KANSAS CITY — What’s a guy gotta do to get through a talk show around here? Chris Jericho’s planned “Highlight Reel” discussion of his United States Title rematch with Kevin Owens — a match that will send him to SmackDown LIVE if he wins, for what it’s worth — was interrupted not once, but twice, by Superstars looking to take over the proceedings.

First, The Miz swooped in and immediately transformed “The Highlight Reel” into “Miz TV” so he could interview Jericho, but Dean Ambrose was hot on his heels to flip “Miz TV” into “The Ambrose Asylum.” And, to his credit, Ambrose remembered he owed Jericho a jacket, so he brought the G.O.A.T. a peace offering of a homemade, Christmas light-spangled replacement. (The destruction of Mitch the Plant and Ambrose’s lingering $15,000 debt to Jericho apparently cancelled each other out.)

When Miz tried (unsuccessfully) to stop Jericho from trying it on, maaaannnnnn, and started bemoaning Dean's supposed sullying of the Intercontinental Title and complaining that he didn't get a gift, Ambrose hit him with Dirty Deeds and Jericho put Maryse on The List for being married to The Miz. Harsh.

They did it again! Faced in a singles match against one of their No. 1 contenders for the second consecutive week, The Hardy Boyz managed to defeat their would-be usurpers when Matt edged Sheamus to send him and his brother to WWE Payback with all the momentum in the world on their side.

Granted, a little shenanigans were required to push Matt Hardy over the finish line against Sheamus — Jeff Hardy got into it with Cesaro and Sheamus was distracted, allowing Matt to pick up the win with Twist of Fate. The King of Swing was ready to throw down then and there, but the Irishman managed to defuse the situation to the tune of the third, and most assuredly final, handshake between the two teams.

Neville and TJ Perkins have been doing the Cruiserweight division dirty over the last couple weeks, and on Raw, their recent targets got some much-deserved — wait for it — payback against The King of the Cruiserweights and his newfound associate.

Facing Austin Aries (Neville’s No. 1 contender for Sunday) and Gentleman Jack Gallagher (the recipient of collusion last week), Neville and TJP seemed to have things in hand when The King of the Cruiserweights stomped Aries in the gut to free The Fil-Am Flash from Last Chancery. But then, after Gallagher brained Neville with a headbutt, Aries rallied and smashed Perkins in the face with the Discus Five-arm for three.

With Charlotte Flair on SmackDown LIVE and no desire to reprise EnD anytime soon, Dana Brooke is on the road to independence.

Unfortunately, Emma isn’t going to let her old protégée fly solo so easily. During Dana’s match with the newly-single Alicia Fox — which only came about because Emma stirred up tension between them last week — Emma herself came down to the ring to observe the proceedings.

She must have liked what she saw because after Dana defeated Fox with a Michinoku Driver, Emma got into the ring and attempted to join the celebration, even giving Dana a hug that was notably unreciprocated. The plot, as they say, thickens.

After professing to be a star-maker for the last two weeks and being put in his place by Big Show and Finn Bálor, Curt Hawkins changed the criteria for his would-be protégés, attempting to attract an opponent to the "Star Factory" who had not previously been a champion.

Enter Apollo Crews, a Superstar who many have pegged as a champion-in-waiting, to showcase his talents against Hawkins. Unsurprisingly, Crews put on a clinic against his opponent, sealing the win with his Sitting Spinout Powerbomb and attracting the attention of Titus O’Neil, who last week attempted to sign Crews to the Titus Brand and took it one step further this time, raising the hand of the confused-looking victor and snapping a seemingly-unwanted post-match selfie.