By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Deadlock Pro Wrestling “No Pressure”
Available via DPWondemand.com
April 14, 2024 in Durham, North Carolina at Durham Convention Center
This show was released for streaming on their website on Saturday, April 20; I have avoided all spoilers. This is a sold-out show. Rich Bocchini, Caprice Coleman and Veda Scott provided commentary. I am a huge fan of Deadlock Pro; I always compare it to watching 2004-era ROH. Lighting is good, production is great, commentary is great. This is a small room; it’s a sellout with perhaps 350-450 fans in attendance.
* The show opened with Adam Priest doing a sit-down interview, saying he’s looking forward to his match later tonight with Andrew Everett.
1. Jake Something defeated 1 Called Manders at 9:15. Manders’ debut here. Jake has his tag title belt, which of course is not on the line. These are two BIG men and the crowd chanted “Beef!” as they had an intense lockup, and Manders hit a hard overhand chop. They rolled to the floor and traded chops. In the ring, Manders hit a clothesline in the corner at 2:00 for a nearfall. Jake hit a Thesz Press. Manders clotheslined him to the floor, then Manders dove through the ropes onto Jake!
In the ring, Manders came off the top rope but Jake hit him with a forearm. Jake hit some running shoulder tackles and clotheslines. Jake hit a spear into the corner, then a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 5:00. They fought on the ropes, where Jake hit some crossface elbows. Manders nailed a second-rope Bulldog powerslam, earning a “holy shit!” chant and a nearfall at 7:00. They stood up and Manders hit a headbutt. Jake hit a clothesline but Manders popped up. They traded forearm strikes and chops. Jake nailed the Black Hole Slam for the pin. Hard-hitting opener.
2. Vertvixen defeated Promise Braxton at 7:49. I know Braxton had at least one AEW TV match but I admittedly haven’t seen much of her. Bocchini said she has been here before, too, and she has been competing in Japan. She is a Black woman and maybe slightly taller than average. An intense lockup and Braxton got a backslide for a nearfall in the first minute. They traded slaps to the face. Braxton hit a German Suplex at 3:00. Vertvixen hit a hard kneestrike to the cheek and some chops. Braxton hit an Exploder Suplex for a nearfall at 5:00, and she grounded Vertvixen. They stood up and traded forearm strikes and chops, and Vertvixen hit a German Suplex, then a Helluva Kick. Braxton missed a moonsault, and Vixen immediately hit a brainbuster for the pin. That was good stuff; I’m a huge fan of Vertvixen, but Braxton impressed here, too.
* Backstage, Jake Something showed off his tag title belt. He said his partner, Mike Bailey, will win the heavyweight title later. He pointed out his chest is “battered and bruised” after that bout with Manders.
3. Adam Priest defeated Andrew Everett at 12:11. Again, Priest just competed at the ROH PPV and he’s going everywhere up and down the East Coast. Everett is still pretending he’s a seven-foot giant. Everett hit a belly-to-belly suplex at 1:30, then a plancha to the floor. In the ring, they traded quick mat reversals. Priest hit a kneedrop on Everett’s left knee and he began focusing on the leg. He hit a snap suplex for a nearfall at 4:00, then another suplex into the ropes, and the crowd booed Priest.
Priest grabbed Everett by the throat, but Everett did the same. They traded more chops. Priest hit a German Suplex and they were both down at 6:00. Everett hit an enzuigiri and the crowd chanted “he’s a giant!” Everett hit an Asai Moonsault to the floor at 7:30. In the ring, Everett hit a top-rope spinning kick to the head and they were both down. Everett pulled down his straps, hit a chokeslam, and got a nearfall. He missed a moonsault, and Priest immediately hit a chop block to the knee, then he applied a Figure Four Leglock at 9:00.
Everett hit a superkick and a rolling elbow and they were both down. Oliver Sawyer appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Everett’s ankle! Everett recovered and hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press for a nearfall, but Sawyer pulled the ref from the ring. Everett hit a dive to the floor on Sawyer. The ref was dealing with Sawyer. Meanwhile, Everett leapt of the top rope but Priest hit him with a low blow punt kick! Priest hit a piledriver for a believable nearfall and the crowd popped for the kickout. However, Priest applied a leglock, and Everett tapped out.
