By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Deadlock Pro Wrestling “No Pressure”
June 5, 2022 in Raleigh, North Carolina at Holshouser Building
Available via DPWondemand.com
The crowd was perhaps 400, and we had a two-man commentary team. The lighting was good with the overhead lights on. This show was held in a large room with a high ceiling, so no issues for any high-flyers.
1. Alex Coughlin defeated JD Drake at 11:47. This is going to be a hoss fight. Coughlin came out in his new, weird metal gladiator outfit, but he took it off before the match started. No surprise when they traded stiff chops early. They brawled to the floor and back in the ring, with Drake laying in stiff kicks to the back. Drake hit an enziguri at 6:30. Coughlin hit an overhead belly-to-belly suplex, and that popped the crowd. Coughlin hit a second-rope gut-wrench suplex, and they were both down at 9:30.
Drake nailed a Shining Wizard knee strike, then a Vader Bomb for a believable nearfall. Coughlin nailed a second-rope German Suplex for a believable nearfall, then another one in the center of the ring for the pin. Exactly what I expected going in, but a pleasant surprise that Coughlin got a big win here. They shook hands after the match.
2. Kevin Ku defeated Mason Myles in a semi-final tournament match at 12:13. Ku advanced to this round after an impressive victory over Davey Richards last month. Mason Myles has a passing resemblance to Tyler Bate, and he’s much smaller than Ku. Myles has a large bird tattoo on his chest that looks similar to the Atlanta Hawks logo. Lots of mat wrestling early, and Ku kept Myles tied up on the mat. Myles hit a huracanrana at 7:00.
They traded mid-ring forearms, and Ku applied a Figure Four leg lock, but Myles reached the ropes at 9:00. Ku nailed a brainbuster for a believable nearfall, but he turned it into an ankle lock. Myles hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall. Ku nailed a Blue Thunder Bomb for the pin. Nice match, and Ku is a standout in solo matches.
3. “The Reality” Patrick Scott and Chance Rizer defeated Chase Holliday and Shawn Kemp to retain the DPW Tag Titles at 12:26. Never seen Holliday or Kemp before. They are both heavyset, on par with JD Drake. All four brawled at the bell. Scott and Rizer are the heels, and they worked over the Black member of the babyfaces. The babyfaces did a cool spot where one guy tossed a heel at his teammate, and his teammate immediately hit a German suplex. The champions hit a Doomsday bulldog move for the pin. Solid action, but the winners were never in doubt.
4. Andrew Everett, Kidd Bandit, and Donnie Ray defeated Lucky Ali, Jay Malachi, and BK Westbrook in a six-man tag at 20:15. Everett’s team got a nice pop. Westbrook is a scrawny white guy and his teammates are Black, and they don’t seem to want him around. Everett, of course, has had stints in Impact and ROH, while Bandit has a cult following with is unique red and green haircut. With his diminutive size, I have to compare his popularity to a young Jimmy Jacobs. Everett hit a big moonsault, and he peeled down his single strap, signaling he was going for a chokeslam, but his opponent escaped it. The heels worked over Everett extensively until Bandit made the hot tag and cleared the ring.
However, the heels worked over Bandit until he made the hot tag to Everett. Everett hit an impressive Lionsault Press. Donnie Ray hit a flip dive to the floor. Everett hit a springboard flip onto everyone on the floor. In the ring, Westbrook hit a chokeslam on Everett. Malachi hit some impressive kicks on Bandit, but Bandit applied a cross-armbreaker. Bandit hit a stunner. Malachi hit a springboard stunner. Malachi dove over the turnbuckle in the corner and crashed onto everyone on the floor.
In the ring, Malachi went for a top-rope move, but he accidentally hit his teammate, Lucky Ali. Everett nailed his impressive Shooting Star Press on Malachi for the pin. That was a lot of fun, and the crowd was totally into this. The heels argued after the match, but then Ali clotheslined Malachi’s back. The babyfaces returned to the ring to save Malachi from a further beatdown. This match filled a lot of team between ring entrances, intros, and antics before the match finally began.
