one not aired on TNT: the meeting between the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Islanders. The Islanders were looking to nab the 16th and last playoff spot left on the board; it was between them and the Pittsburgh Penguins, who had been playoff bound for 16 straight years. For the Islanders, this was their 82nd and last game of the regular season, and they had an easy scenario: all they needed was one point, just get to overtime. It was a close affair; the Isles led 2-1 after the first 2o minutes. Brock Nelson had a goal in the first, and added one in the second to make it 3-1. It was 3-2 after 40, but Anders Lee's power play goal with 4:00 left in regulation started the countdown, and New York knows a thing about countdowns.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Jets Land on the West's Final Playoff Spot
I had a lot of faith in the Winnipeg Jets this season, so much so that I picked them to be part of the Central Division's Top 3. They were in that position for a while, but the Jets started to descend into an apparent free fall after the All-Star Break. It really looked like the Jets would actually end up out of the playoffs for the second straight season, which would have been absolutely disappointing given their amazing start. But they managed to get back upright and start flying at the right time, while the main teams below them--the Calgary Flames and the Nashville Predators--fell off.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Panthers Claw Their Way to Playoffs as Wild Card
Hockey is a funny thing at times. When the Florida Panthers made that trade for Matthew Tkachuk, I said--on a loop, mind you--that they fleeced the Calgary Flames. I had the Panthers as one of the top teams in the Atlantic Division (and maybe the Eastern Conference overall), while the Flames would either miss the playoffs or barely squeak in. By the midpoint, however, both teams were sputtering big time. However, the Panthers managed to get over the hump just a bit, while Calgary hung on and stayed alive for several weeks.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Reviewing Trish Stratus' Heel Turn; What Happens Between Now and SummerSlam?
So we finally got it. We knew this was coming, we were waiting for it, and it came. A lot of us thought we'd see this happening at WrestleMania. I mean, it was the proper forum. Becky Lynch, Trish Stratus, and Lita against Damage CTRL, and it would have been the perfect opportunity. We didn't get that, and I'm glad of that, because we needed to wait just a bit. We would not wait too long, and it leaves this fan, among others, wondering what will be done in the many months leading to the inevitable clash.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
XFL Week 7 Recap: Down to the Wire
I have to confess something--I actually didn't watch Week 7, and that's because of one word: WrestleMania. The seventh week of the XFL season fell on WrestleMania weekend, and speaking of that, there had to be two people who were very proud during that weekend: Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia. The reason: their daughter, Simone Johnson, made her official in-ring debut at NXT's Stand and Deliver; she's been shining as of late as Ava Raine, the lone female member of the sinister faction known as Schism.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Kraken Released Into the Stanley Cup Playoffs
One of the many things that fascinates me about the National Hockey League is the timing of their expansion wave. The other three leagues added teams at the same time (usually the 1960s), and while the NHL did double in size in 1967 and did some more adding during the 1970s, the real big expansion wave occurred during the 1990s. I had the chance to see a number of teams added and relocated during my lifetime, and the result is a 32-team NHL, with the Seattle Kraken becoming team #32.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Reigning, Defending, and Undisputed: Avalanche's Championship Defense Begins
As the late, great, iconic Jackie Gleason once said, "How sweet it is!" The Colorado Avalanche entered the evening of April 4, 2023 with a lot of golden opportunities. Mikko Rantanen was one goal away from 50. Nathan MacKinnon was on the verge of reaching 100 points. But overall, the Avalanche had an opportunity to lock in a playoff spot, and they had three ways to do it. The first, of course, was win and in. Secondly, if the Calgary Flames lost, the Avs would only need one point to get in. A third option had the Avs getting in with a Nashville Predators lost coupled with a Flames regulation loss.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