* Oliver Sawyer hopped in the ring and attacked Everett. Bocchini was perplexed as to why this assault was taking place. This brought out BK Westbrook, who got a nice babyface pop, and he clotheslined Sawyer over the top rope to the floor. BK and Everett had feuded for months, so this is a surprise he made the save. BK leaned over and helped Everett to his feet and they got a pop.
* We have some unique rules for the next match. The match ends if a team captain (Labron Kozone or Tom Lawlor) is pinned or submitted. If a non-captain is pinned or submits, the match continues without that person.
4. Labron Kozone and “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini defeated Tom Lawlor and “The West Coast Wrecking Crew” Jorel Nelson and Royce Isaacs in a “Captains Match” (modified elimination match) at 22:19. Just two days earlier at NJPW’s “Windy City Riot,” the WCWCrew beat the crap out of Lawlor and cut off his hair, but I guess we have to pretend that didn’t happen. After some teases, Labron and Isaacs locked up to begin. All six began brawling, and it spilled to the floor. Lawlor and Garrini brawled by the stage/entrance. Ku and Jorel brawled in the ring. Isaacs held Kozone upside down on the floor, walked up the stairs, and slammed him on the apron at 2:30.
In the ring, Isaacs mounted Ku and repeatedly punched him, and the WCWCrew worked Ku over, and this slowed down. Nelson hit a Pounce on Ku at 7:00 and was booed. Meanwhile, Lawlor shoved Kozone into a ring post on the floor. Jorel used pliers to remove a middle turnbuckle; Ku blocked being sent into the exposed turnbuckle. Ku does have a trickle of blood from his forehead. Isaacs hit a German Suplex on Ku. However, Isaacs crashed into the exposed turnbuckle at 10:30! Royce stood up and he’s bleeding from the forehead too, and he traded forearms with Ku. Garrini finally made the hot tag and he hit a double back suplex on WCWC and some loud chops on Lawlor.
Garrini hit a flip dive to the floor on everyone at 12:00. In the ring, Garrini hit a hard clothesline on Royce, then a neckbreaker over his knee. Garrini hit a frogsplash. However, Lawlor hit a kneestrike to the back of Garrini’s head and pinned him at 13:41! The match immediately continued with no breaks. Royce dropped Ku across Lawlor’s knees and Lawlor went for a rear-naked choke, but Kozone made the save. Isaacs hit a German Suplex on Kozone at 15:00. Jorel hit a shotgun dropkick on Ku, then a top-rope elbow drop. However, Ku grabbed Jorel, rolled him over and pinned him at 16:29! It is now 2-on-2.
Kozone made the hot tag and he hit an enzuigiri on Isaacs, then a German Suplex on Lawlor, then an Exploder on Isaacs. He got a nearfall on Lawlor. Ku hit a top-rope summersault to the floor on everyone at 19:00. Isaacs and Ku traded suplexes in the ring. They hit stereo rolling forearms and both went down. Labron hit a uranage on Lawlor for a nearfall, then a piledriver on Tom for a believable nearfall. (A 20-minute call is a bit late.) Lawlor hit a piledriver on Kozone for a nearfall. Lawlor applied a rear-naked choke on the mat, but Kozone got a foot on the ropes at 21:00. They got up and traded forearm strikes. They traded some punches, and Kozone clocked him with Ballgame for the pin.
* Backstage, Vertvixen talked about her win tonight, and she’s coming back here for the women’s title. We flipped to another backtage segment, where Priest said he has beaten Everett once again. He vowed “things are going to change around here.”
5. Bojack defeated Diego Hill, Ichiban, and Myron Reed in a four-way at 9:39. This is Diego’s first match here since August, which is just shocking. (He’s been active elsewhere.) We got an “All these guys!” chant before the bell. The three smaller guys huddled and talked about beating up 350-pounder Bojack. They all hit blows to his back, but Bojack brushed them all off, then he hit some uranages and a pop-up forearm strike. The smaller three all tried dropkicks on each other and popped up to their feet at 1:30. Reed hit a dive thorugh the ropes on Bojack. Ichiban hit a dive, then Diego hit a dive! No one could knock Bojack down! Finally, Diego hit a Fosbury Flop onto all three to drop Bojack. NICE.
