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Pyros light up the HWL Arena and Overdrive is back and here we usually like to get right down to business and tonight we’re starting off with a doozy as a pair of former HWL World Heavyweight Championship square off in our opening bout as Sami Zayn and Samoa Joe make their entrances.
Match #1 – Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe
The two men square off as the match gets under way and they start to go to a Grecko-Roman Knuckle Lock, but Sami drops over backward and transitions into a Monkey Flip. Zayn then somersaults over backward into a sitting position on top of Joe and tries to hold him down for the cover, but Joe breaks free and busts Zayn in the nose with a Forearm Shiver. Joe then kicks Zayn off of him and bounces off the ropes and nails Zayn with a Running Knee Smash to the gut, flipping Zayn through the air and sending him crashing onto his back on the mat. Joe then follows up with a Running Senton and quickly goes for the cover, but Sami kicks out. Joe puts the boots to Sami and starts to pull him back to his feet, but Sami fires back with a series of punches to the gut. Sami then bounces off the ropes, but runs into a Spinning Back Elbow Smash from Joe. Joe then quickly drags Sami up and places him on the top turnbuckle. Joe then tries for the Muscle Buster, but Sami fights out of it and counters into a Tornado DDT. Sami then stands back as Joe crawls toward the corner and slowly pulls himself back to his feet. Zayn then charges across the ring and goes for the Helluva Kick, but Joe dodges out of the way and Zayn crashes into the corner. Joe then cinches in the Conquina Clutch and drags Zayn down to the mat and with nowhere to go, Sami is forced to tap out.
Joe celebrates his victory in the ring as we kick off this latest HWL run. In the back, our cameras see wrestling legend JBL watching on a monitor and shaking his head. Hey, JBL is here! What does he have in store for the HWL? We’ll have to wait to find out as we need to take a quick commercial break and when we come back it’s right back to the action as Adam Cole takes on R-Truth.
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Back from the break, it’s time for our next contest as R-Truth and Adam Cole make their way to the ring.
Match #2 – Adam Cole vs. R-Truth
The two men square off as the match gets under way, but Truth keeps looking around for Adam Rose’s Rosebuds for some reason and Cole uses the opportunity as the bell rings to roll Truth up from behind, but Truth kicks out for a near fall. Cole then kicks Truth in the knee and sets up for an Impaler DDT, but Truth counters into an Atomic Drop. Truth then takes Cole by the back of the head and yells for the Rosebuds to move out of the way as he pitches Cole out over the top rope and sends him careening out to the floor. Truth then scratches his head and wonders to himself why the Rosebuds didn’t catch Cole. Truth then shrugs and heads up to the top turnbuckle as Cole staggers back up to his feet out on the floor and Truth takes flight, hitting Cole with a Flying Crossbody. Truth then drags Cole back up by the hair and puts him back in the ring. Truth climbs up onto the ring apron and starts to climb back into the ring, but then stops to argue with somebody nobody else can see out on the floor. Truth tells whoever to get back over the barricade to they seat before they get theyselves arrested. Truth turns back to Cole and fully enters the ring and walks right into a Superkick. Cole heads up to the middle turnbuckle as Truth hunches over and stumbles toward the corner and Cole dives off and hits Truth with the Panama Sunrise. Cole then makes the cover, but Truth kicks out for a very close near fall. Cole then pounds the mat in frustration and then goes to the corner and crouches as he takes down his kneepad and calls for the Last Shot. Truth starts to pull himself back up to his knees and Cole starts to rush forward out of the corner, but something catches his boot and stops him. Cole whips around and looks around outside the ring, but there’s nothing there. Cole is now the one confused as he turns back toward Truth and runs forward right into the Lie Detector. Truth then covers Cole and hooks the leg and scores the three count.
