Pyros light up the HWL Arena in St. Louis as we kick off this week’s edition of HWL Overdrive and in addition to two championship matches tonight, the Road to Starrcade Tournaments continue. Let’s get right to the action and it’s a Heavyweight Championship #1 Contenders Tournament match up first as R-Truth and AJ Styles make their way to the ring.

Match #1 – Road to Starrcade Heavyweight Tournament – AJ Styles vs. R-Truth

The two men square off as the match gets under way and Styles sends Truth reeling back against the ropes with a flurry of Forearm Shivers.  Styles then gets a running start and comes back at Truth, but Truth counters with a Back Body Drop, flipping Styles out over the top rope and to the floor.  Truth then rolls out to the floor and pulls up the ring apron to look underneath and doesn’t see what he wants. He then goes to the other side of the ring and looks under the apron there, but still doesn’t see what he wants. The third time is the charm as Truth tries another side of the ring and pulls out a ladder. Truth then slides the ladder into the ring and Styles stumbles over to where he’s at and Truth knocks him to the floor with a big right hand.  Truth then slides into the ring and sets up the ladder and quickly climbs it to the top and reaches up like he’s going to pull down a title, but of course there is nothing there to take. Truth now looks confused and Styles gets in the ring and angrily orders Truth to get down. Truth refuses and keeps looking for the title and now Styles climbs up behind Truth and clubs him in the back, but Truth kicks him in the chest and knocks him back down the mat. Styles, now super pissed off, starts to shove the ladder over, but Truth is able to scurry halfway down and land on his feet as Styles shoves the ladder over and the ladder rebounds funny off the ropes and one of the feet of the ladder hits Styles in the face. Styles is hunched over, checking to see if his nose and mouth are busted open and Truth bounces off the ropes and connects with a Scissors Kick and then covers Styles for the three count.

R-Truth is moving on in the tournament and in the back we see HWL Women’s World Champion Bayley, who will defend her championship later tonight against Jessica Havok. Just months ago, Havok seemingly had the women’s championship won from Nikki Cross, but the rivalry between Cross and Lacey Evans ended up costing Havok the chance to win that match. Tonight, she has her first one-on-one opportunity at the title since then. That’s coming up later tonight, but for now – here’s a word from our sponsors.

 
Back from the break, it’s time for another tournament match, this time in the Women’s Tournament as Shayna Baszler and Alexa Bliss make their way to the ring.

Match #2 – Road to Starrcade Women’s Tournament – Alexa Bliss vs. Shayna Baszler

The match gets under way and Bliss picks the wrong time to take exception to a comment from one of the fans in the front row and gives that section of fans an earful as the match gets under way. Baszler then sinks in a Rear Naked Choke on Bliss and pulls her to the center of the ring before dropping to the mat and pulling Bliss into a Body Scissors and Bliss is forced to tap out.

Baszler advances to the next round and with that match ending so abruptly, we’re going to stay right here with you and bring you another match in this segment as Baszler exits and Bliss has to be helped to the back. Now, here come Pete Dunne and Cameron Grimes for a cruiserweight tournament match.

Match #3 – Road to Starrcade Cruiserweight Tournament – Pete Dunne vs. Cameron Grimes

The two men square off as the match gets under way and Grimes tries to springboard off the ropes into a Flying Double Footstomp, but Dunne counters as he sweeps Grimes’ legs out from under him, driving him into the mat with a Flapjack. Dunne then gets ahold of Grimes’ left hand and snaps his fingers in opposite directions. He then does the same with Grimes’ right hand and then follows up with the Bitter End into the cover for the three count.

Dunne makes short work of Cameron Grimes and moves on in the tournament and with that, it’s time for a quick commercial break.
 

Back from the break, it’s title match time as Drake Maverick and Austin Aries make their entrances for this Cruiserweight Championship contest.

Match #4 – HWL Cruiserweight Championship – Austin Aries vs. Drake Maverick
Aries and Maverick tie up as the match gets under way and Aries goes to a Hammerlock, but Maverick fights him off with a flurry of Elbow Strikes to the side of the head. Maverick then springboards off the ropes into a Sunset Flip for the cover and gets the three coun… not quite as Aries kicks out at the last second and has to double check with the referee to make sure it was just a two.  Maverick then pummels Aries with a flurry of punches and whips him into the corner and follows him in with a Flying Lariat and then connects with a Running Bulldog out of the corner.  Maverick then springboards off the ropes into a Guillotine Leg Drop across the back of the neck of a prone Aries, but then has to struggle to roll Aries over onto his back for the cover and that gives Aries just enough time to recover and kick out for another near fall. Maverick heads up to the top turnbuckle, but Aries cuts him off with a Forearm Shot to the side of the head and then launches him to the mat like he’s Ric Flair in the 1980s.  Aries then follows up with a Running Dropkick to the side of the head and locks in the Last Chancery, but Maverick is able to fight his way to the ropes and force a break.  Aries drags Maverick back up by the hair, but Maverick counters into a Jawbreaker. Maverick then sets up for a Piledriver and gets Aries up, but Aries fights his way back down and then shoves Maverick backward and Maverick stops himself just short of crashing into the referee, who turns away to avoid a collision and thus doesn’t see as Aries lands a low blow on Maverick. Aries then quickly follows up with a Brainbuster and covers Maverick for the three count.