In the ring, Diego hit a huracanarana and a basement dropkick on Reed. Diego hit a handspring-back-spin kick at 3:30 on Ichiban. Reed hit an enzuigiri on Diego. Ichiban hit a flying ax handle on Reed, then his punches in the corner with the fans chanting “one!” Bojack splashed Diego in the corner at 5:00. Ichiban hit his “One” punches on Boack! Ichiban hit a tornado DDT on Reed, then a springboard DDT on Bojack! Diego hit a second-rope Spanish Fly on Ichiban! Reed hit his kip-up stunner on Diego. Reed hit his diving stunner over the top-rope on Diego, and they both crashed to the floor. In the ring, Reed hit a 450 Splash on Bojack for a nearfall at 6:30.
Ichiban hit a Canadian Destroyer on Reed for a nearfall. Diego nailed his tornado kick in the corner on Ichiban, then his top-rope corkscrew moonsault on Ichiban for a believable nearfall. Reed went for his pop-up stunner on Bojack, but Bojack caught Reed, and he put both Reed and Ichiban on his shoulders! Diego hit a missile dropkick onto all three at 8:30 and everyone was down. Diego missed a Best Moonsault Ever. Bojack hit a German Suplex on Diego, then a standing powerbomb. Bojack hit a Bojack Driver/piledriver on Diego for the pin. That was about as action-packed as a 10-minute match as you’ll ever see.
* Backstage, the WCWC appeared without Lawlor and they said they are done with him. They challenged ViForever to a regular two-on-two tag match. We headed to a different backstage interview, where Labron Kozone says he’s gotten his confidence back after beating Lawlor. There is an upcoming tournament for the National Title, and he wants in.
6. Emi Sakura and Queen Aminata defeated Lady Frost and Hyan at 15:28. Frost and Sakura opened, and Emi hit a shoulder tackle that dropped her. Frost hit a swinging neckbreaker. Hyan and Aminata entered at 1:30 and shook hands before they tied up, and Aminata overpowered her. They locked up in a knucklelock. Aminata hit some shoulder tackles but Hyan stayed on her feet. Aminata dropped her on a third attempt. Hyan hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 5:30 and kept Aminata grounded. Emi tagged in and whipped Hyan across the ring by her hair, then she tied up Hyan in a surfboard at 7:00. Hyan and Emi traded forearm strikes. Emi bit her forearm!
Aminita hit a stiff kick to the spine at 9:00 but it fired up Hyan. Aminata accidentally ran into Emi! Lady Frost finally made the hot tag and hit some chops on Aminata. Frost hit a cannonball into the corner for a nearfall; the 10-minute call is late again. Hyan nailed a running knee to Aminata’s chin for a believable nearfall at 11:00. Aminata hit a decapitating clothesline on Hyan. Hyan hit a spear on Emi and suddenly all four were down and this crowd was HOT. They began trading forearms from their knees, then while standing.
Emi hit a crossbody block in the corner on Hyan at 13:00. Hyan hit a butterfly suplex on Emi, then two more! Frost hit a top-rope corkscrew press onto Emi for a believable nearfall. Emi and Aminata hit front-and-back clotheslines on Frost. Aminata flipped Emi onto Frost for a believable nearfall at 14:30. Emi and Aminata hit stereo swinging neckbreakers for a nearfall. Emi held Frost upside down, then hit the Queen’s Gambit backbreaker over her knee to pin Lady Frost. That was really entertaining.
* Backstage, an unseen interviewer asked BK Westbrook why he saved Andrew Everett. Labron walked up to both BK and Everett and wondered why BK was there. BK left. “You trust this guy? You don’t remember all the hell he put you and Malachi through?” Labron said to Everett. Everett said he thinks it’s all good now, and “people deserve second chances.” Labron was doubtful.
* In another backstage segment, Bojack said he “lost himself and he lost his world title.” But he’s back on track now and he’s moving forward. The victory today is his next step to the top.
* We saw footage of a six-year-old Colby Corino sliding into the ring and hitting Masato Tanaka in a ring after Tanaka had beaten up Steve Corino, so some time after ECW folded as this would be around 2004. This match has literally been TWENTY YEARS IN THE MAKING! Awesome that they used that footage.
