Pyros light up the arena as the HWL brings to you Payback tonight, live on Pay Per View where four championships are on the line, plus the door is wide open for anybody to step up and take control of their own destiny in the Grab Bag Gauntlet, open to all men and women with the last wrestler standing earning the right to challenge for any championship for which they qualify when next we join you again on Pay Per View in June.
 
We kick things off with the arrival of MJF, who proclaims he’s going to enter the Grab Bag Gauntlet later tonight and win that also, but first he’s been assigned to come out here and officially retire Mick Foley once and for all, so bring the old bastard out here so we can get this out of the way so he can prepare for a match that matters. Foley makes his way to the ring and we’re ready to get the show started.
 
Match #1 – MJF vs. Mick Foley
 
As the match begins, MJF offers a handshake, but Foley is skeptical and wisely chooses not to take it. Instead, the two tie up and MJF backs Foley up into the corner and the two have a clean break, but MJF taunts Foley, calling him and old man. MJF goes back to the middle of the ring and motions for Foley to come and try again. Foley limps out of the corner and the two men tie up again and MJF quickly forces Foley back into the same corner, but this time Foley quickly turns the tables and lights up MJF with a flurry of Knife-edge Chops and then connects with a big Upper Cut, knocking MJF out over the top rope and sending him careening out to the floor. Foley then goes out after MJF and slams him face first into the ring apron. Foley then sends MJF reeling with a series of big right hands as MJF retreats and is able to run away from Foley, putting distance between them before diving back into the ring. Foley slides bak in and MJF is waiting for him with a series of kicks to the back of the head and a flurry of clubbing blows, forcing Foley down to the mat. MJF then bounces off the ropes and connects with a Harley Race Knee Drop across the back of Foley’s neck. MJF then follows up with the Double Cross and covers Foley for the three count.
 
MJF quickly retreats from the ring and heads to the back, having gotten more from Foley than he was prepared for out the starting gate, but still manages to leave with the win. In the back, our broadcast colleague is standing by with Luchasaurus. Luchasaurus says last month he was scheduled to face Nick Aldis, but some fancy legal maneuvering got Aldis out of that match, but here we are again and he’s not going to get out of this match twice. Luchasaurus says he knows Aldis is here tonight, hiding in some corner of the arena like a coward. But the time is almost here. No more running. Tonight, justice for Marko.
 
Back at ringside, it’s time for our first championship match of the night as The Revival and the Tag Team Champions, OvE’s Jake and Dave Crist, make their way to the ring.
 
Match #2 – HWL Tag Team Championship – OvE vs. The Revival
 
Dash Wilder and Jake Crist start things off for their respective teams and Wilder goes to a Side Headlock. Crist shoves Wilder off into the ropes, but Wilder bounces back and runs him over with a Shoulder Block. Wilder then cracks Dave Crist with a Big Boot, knocking him from the apron and to the floor. Jake goes for an Asai Moonsault, but Wilder catches him in mid-air and drops him on his head with a Tombstone Piledriver. Wilder then makes the tag to Dawson and Dave Crist comes into the ring and runs into a Thrust Kick to the gut from Dawson. Dawson then grabs Dave in a Bear Hug as Wilder bounces off the ropes and they drive Dave into the mat with the Hart Attack. Dave rolls out to the floor and Jake staggers back up to his feet and stumbles right into the Shatter Machine and Dawson makes the cover and picks up the three count.
 
The Revival are your winners and the NEW Tag Team Champions. Dawson and Wilder clink the titles together in celebration as they make their way to the back, leaving the Crists befuddled as to what just hit them. A video package the replays the history between Nick Aldis and the Jurassic Express, centered around a #1 Contender’s Match that Aldis and Marko Stunt were both a part of and that Aldis wanted no part of with Aldis taking exception with the nubile Stunt’s mimicry of his actions and swinging him by the feet headlong into the barricade before being chased off by Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy.
 