Truth slowly rolls out of the ring and winks at somebody near the corner where Cole was tripped up, but there is still nobody there and Truth makes his way to the back. In the back, our cameras join Sasha Banks and Bayley in the women’s locker room and while Sasha is fully geared up and ready to go, Bayley appears to be wearing only a towel. Sasha wants to know why Bayley isn’t dressed, they have a match coming up soon with Charlotte Flair and the Women’s World Champion. Bayley says she is so tense right now after everything that’s happened and she just needs to loosen up before they go out there and she’s going to get a massage first. Bayley says she already spoke with Big Sugar and he agreed to move their match further back in the show. Bayley smiles and says she thinks the boss has a soft spot for her. Bayley tells Sasha to just wait here, she’ll be right back and heads out the door and across the hall to visit the masseuse, leaving Banks looking angry. Things aren’t looking to bode well for the “Golden Role Models” tonight. We’ll see if Bayley’s strategy to relax pays off later tonight, but we need to take a quick commercial break.
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Back from the break, we have a very special treat and it’s Champion vs. Champion as Cruiserweight Champion TJ Perkins and World Heavyweight Champion Finn Balor make their way to the ring.
Match #3 – Finn Balor vs. TJ Perkins
Balor and Perkins tie-up as the match gets under way and Balor goes to a Hammerlock, but Perkins flips and twists his way out of it. Perkins then tries to pull Balor in close for an Armdrag, but Balor counters with a Headbutt. Balor then follows up with a Snap Suplex and then bounces off the ropes and connects with a Running Dropkick to the side of the head and Perkins rolls out to the floor. Perkins tries to regain his bearings, but Balor doesn’t give him much of a chance as he comes flying out over the top rope and takes him down with a Tope Con Helo. Balor then pummels Perkins and drags him back up, but Perkins shoves Balor sternum first into the side of the ring and then connects with an Enziguri. Perkins rolls Balor back into the ring and then rolls in right behind him and latches onto a leg as he tries for the Knee Bar, but Balor battles back up to his feet and hooks the ropes before Perkins can apply it. Perkins is forced to leg go and he kips back up, but as he lands on his feet, Balor nails him with a Pele Kick. Balor then goes to the top rope and follows up with the Coup de Grace and makes the cover for the three count.
Balor picks up the win and the World Heavyweight Champion comes out on top against the Cruiserweight title holder. Balor makes his way to the back, taking care to flash the Too Sweet right in front of the camera as he backs away up the ramp. Our cameras catch back up with Bayley in the massage room, all laid out on the table and impatiently waiting for the masseuse. A sign on the wall reads “Get These Hands” Massage Parlor. Our camera pans to the door as Braun Strowman enters and Bayley wraps the towel tighter around herself and starts to get up, but Strowman tells her no, it’s okay, he’s here for her scheduled massage time and she’s about to “Get These Hands.” Bayley reluctantly lays back flat, but skeptically gives Strowman the side-eye. Stromwan says this just won’t do, and she’s not going to want anything to get in the way of her getting these hands and in one quick movement snatches the towel away and tosses it backward over his shoulder where it lands over our camera and the cameraman’s head. Strowman then pushes the cameraman backward out the door into the hallway and goes back to Bayley who is angrily shrieking at Braun, but the shrieks quickly turn into pleasant moans as the towel falls away and we see a quick glimpse of Strowman working over her back and shoulders as she lays on the massage table before the door swings shut. Now seems like a good time for a word from our sponsors. After this break, it’s the Cruiserweight #1 Contender’s Gauntlet Match with the winner earning the right to challenge for the title on our next Pay Per View event.
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Back from the break, it’s Gauntlet time as King Cuerno makes his way to the ring to start things off. Rey Mysterio’s music then hits, but Rey does not appear. Our ring announcer announces that regretfully, due to injury, Rey Mysterio could not be here tonight and is eliminated from the gauntlet. Cuerno is getting pumped now as the first elimination is scored and he doesn’t even have to do anything. Akira Tozawa now heads to the ring next.
