Henry Keyes Biography

Henry Keyes looks like a man who was dropped from a hot air balloon from a different century - as such, not much has been revealed about the man's past up to now. What we DO know is that he's offbeat, he's oldschool, and he doesn't wait for trouble to hit him - he hits it first.

Things started innocuously enough for Keyes, making his debut against Luke Windham in a statement match that showed his resiliency and his bulldog-like aggression. It didn't take long, however, for Southern Heritage Champion Curtis Penn to catch his eye. The dastardly deeds he performed upon fellow newcomer Stockton Pyre made Keyes' first goal in Defiance crystal clear - take the man down.

Johnny Booya injured him for several months right as Keyes was finding his early groove. Unable to find a direct route to exact his revenge, Keyes has instead grappled with several up-and-comers in the DEFIANCE locker room, generally coming out on top. The cries for his signature Bell Clap grow stronger by the day, to the point where fans attempt to go for refunds if a Bell Clap is NOT landed.

Samuel Tiberius Turner II gave heated words about Henry Keyes and his role in the Southern Heritage division, and as a result, a wildly heated rivalry emerged between the two. It blew up into a chaotic arena-wide brawl at AFTERSHOCK, and Keyes emerged victorious.

Keyes found himself in the warzone of the DEF*MAX tourney in a murderer's row of a block. He fought hard tooth and nail against the likes of Eugene Dewey, Mushigihara, and Bronson Box, and while he showed immense grit and toughness, he fell short against all three. He did score a surprise victory against one of the top talents in the company, Lindsay Troy, with a desperation BELL CLAP. As a result of the brutal and violent tournament, Keyes's already-problematic left arm sustained additional injuries; he had it examined by Iris Davine at MAXIMUM DEFIANCE, only to horrify the DEFIAfans with the truly horrific nature of the humanity under the brace. Dissatisfied that he would EVER get the treatment he needs from conventional medicine, he exited the arena accompanied by several Plague Doctors, and the (until-now, never ever verified) Airship made an appearance.

Several months later, he returned. Kelly Evans hoped that his mangled arm received the treatment it needed to bring him back in the fold, but Keyes has been ever the sly dog in revealing those sorts of details. Instead, he's refocused his efforts in piracy, fighting, and living in the moment - whichever moment he perceives the present-time to BE, that is.

That's where we left the story in 2016. He returned to DEF in late 2020, helping stave off The Kabal from their brutal assault on Lindsay Troy and Deacon. His reasons for returning are slowly coming to light. He's resolved his issues with the Kabal for now (at least his issues with Rezin) and has sparked a friendship with Conor Fuse, which has led to recent altercations with Better Future Talent Agency.

This escalated into a heated six-month feud with Alvaro de Vargas that featured incredibly violent matches, tiger theft, subterfuge, and an eventual Falls Count Anywhere match at DEFRoad 2021 that was won by ADV after a fireball to the face and a piledriver through a table. Keyes was able to get to his feet post-match, but as he acknowledged the fans, Corvo Alpha came for DEFIANCE and brutally assaulted Henry Keyes, ending with the infamous Balcony Bulldog that sent Keyes to the shelf for months.

Keyes's recovery was...unusual. He essentially holed up in a cocoon in the back of his Airship under the medical supervision of Dr. Plague Doctor and Iris Davine, as his buddy LDO took on extra DEFtv responsibilities in his absence. Questions abound about whether Keyes would return at all, let alone at DEFCON (where Corvo's manager, Nigel Trickelbush, laid down the challenge to Keyes for the Favoured Saints title). After weeks and months of speculation, Keyes emerged at DEFCON 2022 a changed man. Red hair replaced with salt and pepper, new ring attire, and a massive leather face piece that acts mainly as an eyepatch. Perhaps most significantly, he joined the Vae Victis faction alongside Lindsay Troy. After a vicious back and forth fight, Keyes was able to put Corvo away and win the Favoured Saints championship a second time.

After four rapid-fire defenses, he successfully cashed in his FS title for a shot at Scrow's Southern Heritage Championship at MAXDEF 2022 and has been on an absolute reign of terror in the SOHER division ever since. 

 

 

 

He is The Kraken, a vicious and brutal brawler whose actions are squarely aligned with the two important things to him - Lindsay Troy and Gold. Heaven help you if you face him on a Wednesday, when he wears pink. 

1) The Bell Clap is the greatest and most important move in the history of pro wrestling, shut up, it is, and everyone loves it.
2) Dude's motor is legendary, especially if he's fighting FOR something (a friend, a moral battle, a championship, a cause)
3) His literal strength. He's gotten a little bigger in his absence, and he was already pretty dang strong before. 

1) He's still a Roomba at heart. He can't resist a fight against someone he considers punchable. Really susceptible to falling into one-on-many odds as a result.
2) Can take opponents too lightly, allowing for sneak pins or flurries of offense when his guard is down
3) Corvo Alpha really messed up his left eye. It's unclear if it will ever recover.