By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Deadlock Pro Wrestling “DPW Live 2”
Available via DPWOndemand.com
April 16, 2023 in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey at The Mecca
This is a big move for this Carolina-based promotion, going to a new market to show off their very talented roster. Yes, I’m a big fan. Rich Bocchini and Phil Stamper provided commentary. This venue appears to be a church; there is a large crucifix on a wall. Attendance is in the 200-250 range.
* Unfortunately because of bad weather, Emi Sakura missed the show. She actually arrived after it was over and stuck around to sign autographs.
1. Aiden Aggro and Danger Kid defeated “Above the Rest” Tristan Thai and Gabriel Skye in a No. 1 contender’s match at 11:37. I have really liked what I’ve seen of Thai and Skye in northeast-based promotions. I have seen DK at least once before; he’s got short curly red hair. Aggro has his hair in dreadlocks; he and DK wear identical gold & purple trunks. Skye and DK started. Thai slammed his partner on DK for a nearfall at 2:00. Aggro and DK hit simultaneous dives to the floor.
AtR worked over Danger Kid in their corner. Aggro made the hot tag at 7:30 and nailed a shotgun dropkick and a decapitating clothesline for a nearfall; I’m liking what I’m seeing here, and the crowd chanted, “This is awesome!” Thai nailed an enzuigiri on Aggro. Skye hit a top-rope moonsault to the floor at 10:00. In the ring, Skye hit a Meteora top-rope kneedrop on DK for a nearfall, and the crowd chanted “that was three!” Thai caught Aggro with a superkick. Aggro hit a flying forearm. Danger Kid hit a top-rope senton splash to pin Thai. That was a really good opener.
2. Adam Priest defeated BoJack, Diego Hill, LaBron Kozone in a four-way at 8:45. BoJack is the Black guy who weighs 350+ pounds, and he’s a former DPW champion. I am a huge fan of Diego Hill, who is a mix of Wes Lee and Cedric Alexander in looks and skill. Priest is the guy I compare to QT Marshall as a good mat-based gatekeeper. Kozone is black and muscular with long dreadlocks. Kozone immediately chased Priest. Diego hit an enzuigiri on BoJack in the ring, while the other two brawled on the floor. Diego hit a huracanrana on BoJack. Priest attacked Hill from behind and was loudly booed. This crowd is hot!
Hill snapped off another nice huracanrana on Priest at 2:30. Priest hit a low blow kick on Hill. Kozone hit a swinging bodyslam on Priest, then a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. BoJack hit a senton that flattened Priest at 4:30 for a nearfall. BoJack nailed a Pounce on Hill that sent him flying. Hill nailed a flip dive off the top turnbuckle onto everyone on the floor. In the ring, Priest hit a frogsplash on BoJack; BoJack sat up, cradling Priest in his arms, and hit a Rikishi Driver. This hot crowd chanted, “He’s f—in’ dead!” Kozone charged into the corner, but BoJack caught him and hit a uranage.
Kozone hit a decapitating clothesline on Hill. Priest got a chair and repeatedly hit Kozone in the knee with it. Bocchini said this was legal in a four-way. Priest applied a half-crab, and Kozone tagged out. The crowd loudly booed him for this cheap win. This was really entertaining; I’ve stated it a few times already, but this crowd is insanely hot and making this action pop.
* B3cca hit the ring; she has long red hair and a shiny outfit, and she has a mic, earning a “shut the f— up!” chant before she even got a word in. She described herself as “an international pop sensation.” She said she should be working on her new album today but she’s here instead. She wondered who she is going to wrestle tonight, and she issued an open challenge. She started to sing, but luckily, a challenger came out!
3. Janai Kai defeated B3cca at 10:03. I love Kai’s overall kickboxing look and style. Kai missed on a spin kick and B3cca immediately stalled in the ropes. Janai hit a snap suplex and a stiff kick to the back. B3cca hit a dropkick to the knee and seized control of the offense, choking her in the ropes. Kai fired up and hit some chops. They traded Mafia Kicks. Kai hit a clothesline at 6:00, then a spin kick to the chest.
B3cca hit a running knee strike to the side of the head for a nearfall and she applied a half-crab, but Kai reached the ropes at 8:00. Kai hit a running kick to the back of the neck and some spin kicks to the chest as B3cca was tied in the ropes. B3cca hit a running senton splash off the ring apron to the floor. Back in the ring, B3cca went for a moonsault, but Kai caught her with a spin kick as she came down to score the pin. Good match.