Match #4 – Cruiserweight #1 Contender’s Gauntlet Match – King Cuerno vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Alex Shelley vs. Jordan Devlin vs. Drew Gulak vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Darby Allin
Cuerno and Towaza tie up to start things off and Cuerno quickly hoists Tozawa onto his shoulders and delivers a Rolling Death Valley Driver. Cuerno then bounces off the ropes and does a Handspring into an Elbow Drop and makes the cover, but Tozawa kicks out. Cuerno puts the boots to Tozawa and starts to pull him back to his feet, but Tozawa fires back with punches to the gut and then connects with a Jawbreaker. Tozawa then bounces off the ropes and goes for a Spinning Heel Kick, but Cuerno catches him and counters into a Backbreaker. Cuerno then follows up with a Power Bomb and covers Tozawa for the three count. Wasting no time, Drew Gulak is out next as he rushes out to the ring. Gulak charges in and tackles Cuerno to the mat and pummels him with a flurry of punches. Gulak then tries to transition into an Armbar, but Cuerno counters into a pinning cradle for a near fall. Both men rush back up to their feet and Cuerno connects with a Dropkick. Cuerno then goes for a Standing Moonsault, but Gulak drives both knees into his gut and blocks it. Gulak then pins Cuerno with an Inside Cradle, but Cuerno kicks out. Gulak quickly transitions into an Ankle Lock, but Cuerno rolls through, launching Gulak face first into the corner. Cuerno then cinches Gulak around the waist from behind and goes for a German Suplex, but Gulak flips through the air and comes down on his feet behind Cuerno. Cuerno whirls around and Gulak hits him with a Discus Clothesline. Gulak then tries for the Gu-Lock, but Cuerno spins out of it and tackles him through the ropes and out to the floor. The two men continue to roll around on the floor, pummeling each other until they are both counted out and eliminated. Security comes out and forces the two of them to the back as Jordan Devlin makes his way out to the ring and shows off for the crowd as he patrols the ring. His smile quickly dissipates though as Darby Allin makes his way out to the ring next. Allin and Devlin square off and Devlin tries to tie up, but Allin sidesteps and propels Devlin off into the ropes and connects with a Dropkick. Allin then puts the boots to Devlin and pulls him back to his feet. Allin then whips Devlin into the corner and follows him in, looking for a Flying Knee Smash, but Devlin dodges out of the way and Allin crashes into the corner. Devlin then follows up with a Reverse DDT and goes for the cover, but Allin kicks out for a near fall. Devlin then puts the boots to Allin and then drags him back up and sets up for the Devil Inside Suplex, but Allin fights him off with a flurry of Elbow Smashes to the side of the head. Allin then counters into a Leaping STO, driving Devlin face first into the mat. Devlin then heads up to the top turnbuckle and connects with the Coffin Drop and covers Devlin for the three count. That leaves just one more as Alex Shelley charges down to the ring. Shelley goes right after Allin with a flurry of Forearm Shivers and presses him back against the ropes before shifting to a flurry of Knife-edge Chops. Shelley then hooks Allin by the head and tries to set up for Sliced Bread #2, but as he runs up the corner, Allin shoves him out over the top rope and Shelley crashes hard on his back on the ring apron. Allin then heads up to the top turnbuckle and dives off, connecting with the Coffin Drop onto Shelley on the ring apron. Shelley slowly rolls back into the ring and Allin heads up to the top rope and connects with yet another Coffin Drop and covers Shelley for the three count.
