Deadlock Pro Wrestling “DPW Forever” results: Vetter’s review of Kevin Ku and Dominic Garinni vs. JD Drake and Anthony Henry in a cage match for the DPW Tag Titles, Myron Reed vs. Calvin Tankman vs. Kevin Knight in a three-way, Jay Malachi vs. Lucky Ali, Labron Kozone vs. BK Westbrook, Jackson Drake vs. Adam Priest

* The show opened with Adam Priest standing outside, and he’s upset that he’s facing the same guy he beat in November. We then have a nice music video with highlghts of DPW shows. Rich Bocchini and Caprice Coleman provided commentary. This appears to be a good-sized crowd in the 300-400 range.

1. Jackson Drake defeated Adam Priest at 9:04. Drake is quite young with short hair, and he looked good in that aforementioned November match against Priest. I’ve said this before, but Priest is similar to QT Marshall in his mat-based wrestling and veteran leadership. Drake is scrawny but several inches taller than Priest. Drake hit a fallaway slam, then he kipped to his feet at 3:00. Priest applied a Figure Four Leglock. They traded open-hand slaps to the face, and Drake hit an enzuigiri. Priest hit a backbreaker over his knee, then a piledriver at 7:00 for a nearfall. Drake got an inside cradle out of nowhere for the pin.

* Priest shook his hand after the match, only to beat up Drake, in an attack everyone in the building saw coming except Drake, apparently.

* Backstage, “The Workhorsemen” JD Drake & Anthony Henry talked about facing Violence is Forever in the main event. Henry was fired up and angry. JD Drake said they are willing to kill for it.

2. Hyan defeated Raychell Rose and Jada Stone in a no-DQ match at 8:05. Jada is a short Black woman I’ve seen here a few times now. I’ve said this before, but the Latina Hyan carries herself like Deonna Purrazzo, with her robe even having that same flair. Again, Rose carries herself like the elite of the division, like Charlotte Flair or Britt Baker. All three brawled at the bell. Hyan hit a Falcon Arrow on Rose for a nearfall at 5:30. Rose hit a spear on the ring apron on Rose. Jada did a top-rope moonsault to the floor (luckily landing on her feet, as neither opponent really caught her.)

Jada hit a cartwheel-into-a-stunner. Rose hit Jada in the gut with a chair and the crowd booed. The commentators wondered why the ref didn’t DQ her, or at least take the chair. The announcers were then informed it was no DQ. Hyan hit a Implant Buster on Rose, onto the folded chair (it admittedly didn’t look good) for the pin. Decent match, even if that finish looked soft. Hyan spoke on the mic, saying she’s earned a title shot.

* Backstage with “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku & Dominic Garinni. They definitely have a grudge with The Workhorsemen.

3. Calvin Tankman defeated Myron Reed and Kevin Knight in a three-way at 13:05. Tankman hit a running shoulder block that sent both opponents flying, and that earned a pop. Reed went for a plancha to the floor, but Calvin caught him, and he rammed Myron into the guardrail. Knight did a moonsault to the floor, landing partially on both opponents, but his butt across the top of the guardrail; luckily he was ok. The smaller guys whipped Tankman into the guardrail at 3:00. In the ring, Reed and Knight traded quick offense.

Reed hit a legdrop on the neck for a nearfall. Tankman got back in the ring and hit clotheslines on both, then a back elbow on Knight. Tankman hit a second-rope crossbody block on both opponents at 6:00, and the crowd chanted “DPW!” Reed and Knight hit a team suplex on Calvin. Tankman then suplexed both men. Tankman nailed his pop-up spinning back fist, then a pumphandle sit-out powerbomb move on Reed for a believable nearfall at 8:00. Reed hopped on Tankman’s shoulders; Knight hit a jumping dropkick on Reed, but Myron turned it into a Poison Rana on Tankman. Cool spot.

Reed hit a backpack stunner on Knight; Reed went for a springboard move, but Knight caught him with a dropkick. Tankman hit a release German Suplex on Knight, but Kevin rotated and landed on his feet. Reed dove to the floor on both men at 11:00. In the ring, Knight hit a jump-up Frankensteiner on Reed. Reed hit a Flatliner on Knight for a nearfall, but Tankman made the save. Reed hit a stunner on Calvin. Tankman hit a standing powerbomb on Reed, then a Rikishi Driver on Reed for the pin. That was really, really good.

* Tankman celebrated in the ring. The lights went out, then back on, and BoJack hit the ring. These two are really identical in height and weight; BoJack’s dreadlocks are longer but they are really about the same. They wound up shoving each other.

* A clip outside of an interviewer trying to talk to BoJack, but he just walked away. The camera panned over and saw a Black wrestler (Labron Kozone maybe?) yelling at Adam Priest for that post-match assault on Jackson Drake. Priest didn’t care.

* We have three singles matches in a row here from two 3-man teams. So, all six men came to the ring.

4. Adam Brooks (w/BK Westbrook, Lucky Ali) defeated Adam Everett (w/Jay Malachi, LaBron Kozone) at 11:40. So, this starts one-on-one with Westbrook vs. Everett. Everett hit a springboard dropkick on Brooks. Brooks dove through the ropes and barreled onto Everett. Everett went for a missile dropkick, but Brooks turned it into a powerbomb for a nearfall at 5:30.

