By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Deadlock Pro Wrestling vs. Elevation Pro Wrestling “Standing Room Only”
Available free via YouTube.com
May 20, 2023 in Lexington, N.C. at Bull City Ciderworks Lexington
This show is now airing for free (with commercials, including mid-match) on YouTube. I have never heard of Elevation Pro Wrestling, but I love DPW’s roster so I’ll be a cheerleader for them. This is a plain brick building, and the crowd of 150 or so people are all standing; no seating. We don’t have any commentary; I’m fine without it, but I’m really used to it.
1. Yabba Dabba Daddy defeated Labron Kozone, Diego Hill, BK Westbrook, and Movie Myk in a five-way scramble at 9:10. My first time seeing YDD, who wore a Flinstones-style caveman outfit. I have seen Myk before; he carries a director’s ‘cut’ board and is an arrogant heel. Again, I am high on the potential of the high-flying Diego Hill, who I say is a cross between Wes Lee and Cedrick Alexander. Kozone is a strong Black man and visibly more muscular than everyone else here. I always compare BK to Adam Cole, someone in looks but particularly heel mannerisms.
Myk hit a back suplex on Diego. BK hit a Lionsault at 4:30. Diego hit a flip dive to the floor on the other four opponents. YDD hit a Dragon Suplex for a nearfall. BK hit a superkick on Myk. Kozone shook the ropes and crotched BK in the corner. Kozone then hit a top-rope superplex on BK at 8:30. Diego immediately hit a frogsplash. Myk hit a Death Valley Driver. However, YDD hit a swinging slam to pin Myk. Really fun, fast-paced opener. EPW 1, DPW 0.
2. Jay Malachi and Hunter Drake defeated “Amish Country” Jebediah Hoskins and Hezekiah Hoskins at 7:39.My first time seeing Amish Country, who look very much like Amish men with their curly long beards, white shirts, and suspenders; one is bald and rotund, the other has short black hair and is thinner. Jay is the thin, lanky Black man who I compare to Velveteen Dream. Drake is white and really young; again, he just appeared on WWE Raw and was destroyed by Veer Mahaan and Sanga. Malachi hit a Superman Punch seconds in. Hunter hit a basement dropkick. The heavier AC hit a double clothesline at 2:30.
The Amish team worked over Hunter in their corner. Malachi entered and hit a flying forearm in the corner at 5:30, then a spin kick to the face, then a springboard stunner. The heavier guy hit a Spinebuster for a nearfall. Drake hit a running Shooting Star Press and a Lionsault. Malachi hit a second-rope moonsault from the corner for a nearfall at 7:30, then a springboard stunner for the pin. A fun match, but Amish Country didn’t play up their gimmick at all. EPW 1, DPW 1.
3. Savannah Evans defeated Kaitlyn Marie at 5:49. Savannah, of course, is in Impact Wrestling and she is taller. Kaitlyn isn’t much shorter, and she’s a bit heavy. I can’t say I’ve seen either of these two women in DPW, so as far as I’m concerned, this isn’t a promotion-vs.-promotion rivalry. They immediately traded stiff blows. Kaitlyn hit an Exploder Suplex at 3:00 and some running buttbumps in the corner. Kaitlyn hit a Vader Bomb, and they were both down. They traded more punches and this crowd was hot. Kaitlyn hit double overhand chops that made a great sound. Evans hit a Full Nelson Slam for the pin. That was really good for the time given.
The Workhorsemen hit the ring; they were advertised but didn’t have an announced opponent. JD Drake got on the mic and berated the crowd in an expletive-filled rant. Out came Mason Myles and Donnie Ray; I consider all four them to be on the DPW roster. They started brawling, and a ref hopped in the ring to start this impromptu match!
4. “The Workhorsemen” JD Drake and Anthony Henry defeated Mason Myles and Donnie Ray at 16:47. The WHM wore grey pants, not their sharp teal outfits they have worn in ROH and elsewhere recently; it makes them look like they are brawlers, not wrestlers. Again, Myles is short with a huge eagle tattoo on his chest, and Ray has long, brown frizzy hair like a young Chuck Palumbo, but his face looks like New Japan’s Chase Owens. Donnie Ray hit a Swanton Bomb for a nearfall at 2:00, then he hit an Asai Moonsault to the floor on everyone.
They brawled on the floor, along the walls and away from the ring. Henry hit a stiff kick to the spine as they brawled on the floor for several minutes. They finally got back in the ring at 7:00, with Henry stomping on Donnie Ray. Drake hit a slingshot senton and jawed at the crowd, as the WHM kept Ray in their corner. Drake hit a pair of Vader Bombs at 9:30, then some deafening chops. Ray finally hit an enzuigiri at 14:00 and made the hot tag. Myles hit a tornado DDT on Drake and a TKO Stunner on Henry.