4. Jay Malachi defeated Alec Price and Jackson Drake in a three-way “Golden Opportunity qualifier” at 13:34. Malachi is a thin Black man with dreadlocks; think a taller Lio Rush, and he’s a talented high-flyer. Price is the Boston native and he’s popular in the Northeast. Drake is a young white kid of average size; he beat Adam Priest last month. Bocchini explained that the winner of the Golden Opportunity can get a shot at any title. Price hit a springboard crossbody block. Malachi hit a dropkick on Price. Drake hit a gutwrench suplex on Jay at 3:00.
Drake missed a top-rope doublestomp and immediately clutched at his left knee; Price saw it and nailed a chop block and attacked the damaged limb. Bochinni had already reminded us that Drake had a damaged left knee from his feud with Adam Priest. Price twisted the knee in the ropes and remained in charge. Price hit a Saito Suplex on Jay, then a Dragon Suplex on Drake for a nearfall at 6:00. Price applied the Jaime Noble Trailer Hitch leglock on Drake, but Malachi hit a frogspash to break it up.
Malachi hit a top-rope flying clothesline and he was fired up. Hunter hit a DDT on Malachi, then a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 8:00, and we have a “this is awesome!” chant. Price hit running knee strikes to the chest on each opponent in separate corners. Price hit a dive to the floor on Drake. Malachi went to the entrance stage and hit a flip dive onto both at 10:30. In the ring, Price hit a second-rope crossbody block, but Malachi caught him and slammed him. Jackson Drake hit a Jay Driller for a believable nearfall.
Price hit a second-rope doublestomp on Drake’s chest for a nearfall, and the crowd chanted, “fight forever!” Price hit a superkick on Drake. Malachi hit a top-rope Clout Cutter on Price. Malachi then nailed a Clout Cutter on Drake for the pin. That was really good; the crowd stood at ringside and pounded on the mat at the finish.
* A nice video aired for BK Westbrook. I’ve compared his heel look and mannerisms to a heel Adam Cole. Westbrook belittled Andrew Everett. We then flip to footage of Everett, who challenged Westbrook to a match. Everett, who had a nice run in Impact Wrestling, is still doing his Andre the Giant gimmick, pretending he’s 7’4″, and he wears an Andre-style one-strap singlet. Bocchini says “he wrestles bigger than he is.” This is actually a first-ever singles matchup.
5. Andrew Everett defeated BK Westbrook at 14:38. BK hit a shoulder tackle and celebrated, drawing boos. Everett backed him into a corner and hit some hard chops. Everett hit an Asai Moonsault to the floor at 3:00, drawing a “DPW!” chant. In the ring, Everett hit a back suplex. BK hit a nice dropkick, and they brawled to the floor. BK rammed Everett’s back into the ring post, then he applied a Boston Crab on the floor. In the ring, BK hit a spin kick to the spine. Everett hit a tornado DDT and they were both down at 7:00.
BK dropped him throat-first on the top rope. BK hit a corkscrew press into the ring for a nearfall, then a backbreaker over his knee, and he jawed with the fans. Everett slammed BK face-first on the middle turnbuckle at 9:30. Everett set up for the chokeslam, but BK escaped it and hit a DDT, and they were both down. Everett hit a Poison Rana; he took down his strap for a big pop. He again went for the chokeslam, but BK shoved him into the corner and hit a low blow. BK hit a running overhead faceplant for a believable nearfall at 12:00.
Everett nailed the chokeslam for a believable nearfall and the crowd chanted “that was three!” They fought on the ropes in the corner, and BK teased going for a chokeslam. On the mat, BK nailed a running knee to the jaw. Everett hit a huracanrana, then his top-rope Shooting Star Press for the pin. Everett isn’t fat, but he’s bigger around the middle than anyone else I’ve ever seen hit a SSP, and his version looks amazing.
6. Miyu Yamashita defeated Nicole Matthews at 13:23. Like Mike Bailey, Matthews is a Canadian who just got permission to return to the U.S. to compete, and she’s a former Shimmer champion. Bocchini said she’s a 17-year ring vet and he called this “an international dream match.” They shook hands and opened with mat reversals. Matthews is taller and more muscular. Miyu hit a shoulder tackle that Nicole literally brushed off. Miyu hit a spin kick to the spine and got a nearfalll at 2:30. Matthews got up and hit her own spin kick to the spine.