5. Calvin Tankman defeated Colby Corino in a semi-final tournament match at 10:29. Corino scored an upset over Anthony Henry in the prior round. Tankman just towers over Corino, in both height and weight. Corino charged at Tankman, but Tankman easily tossed him to the mat. Tankman worked him over with chops and hip-tossing him across the ring. They fought on the floor. Back in the ring, Corino hit a Canadian Destroyer, then a dive to the floor at 6:30. In the ring, Tankman nailed his sit-out piledriver, but Corino rolled to the ropes to avoid being pinned. They fought over to the corner, where Tankman hit a second-rope sit-out piledriver to score the pin. Fun, albeit one-side match, with Corino getting a handful of hope spots.
6. Miyu Yamashita defeated Miyuke Takase at 15:27. I admittedly don’t know these Japanese wrestlers; I watched Miyu’s recent shows in Portland for Prestige Wrestling. Miyu seems to have an inch or two of height and a bit of a weight advantage. They wore similar red gear, and they shook hands before the bell. Good standing reversals to open. Yamashita unloaded some stiff kicks to Takase’s back. Miyu nailed a backbreaker over her knee at 4:00. They brawled to the floor, where Takase pushed Miyu into the rows of chairs. In a fun spot, Takase ran around the room to build up speed for a clothesline, but Miyu was able to avoid it.
In the ring, Takase hit a second-rope missile dropkick at 6:00, then a DDT. Miyu fired back with a springboard spin kick for a nearfall at 8:00, and she tied Takase up on the mat. Takase hit a forward Finlay Roll and got a nearfall. Miyu hit a second-rope Falcon Arrow slam at 10:30, and the crowd was hot. Takase fired back with a tornado DDT for a nearfall.
They began trading hard blows, kicks and chops mid-ring. Miyu hit a German suplex, but Takase popped up and hit a hard clothesline, and they were both down at 14:00, and the crowd was going nuts. These ladies are just killing each other in front of 400 people. Takase hit a powerslam for a nearfall. Miyu hit a kick to the head and a modified Death Valley Driver for a believable nearfall. Miyu then nailed a decapitating spin kick to score the pin. Absolutely fantastic, and the crowd rightfully gave them a standing ovation. They shook hands in the center of the ring.
7. BoJack defeated Matt Cross to retain the Deadlock Pro Wrestling Title at 11:46. BoJack is a heavy Black man with long dreadlocks. Cross, also known as M-Dogg 20, has been wrestling 20 years, including stints in ROH and recently in NWA, but he is significantly smaller than BoJack. Less than a minute in, Cross nailed a dive through the ropes. Back in the ring, BoJack nailed the Monty Brown Pounce for a nearfall. BoJack nailed a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall at 2:30.
Cross fired back with a springboard roaring elbow for a nearfall. BoJack worked him over with chops, and he was dominating the match. BoJack nailed a huge senton at 6:30 for a nearfall. Cross hit a handspring-back-elbow and a flying forearm, then a top-rope double stomp to the back for a nearfall at 8:00. However, he couldn’t pick up BoJack.
BoJack nailed a standing powerbomb, then a Falcon Arrow slam for a nearfall. BoJack went for a Razor’s Edge, but Cross escaped. Cross picked up BoJack and slammed him for a nearfall at 10:30, and the crowd popped for the show of strength. BoJack nailed a pop-up forearm. Cross came back with a stunner for a nearfall. Cross missed a top-rope Shooting Star Press, and BoJack immediately nailed a sit-out powerbomb for the pin. Fun match, with Cross creating a lot of movement and selling for the big man.
Final Thoughts: No one can watch all the wrestling that is out there, so I don’t feel bad for not knowing these Japanese wrestlers, but wow, they were impressive. Much like Miyu’s matches in Portland a few weeks ago, I am sure she is well familiar with her opponent. The match absolutely clicked and the crowd was totally into it. Easily best match.
Cross is so talented and criminally underrated. That main event earns second-best, ahead of that wild six-man tag. Sure, that match was a bit sloppy, but it featured six high-flyers who took a lot of risks. I was so impressed with Ku’s match last month against Davey Richards (it is available for free on Deadlock Pro’s Youtube page), and same here. I am so used to seeing him with Dominic Garrini in mid-card tag matches, so it’s great to see him shine.
The show clocked in at just under two-and-a-half hours.
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