Darby Allin is your winner. He moves on to face TJ Perkins, or whoever the Cruiserweight Champion may be, on Pay Per View. Allin celebrates his victory as he climbs back up to the middle turnbuckle and thrusts an arm up into the air. In the back, we catch back up with our camera in the hallway by the locker rooms as Sasha Banks exasperatedly paces in the hallway and keeps checking her watch as Bayley continues to moan in the massage room. Banks talks to herself and we hear her decide that she’s just going to have to go in and get her. She opens the door and we hear Bayley telling Braun to go lower. No, lower. No, lower. LOWER. Finally, we hear her shout for him to really dig in and “Get These Hams!” Banks comes back out of the massage room looking like she’s about to gag. About that time, the Viking Raiders push by and head into the room and we hear Ivar exclaim, “Did somebody say Ham?” Bayley shrieks and the Viking Raiders exit quickly, escorted out by Strowman. Banks gets in Strowman’s face and tells him to get lost, that the massage is done and they need to get to the ring in five minutes. Strowman grunts and stalks off and now Banks turns on the Viking Raiders and halls off and slaps Erik across the face. She then smiles at Ivar and tells him he’s lucky that he’s cute. She then scowls at Erik and says him, not so much, and then slaps him again and calls him a perv. During all this, we see the Kabuki Warriors sneaking out of the locker room with what appears to be Bayley’s ring gear. Asuka then points at the towel Bayley was wearing earlier laying on the floor of the hallway and Sane sneaks over behind Banks and tries to pick it up, but Banks is standing on it. Banks steps forward to chase the Raiders off and Sane snatches up the towel and the Kabuki Warriors run off down the hallway. They make a clean getaway as Banks continues to berate the Viking Raiders and tells them to get lost. Bayley then sticks her head out of the massage room, hiding the rest of herself behind the door and yells for Sasha. Sasha rushes back and now Bayley is in a panic, stranded naked in the massage room and wants Sasha to get her something to cover up. Sasha quickly goes back into the women’s locker room and comes back out empty handed and says not only is Bayley’s gear gone, but so are all the towels. Bayley says to go run to Big Sugar and ask him to push the match back further. Banks says she already tried that and he said no, they’re already the last match before the Main Event. Bayley yells in frustration and jumps up and down behind the door and tells Sasha to go back in and grab whatever she can, grab somebody else’s gear if she has to. Banks rushes back into the locker room, but we don’t get to see how the rest of this plays out as we owe you a quick word from our sponsors. When we come back, the women are in tag team action, assuming Bayley and Banks ever make it to the ring.
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Back from the break, it’s time for the women to take center stage as Charlotte Flair and Women’s World Champion Mickie James make their way to the ring for this tag team contest. Sasha Banks then makes her way out to the top of the rampway and waves for Bayley to join her, but no Bayley. Banks waves again, but still no Bayley. Bayley’s music hits and still no Bayley. Banks waves a third time and still no Bayley. Banks then goes back through the curtain and re-emerges, pulling Bayley behind her by the hand and we see that Bayley is wearing Sasha’s spare ring gear and it looks uncomfortably tight. Charlotte and Mickie bust up laughing in the ring as Sasha drags her reluctant partner to the ring. Banks gets Bayley to reluctantly get up on the ring apron and it looks like Banks is going to have to start this match as Bayley wants no part of it.
Match #5 – Mickie James & Charlotte Flair vs. Bayley & Sasha Banks
Charlotte and Banks start things off for their teams and Banks is distracted by Bayley’s situation as she tries to tie up with Charlotte and Charlotte easily overpowers her and forces her back into the corner and delivers a Knife-edge Chop across the chest and belts out a Wooooo!. Charlotte then takes Banks’ hand and slaps it across Bayley’s arm, tagging in. Bayley frantically shakes her head no as Charlotte brings her in over the top rope the hard way and sends her crashing to the mat. Bayley stumbles back to her feet and Charlotte goes for a Big Boot, but Bayley ducks and rolls her up in a Schoolgirl for a near fall. Bayley ducks a Clothesline from Charlotte and dives back to her corner to make the tag to Banks, nearly popping out of her borrowed ring gear in the process. Bayley retreats out to the floor to readjust and we hear a loud ripping sound as she seems to have ripped the back of her tights and Bayley rolls under the ring to cover up her backside as Banks comes in off the top rope and takes Flair down with a Meteora and goes for the cover, but Flair kicks out for a near fall. Banks then puts the boots to Charlotte and drives her back against the corner with a series of Forearm Shivers. Sasha then tries to whip Charlotte across the ring and Bayley pops her head and torso up from between the ring apron and the side of the ring, using the ring apron to cover herself, but soon comes to regret sticking her head back up as Charlotte hits her with a Baseball Slide and she drops back to the floor under the ring. Sasha then tries for a Thesz Press on Charlotte, but the Queen catches her in a Bear Hug. Charlotte then carries Sasha helplessly across the ring and makes the tag to Mickie and continues to hold Sasha in place as Mickie heads up to the top turnbuckle and dives off, hitting Banks with a Flying Leg Lariat as Charlotte drives her to the mat. Charlotte then exits as Mickie stands back and lets Banks slowly regain her feet. Mickie then kicks her in the gut and follows up with a Leaping DDT and Bayley sticks her head back up from between the ring apron and the side of the ring again as Mickie makes the cover and Bayley wants to help her partner, but also doesn’t want to leave the safety of the ring apron covering her ripped ring gear behind and she looks on helplessly as the referee makes the three count.