Drake hit a swinging Boss Man Slam. Henry hit a release German Suplex, and Drake immediately hit a running knee, and they were right back in control. The WHM piled their opponents on top of each other, and Henry hit a top-rope doublestomp for the pin. A really good tag match with great heat.
5. Andrew Everett defeated Rob Killjoy to retain the DPW National Title at 10:48. Killjoy looks like a long-lost Briscoe brother; the same maniacal look and hair. Everett, who had a nice run in Impact Wrestling, is still doing his Andre the Giant gimmick, acting like he’s a seven-footer. They shook hands and traded quick reversals, ending in a standoff. They traded armdrags. Everett hit an Asai Moonsault to the floor at 2:30. In the ring, they traded LOUD chops and the crowd was totally into this.
Killjoy hit a flip dive to the floor at 6:00, then a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. Everett hit a springboard spin kick for a nearfall. Everett went for a chokeslam but Killjoy avoided it. Killjoy hit a Lionsault Press. Everett nailed a Poison Rana at 9:30. Killjoy hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Killjoy went for a springboard move but Everett caught him and hit a chokeslam. Everett then nailed his pretty top-rope Shooting Star Press for the pin. That was fun. DPW 2, EPW 1.
6. T.I.M. (w/heel manager) defeated BoJack to retain the Elevation Pro Title at 11:31. BoJack is Black, perhaps 350 pounds, with long hair in braids. T.I.M. is muscular Black man in purple trunks and vest right out of the Razor Ramon collection; he’s a bigger, thicker Cedric Alexander. BoJack hit a shoulder tackle early on that sent T.I.M. flying and heading to the floor to regroup. In the ring, BoJack hit a Stinger Splash in the corner, then a backbreaker over his knee at 2:00.
T.I.M. hit a flipping cannonball as BoJack was against the ropes for a nearfall at 4:30. BoJack hit gut punches. T.I.M. hit a standing neckbreaker, then some Moxley-style elbow strikes to the head. T.I.M. hit a running ax kick to the back of the head for a nearfall at 6:30. BoJack hit a second-rope Superplex, and they were both down. I know I’m being repetitive, but this crowd was going nuts. They got up and traded forearm shots.
T.I.M. went for a handspring-back-move but BoJack caught him and hit a uranage for a believable nearfall at 9:00. A Black man (manager?) on a crutch jawed with BoJack at ringside. T.I.M. struck BoJack with a heavy necklace! T.I.M. then hit a top-rope 450 Splash for a believable nearfall at 10:30. BoJack hit a decapitating clothesline for a believable nearfall. The manager struck BoJack in the back with the crutch. T.I.M. immediately hit a moonsault doublestomp for the tainted pin. That was really good with great heat. DPW 2, EPW 2.
7. Lucky Ali defeated Jason Kincaid to retain the DPW Title at 16:46. Ali is a muscular Black man and a great heel; again, he just appeared on WWE Raw where he was destroyed by Sanga and Veer in a tag match. Kincaid is bald with a tattoo that reminds me of Bam Bam Bigelow on the top of his head. He is far scrawnier, and he has a shaggy beard and looks homeless. The crowd chanted, “new champ!” The bell sounded and Ali easily shoved him to the mat. Kincaid hit some armdrags and kept Ali grounded, frustrating him.
Kincaid applied an anklelock at 4:00 but Ali quickly escaped. Kincaid applied an Octopus submission hold on the mat. Kincaid applied a Vendeval head submission hold. Ali hit a swinging neckbreaker at 7:00, then he applied a leglock around Kincaid’s waist and slowed it down. Kincaid hit a 619 for a nearfall at 10:00. Kincaid hit a stunner and got a nearfall, then he applied a rear-naked choke, then a cross-armbreaker.
They got up and traded punches. Kincaid hit a slingshot stunner and a top-rope doublestomp for a believable nearfall at 14:00. He missed a corkscrew move. Ali hit a Falcon Arrow, then a top-rope kneedrop for a believable nearfall. Ali rolled to the floor and got his title belt, but the ref confiscated it. Ali spit in Kincaid’s face, put Kincaid on his shoulders and slammed him stomach-first to the mat. Ali then hit a hard clothesline to the back of the neck for the pin. Good match, but I didn’t buy Kincaid as a legit challenger. DPW 3, EPW 2.
Final Thoughts: I have said it before, but there are a lot of talented wrestlers on this DPW roster. If you haven’t seen them, well… it’s a free show and worth checking out. Ideally, it would have commentary, but I hope that doesn’t turn away viewers.
BoJack-T.I.M. earns best match, even with the screwjob finish, which is fine, because no one expected a title belt to go to another promotion. I definitely would want to see more of T.I.M., who is clearly the star of the promotion. Everett-Killjoy was good for second best, and I’ll go with Workhorsemen’s tag match for third place. The main event was fine, but Kincaid just didn’t look like a believable challenger to me, and it hurt the overall match.
Check out deadlockpro.com to learn more about this promotion.
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