Back at ringside, Luchasaurus begins making his way to the ring and from the side of the rampway comes Aldis, decking Luchasaurus in the side of the head with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Aldis then puts the boots to Luchasurus and takes him by the hair and hurls him headlong into the Jumbotron. Suddenly, Marko Stunt appears behind Aldis and bites him on the ass as Aldis howls in pain and is unable to shake the Babysaurus off. Aldis finally frees himself from Stunt’s jaws only to run into a Tail Whip from Luchasaurus. Luchasaurus then hoists Aldis up, cheered on by Stunt, and Powerbombs him over the side of the rampway and down to the concrete floor. It appears that this match is not going to happen tonight after all as now medical staff have to tend to Aldis and security forces Luchasaurus and Stunt to the back. Aldis is slowly placed onto a backboard and stretchered to the back.
 
Backstage, our broadcast colleague is standing by with World Heavyweight Champion David Arquette, who later tonight will defend the gold against the former champion, Bray Wyatt in a Steel Cage Match. Arquette says that at Spring Stampede, he overcame the Firefly Fun House, fought his way free and left the champion. Arquette says he would have no problem going back into the Firefly Fun House and doing the exact same thing tonight, but you see, the reason he won’t be able to is that Bray Wyatt is scared. Arquette says The Fiend took him to his place of power and Arquette all but made it his own, so now Wyatt wants no part in going back there to the point where Wyatt would rather be trapped inside a Steel Cage than go back to his own Firefly Fun House one more time with David Arquette. But in the end, a cage is just a cage. Just as the Firefly Fun House could contain him, neither can this cage, but that’s a good thing for Bray Wyatt because the last thing you want to be is locked in someplace with David Arquette with no way out.
 
At ringside, it’s time for our next championship contest as TJ Perkins and the Cruiserweight Champion, Tomasso Ciampa, make their way to the ring.
 
Match #4 – HWL Cruiserweight Championship – Tomasso Ciampa vs. TJ Perkins
 
The two men tie up as things get under way and Perkins takes Ciampa down with a Heel Hook and tries to the lock in his signature Knee Bar, but Ciampa fights him off with a flurry of kicks to the face. Ciampa regains his feet and sends Perkins reeling with a series of big right hands and then whips him off into the ropes and connects with a Double-A Spinebuster. Ciampa then makes the cover, but Perkins quickly kicks out. Ciampa puts the boots to Perkins and then starts to drag him back up, but Perkins counters into a Jawbreaker. Perkins then bounces off the ropes and connects with a Spinning Heel Kick. Perkins then rakes his boot laces across Ciampa’s face and the champion stumbles back up to his feet blindly as Perkins springboards off the ropes into a Blockbuster Neckbreaker and makes the cover, but Ciampa kicks out for an exceptionally close near fall. Perkins puts the boots to Ciampa some more and then heads up to the top turnbuckle and goes for a Corkscrew Senton, but Ciampa moves out of the way and Perkins crashes to the mat. Ciampa then bounces off the ropes and connects with a huge Gamenguri and makes the cover, but Perkins escapes for another near fall. Ciampa mounts the challenger and pummel him with a flurry of punches. Ciampa then drags Perkins back up by the hair and sets up for the Fairy-tale Ending, but Perkins counters into a Northern Lights Suplex and bridges up into the cover, but Ciampa is able to kick out. Perkins then springboards off the ropes and goes for a Beautiful Disaster Kick, but Ciampa catches him on his shoulders in position for a Powerbomb, but can’t keep Perkins held all the way up and Perkins goes over backward, hanging down from Ciampa’s shoulders. Ciampa tries to force Perkins back up to Power Bomb him, but Perkins fights it off and is able to push of and fall forward from Ciampa to land back on his feet facing the champion with a grip on one leg as now Perkins hoists Ciampa up onto his shoulders as he tries to set up for the Detonation Kick, but Ciampa fights him off with a series of Elbow Strikes to the side of the head and gets back down to his feet. Ciampa then goes for a Discus Clothesline, but Perkins ducks and connects with a Pele Kick. Perkins then hoists Ciampa up again and this time he connects with the Detonation Kick and covers him for the three count.
 
TJ Perkins is your winner and the NEW Cruiserweight Champion. Perkins celebrates the beginning of his second reign as the best wrestler under 205 pounds. In the back, our broadcast colleague catches up with Shayna Baszler, who tonight promises to run through everybody in the Grab Bag Gauntlet. That includes men and women. That includes heavyweights and cruiserweights. That includes tag team wrestlers and singles wrestlers. At the end of the night, Shayna says anybody other than her that enters that match will all have one thing in common – they’ll all be losers.
 