The Queen and the Champ share a laugh at Bayley’s expense as they celebrate their win and make their way to the back. We just have one piece of unfinished business left tonight as we see David Arquette in the back, heading toward the ring with the Television Championship strapped around his waist. He defends the title next after this final word from our sponsors.
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Back from the break, it’s Main Event time as Television Champion David Arquette makes his way to the ring and it’s revealed that his opponent this week is going to be JTG.
Match #6 – HWL Television Championship – David Arquette vs. JTG
Arquette and JTG respectfully keep their distance as they circle each other in the ring and then tie up and JTG quickly goes to a Side Headlock, but Arquette shoves him off into the ropes and knocks him down with a Clothesline. Arquette then calls for an Atomic Leg Drop, but he telegraphs it and JTG rolls out of the way in time, allowing Arquette to crash to the mat. JTG then bounces off the ropes and connects with a Running Snapmere and makes the cover, but Arquette kicks out for a near fall. JTG then drags Arquette back up by the hair and drives him face first into the turnbuckle. JTG then picks Arquette up and places him on the top turnbuckle backward and grabs him around the neck and he pulls Arquette over backward into a fully horizontal position and then drives him to the mat with a Neckbreaker. JTG goes for the cover, but Arquette gets his boot up on the bottom rope. JTG snatches his boot away and tries for the cover again, but Arquette kicks out. JTG adamantly covers him again, but yet again Arquette kicks out. JTG drags Arquette back up and Arquette kicks him in the shins. Arquette then deliver an Atomic Drop and sends JTG reeling with a flurry of big right hands and then connects with one last big right hand, discus style, sending JTG flying out over the top rope and out to the ring apron. JTG hangs onto the ropes to keep from crashing all the way out to the floor, but he just as well have taken the plunge as now Arquette comes flying through the ropes and Spears JTG from the ring apron to the floor. Arquette is the first to stir and he slowly drags JTG back to his feet and sets up for a Powerbomb into the barricade, but JTG forces his way back down and counters into a Back Body Drop. Arquette stumbles back up to his feet over the ring steps, hunched over as JTG charges and hits the G9 and both men crash into the ring steps and JTG lands awkwardly on his right shoulder and appears to be in a world of pain. That shoulder may be dislocated. JTG is still able to get back to his feet first and he grabs Arquette and puts him back into the ring. JTG climbs back up onto the ring apron and ducks down to go through the ropes, but as he does, Arquette kicks him in the injured shoulder. Arquette then pulls JTG mostly into the ring, leaving his feet hanging on the middle rope as he drives his head and injured shoulder into the mat with a DDT. Arquette then heads up top and hits the Eight-legged Freak Splash and makes the cover and picks up the three count.
David Arquette is your winner and STILL The Television Champion, surviving an all-out war in this one. And it’s never a week off for the Television Champion as Arquette now has to do the same thing with an entirely new challenger next week. Join us again for more great action next week and find out what is in store for Arquette from his next challenger, but for now, it’s time for us to be signing off.