Everett went for the chokeslam, but Brooks avoided it. Everett went for a Lionsault, but Brooks caught him with a punch to the chin. Brooks applied a crossface and he cranked back on the head. Everett nailed the chokeslam for a believable nearfall at 9:30. Everett nailed a top-rope moonsault for a believable nearfall. Westbrook hopped on the ring apron to distract the ref, allowing Ali to crotch Everett in the corner. Brooks hit a running dropkick in the corner on Everett, then a Swanton Bomb for the cheap pin.

* We immediately launch into the next match!

5. Labron Kozone defeated BK Westbrook at 00:16. Again, Westbrook is the cocky heel with a passing resemblance to heel Adam Cole in style, and he was jawing with the babyfaces on the floor. Maybe he didn’t hear the bell, or realize that Kozone entered the ring. BK turned around and Kozone nailed a decapitating clothesline for the pin! The crowd loved seeing the heel lose so quickly!

6. Lucky Ali (w/Westbrook, Brooks) defeated Jay Malachi (w/Kozone, Everett) at 20:25. These two Black men are similar in height and hair style, but babyface Malachi is much thinner. Malachi hit a nice huracanrana for a nearfall at 2:30. Ali hit a standing neckbreaker across the top rope. In the ring, Ali dominated the offense, and he hit another neckbreaker for a nearfall at 8:00. Everett and Kozone got the crowd going in rallying for Malachi.

Malachi hit a flying forearm at 10:00. Ali gave Jay a military press over the top rope to the floor. Kozone and Everett ran over to make sure Malachi was okay. Jay jumped back in the ring before being counted out. Jay hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall, and they were both down at 13:00. Jay hit a top-rope crossbody block, then a second-rope moonsault for a nearfall. Ali applied a sleeper to slow down Malachi. Malachi hit a huracanrana move, and they were both down. Jay went for a Poison Rana, but Ali blocked it.

Malachi hit a stunner, then a top-rope stunner for a nearfall at 17:30, but Brooks put Ali’s foot on the ropes, and the crowd loudly booed. Malachi hit a superkick. The four guys on the floor started fighting and whipped each other into the guardrails, and this seemed to distract Jay. Jay hit a top-rope Swanton Bomb to the floor on the four guys who were fighting at 19:30. He is so graceful. In the ring, Malachi got a rollup for a visual pin, but the ref was distracted. Jay came off the ropes, but Ali hit a low blow kick, then a clothesline to the back of the head for the pin.

* The three heels beat up Malachi, Everett and Kozone some more after the match, and of course, got loudly booed.

* A nice video package aired to highlight the next match. Because this show didn’t air live, when we return, the steel cage is already erected.

7. “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku and Dominic Garinni defeated “The Workhorsemen” JD Drake and Anthony Henry to retain the DPW Tag Team Ttles in a steel cage match at 17:38. These are undoubtedly the two biggest, most well-known tag teams on the indy circuit these days. All four are in the ring, so no tags. The WHM threw Garrini into the ring door, which actually opened, and Dominic crashed to the floor at 2:00. So, all four brawled to the floor. (Isn’t the whole point of the cage is the action stays inside???) But, they brawled around ringside. Both ViF guys are bleeding from their foreheads. Drake did his spot where he tossed Garrini against the cage and hit a forearm shot as Dominic ricocheted back at him. Nice.

Henry ripped Garrini’s shirt off, allowing Drake to hit his deafening chops. Garrini’s face is just a red mess. They finally got back in the cage at 6:00. Drake hit a swinging Black Hole Slam on Ku for a believable nearfall, but JD actually pulled him up before the three-count. That never ends well. Garrini hit a Tiger Suplex for a nearfall, as ViF was now in control. Drake and Garrini allowed each other to hit hard chops at 12:00. Garrini hit a second-rope superplex on Drake, and suddenly all four men were down.

Henry and Ku got up and they began trading forearm shots. Henry hit a sit-out powerbomb on Garrini for a nearfall at 14:30. Garrini hit a running knee to Henry’s chin, then ViF hit the Chasing the Dragon kick-and-brainbuster combo for a nearfall. Drake hit a second-rope moonsault for a nearfall. Ku got a rollup out of nowhere to pin Drake. That was tremendously hard-hitting.

All four men hugged and raised their arms. However, as ViF exited the ring, the WHM slammed the door on their heads and kept beating them up. Henry went under the ring and slid a table into the ring. Drake hit the ViF guys with their title belts, as they kept beating up the champs. Henry leapt off the top of the cage onto Ku’s head as Kevin was lying on the table. Drake hit another Rikishi Driver on Garrini to end the show.

Final Thoughts: I just really enjoy these DPW shows. I like the way the shows are shot, and the hungry young roster who are really delivering good matches. That said, this wasn’t the easiest cage match to watch. There is a reason to either A) have a cameraman in the ring or B) have holes cut out in the cage for the camera to view inside. This looks like a good, strong, well-made cage, but it was a bit hard to see through. But, that was really fun and earns best match.

I’ll go with Tankman-Reed-Knight for a strong second-place, with Malachi-Ali for third; those two clearly know each other well and put together a good match. Nothing bad here, although the women’s match could have been a bit better; I like what I’ve seen of those three and think they have a better match in them.