Back at ringside, it’s time for our next contest as Mickie James and Lacey Evans make their way to the ring. The Women’s World Title will be up for grabs in this one.
 
Match #5 – HWL Women’s World Championship – Lacey Evans vs. Mickie James
 
The two women tie up as the match gets under way and Mickie sends an early message by shoving Lacey down onto her ass. Lacey rushes back up to her feet indignantly and Mickie connects with a Roundhouse Kick that knocks Lacey back against the corner and she slumps down into a seated position with her back against the bottom turnbuckle as Mickie gets a running start and then charges in and hits Lacey with the Bronco Buster. Mickie then drags Lacey out of the corner and makes the cover, but Lacey kicks out. Mickie pummels Lacey and then drags her back up to her feet and sets up for a Leaping DDT, but as she goes up, Lacey turns it into a Back Body Drop. Lacey then bounces off the ropes and connects with a Running Knee Lift and then snaps off a Neckbreaker. Lacey makes the cover, but Mickie kicks out. Lacey drags Mickie back up by the hair and throws her back against the corner and connects with a series of punches to the gut. Lacey then tries to set up for a Snap Suplex, but Mickie blocks it and connects with a Knee Lift the chin. Mickie then pins Lacey in a Backslide for a near fall. Both women rush back up to their feet and Lacey goes for a Big Boot, but Mickie ducks and hooks Lacey around the neck break behind into an Inverted Headlock Backbreaker, Randy Orton style. Mickie then follows up with the Mick Kick, but it knocks Lacey through the ropes and out to the ring apron. Mickie tries to drag Lacey back into the ring, but Lacey hooks the ropes to hold herself up on the ring apron. So, Mickie reaches out and grabs a handful of Lacey’s hair and drags her up to one knee on the ring apron with Mickie reaching out between the middle and top rope and clubs Lacey repeatedly over the chest. Mickie then drags Lacey all the way up and starts to Suplex her back into the ring, but Lacey twists out of it and comes down on her feet behind Mickie and rolls her up for a near fall. The two women regain their feet and Lacey goes for the Woman’s Right, but Mickie ducks and connects with a second Mick Kick and falls into the cover for the one… two… thre… NO, Lacey shoots her shoulder up as the very last second. Mickie puts the boots to the champion now and heads up to the top turnbuckle. Lacey slowly stumbles back up and Mickie takes flight for Thesz Press from the top rope, but Lacey connects with the Woman’s Right in mid-air, but then collapses back to the mat and can’t make the cover. Lacey crawls to the ropes and struggles to pull herself back up to her feet rope by rope. Lacey regain her feet with Mickie still down and Lacey goes over to Mickie and tries to pull her up by the hair, but Mickie throws a leg up, kicking her in the side of the head. Mickie then kips up and nails the champion with a Roundhouse Kick and Lacey stumbles in the corner. Mickie hooks her in a Side Headlock and then connects with a Running Bulldog. Mickie heads up to the top turnbuckle again and this time goes for a Moonsault, but Lacey rolls out of the way. However, Mickie lands on her feet. Lacey slowly gets back up, expecting Mickie to have crashed to the mat, but instead walks into a third Mick Kick and Mickie falls onto Lacey and gets the three count.
 
Mickie James is your winner and the NEW Women’s World Champion. In the back, Brock Lesnar is arriving at the arena, sans Paul Heyman. Lesnar says he doesn’t need anyone to do his talking for him, especially not when it comes to the Big Show. Lesnar says we’ve done this dance time and again and here in about 15-20 minutes he’s going to go out to that ring having just gotten to the arena, talking almost no time to prepare and he’s going to whoop the ass of that fat, lazy giant son of a bitch the same way he has been doing for the past 18 years because he’s a world-class athlete and Big Show is just a big piece of shit. Lesnar then pushes past our broadcast colleague and continues into the arena.
 
Back at ringside, it’s now time for the Grab Bag Gauntlet as Marko Stunt and MJF make their way to the ring to start things off.
 