Matthews tied Miyu in the ropes and hit spin kicks to the chest and stomach. In the ring, Matthews tied up the legs. She hit some hard chops in the corner at 5:30. Miyu applied a Money Clip sleeperhold on the mat. Miyu went for a springboard move and slipped; the crowd was very forgiving of the botch. It allowed Matthews to regain control. Miyu hit a spin kick to the head, and they were both down at 8:30. Matthews hit hard knee lifts to the head. Miyu hit a series of forearms.
Miyu nailed a brainbuster for a nearfall at 10:30. They fought on the ropes in the corner, and Miyu tied Nicole in the Tree of Woe. Miyu hit a German Suplex out of the corner for a nearfall. Matthews hit a Northern Lights suplex. Miyu hit a running knee to the jaw for a nearfall at 13:00, then a German Suplex, then her Skull Kick to score the pin. Good match.
7. “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini defeated Marcus Mathers and Matt Tremont in a Jersey Street Fight to retain the DPW Tag Team Titles at 27:04. Tremont is the heavyset, bald death match wrestler. This seems like an oddball pairing, as Mathers usually teams up with Dyln McKay in “Wasted Youth.” They all shook hands to open. Ku and Tremont got chairs, sat across from each other, and were set to trade punches, but Mathers and Garrini threw chairs at them. Garrini and Mathers traded chops. The camera panned to Tremont, who is already bleeding heavily from his forehead. In the ring, Tremont hit a Stinger Splash, then a running splash on Garrini for a nearfall at 3:00.
They all brawled on the floor. Ku used a staple gun on Tremont’s forehead, and the commentary team said “that’s disgusting.” I agree. Tremont threw a chair at Garrini’s head. In the ring, Garrini hit chairshots over Mathers’ back at 6:00. Ku hit a kneedrop on Mathers’ chest. Ku choked Mathers with a chain. Tremont is nowhere to be seen; he stood up on the floor, but Garrini immediately hit a baseball slide dropkick on Matt. On the floor, Garrini hit a senton on Tremont, then some unprotected shots to the head with a chair at 10:00; I hate to see those.
Back in the ring, ViF worked over Mathers, who also was bleeding from his forehead. ViF hit a team clothesline move for a nearfall. Mathers hit a German Suplex on Garrini at 11:30. Mathers and Tremont got forks and jabbed them in ViF’s heads, and this is gross. ViF were piled up in the corner, and Mathers threw a chair at them. Garrini hit a Muscle Buster, and Ku hit a top-rope doublestomp on Mathers for a believable nearfall at 16:30. Garrini got a door from under the ring and he set up a door bridge in the ring. Mathers and Tremont made it a double-decker, and Tremont hit a second-rope superplex on Ku, tossing him threw the double-decker door bridge for a believable nearfall at 19:00. This crowd is loving the action.
Tremont speared Ku threw a door set up in the corner. Garrini and Tremont hit each other over the head with door shards. All four brawled in the ring. ViF hit front-and-back kicks on Tremont. Ku poured thumbtacks in Tremont’s mouth. They kicked him, causing him to spew the tacks everywhere. Garrini applied a sleeper, but Mathers hit a 450 Splash to break it up at 24:00. Mathers hit a Swanton Bomb for a nearfall. The crowd chanted, “Fight forever!” Garrini and Tremont fought on the ring apron, and they were kicked off it and fell onto a door bridge on the floor. Ku suplexed Mathers onto two open chairs to score the pin. Bocchini said it was “one of the most violent matches I’ve ever witnessed.”
* Violence is Forever is now headed to Japan to defend those DPW titles. They are in Japan right now. Garrini got on the mic and thanked the fans. He vowed they would be in this area a lot more. Ku got on the mic and challenged JD Drake and Anthony Henry to a future re-match. (Violence is Forever beat them in a cage match last month, but the Workhorsemen beat them up after the match ended.) Ku said they are coming for blood.
Final Thoughts: I wrote this often, but wow this crowd was hot. Give me this crowd any day for an indy show. This was a good show and they liked what they saw, singing to several of the intro songs and responding to the big spots. I don’t know how often this crowd has seen the DPW talents, but they were eager to check them out live.
Because I’m not a big fan of hardcore matches, I’m going with the short four-way for best match, then Westbrook-Everett for second place, with Miyu-Mathews third, and a good three-way for honorable mention. This was a really, really good show, particularly if you like that hardcore action. Learn more about this promotion at Deadlockpro.com
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