Aries is your winner and STILL the Cruiserweight Champion, but he’s escaping this encounter by the skin of his teeth. We still have one more title match to go as in the back we see Jessica Havok preparing for that match when suddenly a commotion goes by in the back and officials find Jay Briscoe down and out with what looks to be pieces of a broken guitar scattered around him after he was apparently taken out from behind with a shot to the back of the head. Will Briscoe be able to wrestle? He’s due to face Elias in our next match. Find out after the break.
 

Back from the break, Elias is sitting in the ring with a guitar, playing for the crowd, which is definitely not enjoying the experience as boos rain down on the drifter. Even more boos arrive as it is announced that Jay Briscoe will not be able to wrestle in the tournament and thus Elias will be advancing via forfeit. Elias rubs it in for the crowd, which only boos louder until the Authors of Pain make their way out to the ring and Elias decides to retreat to the floor and raise his hands toward the imposing tag team to show that he means no harm as he slowly walks backward around the ring and backtracks up the rampway. The Goodbrothers then make their way out to the ring and our next match is set to begin.

Match #6 – Road to Starrcade Tag Team Tournament – The Goodbrothers vs. Authors of Pain

The two teams square off as the match gets under way and Rezar mows over Gallows with a Running Shoulder Block as the two men start off for their respective teams. Rezar then goes for an Atomic Leg Drop and then bounces off the ropes as Anderson makes a blind tag and Gallows hits Rezar with a Running Knee Lift and Anderson comes in off the top rope and goes for a Flying Crossbody on Rezar, but Rezar catches him in midair and swings Anderson’s feet into Gallows face, knocking Gallows thorugh the ropes and out to the floor as Rezar then tosses Anderson straight up and moves underneath of him to catch him coming back down in a Samoan Drop. Rezar then makes the tag to tag to Akam and drags Anderson up into Russian Leg Sweep position as Akam bounces off the ropes and AoP connects with the Final Chapter and Akam covers Andreson for the three count as Rezar cuts Gallows off and keeps him from breaking it up.

The Authors of Pain are moving on to the next round and we owe you one final commercial break tonight. We now see Bayley and Jessica Havok heading to the ring. The Main Event for the Women’s World Championship is coming up next after this last word from our sponsors.
 

Back from the break, it’s Main Event time as Jessica Havok and the women’s champion make their entrances.

Match #7 – HWL Women’s World Championship – Bayley vs. Jessica Havok

The two women square off as the match gets under way and Bayley charges Havok and goes for the Belly-to-Bayley right away, but can’t lift the challenger off the mat and instead Havok flattens Bayley with a Headbutt.  Havok then bounces off the ropes and connects with a Big Splash into the cover, but Bayley shoots her shoulder up just in time for a near fall.  Havok puts the boots to Bayley and then drags her slowly back up to her feet and connects with her own Belly-to-Belly Suplex.  Havok then tries to follow up with an Atomic Leg Drop, but Bayley rolls out of the way and Havok crashes to the mat in a seated position. Bayley bounces off the ropes and connects with a Running Dropkick square to the chin and then scrambles up to the top rope and connects with a Flying Elbow Drop. Bayley then makes the cover, but Havok kicks out with authority.  Havok slowly battles back up to her feet as Bayley drives the point of her elbow into the back of Havok’s head a couple of times. Bayley then cinches Havok around the waist and tries again for the Belly-to-Bayley, but again can’t get Havok up and Havok claps her over the ears. Havok then plants Bayley with a Sidewalk Slam and heads up to the top turnbuckle. Havok then tries to flatten Bayley with a Diving Back Senton Splash from the top rope, but Bayley rolls out of the way and Havok crashes to the mat. Bayley goes up top and follows up with another Diving Elbow Drop and stands back as Havok stumbles slowly back up to her feet. Bayley goes for the Belly-to-Bayley one more time and this time she makes it work as she connects with her best move on the previously stunned challenger and covers her for the three count.

Bayley retains the championship once again as she continues her roll in the women’s division. If Bayley can make it to Golden Ticket on Pay Per View in November, she has a rematch with former champion Nikki Cross waiting. Join us again next week as the Road to Starrcade continues, but for now, we are signing off. Thanks for joining us. Good night, everybody.