Match #6 – Grab Bag Gauntlet Match – Finn Balor vs. Marko Stunt vs. MJF vs. Shayna Baszler
 
MJF tries to tie up with Marko as the match gets under way, but Marko ducks under and somersaults across the ring in a John Woo style roll and pops back up to his feet. MJF then tries to boot Marko in the face, but Marko rolls under it out of the way a second time and MJF kicks at the ropes in frustration, taking his eyes off of Marko and the Babysaurus hits MJF in the back with a Dropkick, knocking him through the ropes and out to the floor. Stunt then goes out to the ring apron and springboards off the ropes into an Asai Moonsault on MJF, taking him down on the floor. Stunt then puts MJF back in the ring and heads up to the top turnbuckle, but MJF dives against the ropes and crotches the little guy on the top turnbuckle. MJF then pulls Stunt out from the corner, leaving his feet hanging from the top rope as he connects with a DDT. MJF then pulls Stunt back up by the hair and connects with the Double Cross and covers him for the three count.
 
Stunt is now eliminated and Shayna Baszler makes her way to the ring. MJF begs off and wants nothing to do with Shayna, retreating into a corner. Shayna gets frustrated and demands he come and face her. MJF finally works himself up to coming out of the corner, telling himself its okay to fight a girl over and over. The two then tie up and MJF quickly spins Shayna around and slaps her on the ass. Shayna whirls back around and MJF gives her a wink, but the big smile on his face doesn’t last very long as Shayna punts him in the nuts, forcing the referee to call for the bell and disqualify her. But Shayna doesn’t stop there as she takes MJF down into the Karifuda Clutch and chokes him out. MJF taps repeatedly, but Shayna refuses to let him go until she feels him pass out.
 
Shayna finally releases MJF and shoves him away from her, leaving him laying on his back looking up at the lights over near the corner as Shayna exits the ring and here comes the final competitor in the gauntlet, Finn Balor. Balor heads right up to the top turnbuckle and MJF begins to regain consciousness just in time for Balor to turn the lights back out on him with the Coup de Grace and Balor makes the cover and gets the three count, winning the gauntlet.
 
Balor makes his way to the back, now free to choose between a one-on-one match for either the World Heavyweight Championship, Television Championship or Cruiserweight Championship at the next HWL Pay Per View in June. In the back, our cameras catch up with Television Champion Sami Callihan and his OvE brethren, Dave and Jake Crist. Callihan berates Dave and Jake, not only for losing the tag team championships, but not even completing one offensive move in the match. He calls them an embarrassment and then proceeds to beat the holy hell out of both of them with a tire iron, leaving them both down and out in the back as Sami storms out of the arena toward the parking lot.
 
Back at the ring, the Big Show and Brock Lesnar make their entrances for this next contest.


Match #7 – Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show
 
Brock goes to take Big Show down with a single-leg, but the giant remains on his feet and clubs Lesnar over the back. Big Show then takes Lesnar and rams him face first into the turnbuckle. Big Show then drags Lesnar to the middle of the ring by the throat and sets up for a Chokeslam, but Lesnar fights out of it on the way up and lands on his feet and kicks Big Show in the gut and hits him with a DDT. Lesnar then starts to pull Big Show back up, but Big Show fires back with punches to the gut and then knocks Lesnar flat with a big Headbutt. Big Show then heads up to the middle rope, sitting on the top turnbuckle to keep his balance as he prepares to drop an elbow onto Lesnar, but Lesnar kips up and charges to the corner, clubbing Big Show in the side of the head with a series of Forearm Shivers. Lesnar then pulls Big Show from the turnbuckle onto his shoulders and delivers the F-5 and then covers him for the three count.
 
Lesnar is your winner and we have just one more matter of business to take care of tonight.  A video package then highlights the first meeting between David Arquette and Bray Wyatt.
 
Back at ringside, we see the steel cage being locked into place and are reminded by the announce team that a competitor can only win the match by pinfall, submission, or by being the first to escape the cage with both feet touching the floor. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt and the World Heavyweight Champion, David Arquette, make their way to the ring for this, our Main Event.
 
Match #8 – HWL World Heavyweight Championship – Steel Cage Match – David Arquette vs. Bray Wyatt
 
Arquette launches himself at Wyatt as the match gets under way, but Wyatt sidesteps and hurls Arquette into the corner. Arquette rebounds out of the corner and walks right into Sister Abigail. Wyatt doesn’t go for the cover though, instead sitting beside Arquette as he raises his arms up to the sky and cackles. Wyatt then slowly drags Arquette back up to his feet and connects with a second Sister Abigail, but still does not go for the cover. Instead, Wyatt climbs up onto the top rope midway between two posts and stands back against the cage and dives off onto Arquette with a Guillotine Leg Drop. Wyatt then finally goes for the cover, but Arquette kicks out and then wraps his hands around Wyatt’s throat, choking The Fiend. Arquette battles back up to his feet and then kicks Wyatt square in the nuts and with no disqualifications it’s all legal. Arquette then plants Wyatt in the middle of the ring with a Piledriver for good measure and then begins climbing the cage. Arquette reaches the top and then decides not to go to the floor, but instead goes for the Eight-Legged Freak Splash back into the ring, but Wyatt sits up as Arquette takes flight and Arquette crashes hard to the mat. Wyatt drags Arquette back to his feet and then Powerbombs him over the top rope into the side of the cage. Wyatt then drags Arquette back to the middle of the ring and applies the Mandible Claw and Chokeslams him in the middle of the ring, using the claw to hold Arquette down in a pinning predicament, but Arquette gets his shoulder up before he can be counted down. Arquette then battles back up to his feet and clubs at Wyatt’s arm, trying to break the claw, but Wyatt hangs on. Arquette then goes for another kick to the nuts, but Wyatt is ready for it this time and blocks the leg, but has to break the claw to do it. Arquette then Headbutts Wyatt right between the eyes and then Monkey Flips him into the corner and Wyatt crash lands back first against the turnbuckle and comes down on the back of his head. Wyatt struggles to pull himself back up and Arquette hits him with the SlingShot and goes for the cover, but Wyatt kicks out for a near fall. Arquette then hits Wyatt with big right hand after big right hand and then starts climbing the cage, but Wyatt sits up and then begins climbing after him, catching Arquette before he can get all the way over the top. Wyatt then swings one leg out over the top and sits on top of the cage with one leg straddling each side as Arquette is stretched out on his stomach atop the cage with his head and torso over the ring and his legs out over the floor. Arquette tries to keep climbing out, but Wyatt keeps a firm grip on his head and hair and pulls him up into a seated position. The two men trade punches and Headbutts back and forth each woozily leaning first toward falling out to the floor and then leaning toward falling back into the ring, but both men manage to stay as upright as they can and neither man falls. Arquette then pushes back away from Wyatt and climbs up to his feet on top of the cage. As Wyatt starts to do the same, Arquette charges at him, but Wyatt stops him with an Elbow to the face and then applies the Mandible Claw. Arquette flails wildly and tries to kick at Wyatt, but Wyatt keeps his hip turned toward Arquette. Arquette slowly starts to fade and leans way out over the side of the cage, threatening to drop to the floor as he begins to pass out, but Wyatt is able to rebalance and pull Arquette’s weight back from hanging out over the edge and in a last ditch effort Arquette scratches at Wyatt’s eyes and breaks free and shoves Wyatt off the top of the cage, sending him crashing back into the ring and Wyatt crashes through the ring. Arquette then starts to slowly make his way down the outside of the cage, but as he’s about to safely drop to the floor, Wyatt crawls out from under the ring and stands up on the floor and clubs Arquette several times in the back as the bell begins to ring. Wyatt then pulls Arquette off the side of the cage, Powerbombing him through the announce table, but the match has ended with Wyatt reaching the floor first and earning the win.
 
Bray Wyatt is the winner and NEW World Heavyweight Champion. After a grueling battle comes to a shocking conclusion, Wyatt’s nightmare reign as the world champion is free to resume here tonight at Payback and moving forward. Thank you for joining us everybody. Be sure to join us once again on Pay Per View next month and every Wednesday night for Overdrive until then. For now, it’s our time to be signing off.