7. Colby Corino defeated Masato Tanaka in a no-DQ match at 22:41. Bocchini noted that Colby is now 26. (The way Bocchini is speaking, he didn’t see the footage/video package we just saw.) An intense lockup and standing switches, then mat reversals. A quick internet search says Tanaka is now 51. Neither man was getting an advantage. Colby rolled to the floor to regroup at 3:30. Back in the ring, Colby hit a senton for a nearfall. He set up for a dive to the floor, but Tanaka caught him with a forearm strike. They brawled on the floor and took turns whipping each other into a guardrail. Tanaka hit him over the head with a flimsy garbage can, and he set up a table on the floor at 6:00.
Tanaka put the garbage can over Colby’s head and struck it with a steel chair. Tanaka hit a top-rope frogsplash on Corino, who was lying on the table on the floor, and the crowd chanted “DPW!” Tanaka placed open chair on their sides in the ring, and he bodyslammed Corino onto them at 8:30. Tanaka went for a top-rope frogsplash but Corino got his knees up to block it. Tanaka tossed a chair at Colby’s face. Corino was bleeding from his forehead, and Tanaka pushed the chair into Colby’s throat. Tanaka put Colby’s head on a garbage can lid and stomped on him at 11:00 and got a nearfall.
Corino hit a brainbuster! Corino hit a second-rope Swanton Bomb for a nearfall. Corino nailed a Styles Clash for a believable nearfall at 14:30. Colby got another table from under the ring. Corino hit a dive through the ropes onto Tanaka at 16:00. Colby pulled out a barbed-wire board and slid that in the ring, too. “I bet Colby put that together with a smile,” Caprice said. He made a bridge with it in the ring. However, Tanaka hit a powerbomb, dropping Corino through the barbed-wire board bridge at 18:00! Tanaka nailed a Diamond Dust flipping neckbreaker for a believable nearfall. Caprice pointed out Corino’s bloody back. Tanaka hit a top-rope superplex, but Colby popped to his feet!
They traded forearm strikes, and Colby hit a running knee for a nearfall at 19:30. Colby hit an unprotected chairshot across the top of the head; I really hate that. Tanaka hit a rolling forearm, and it was his turn to hit a hard chairshot across the top of Colby’s head. He hit a diving forearm on Corino for a believable nearfall. Tanaka hit a tornado DDT onto a folded chair but only got a one-count! Colby hit a Rainmaker clothesline and a DDT for a nearfall. Colby hit a modified One-Winged Angel for a believable nearfall. He hit a second one through a table set up in the corner for the pin. Oof that was hard-hitting. They bowed to each other with their heads touching the mat, and it got a huge pop.
* Hyan backstage was upset they lost. Lady Frost walked up and was angry at her and they were on the verge of fighting. Vertvixen stepped between them and separated them. We went to another backstage segment, and Colby Corino was proud of the fight he just had; he’s still covered in blood. “This man is a ‘f— up no more,” Corino said. He said he has a passport in his hand and will travel.
* A nice video package aired to promote the main event. Calvin Tankman said he wouldn’t hesitate to leave Mike Bailey in the ring, not breathing, to retain his title. (The rap song in the background has a liberal use of the ‘n-word’ which is really jarring for this guy.)
8. Calvin Tankman defeated Mike Bailey to retain the DPW World Title at 20:32. Tankman hit a shoulder tackle that dropped Bailey seconds into the match. Bailey hit some quick kicks to the thighs but Tankman barely budged. Bailey hit his Triangle Moonsault to the floor at 1:00. He leaned Tankman against the railing and hit some roundhouse kicks, then he shoved Calvin into the ring post. In the ring, Bailey hit some stiff kicks to the spine. Tankman got up, so Bailey hit some forearm strikes. Tankman hit a cartwheel-into-a-splash and that drew a “holy shit!” chant. Tankman powerbombed Bailey onto the ring apron at 3:00.
Back in the ring, Calvin was in charge. The commentary team talked about Bailey having to be beat up from his dozen or so matches over WrestleMania weekend, and noted he flew in from Minneapolis last night. Tankman hit a chop that dropped Bailey at 5:30. Bailey hit a second-rope missile dropkick and his series of kicks, but he missed his running Shooting Star Press. Tankman hit a snap suplex for a nearfall. Bailey nailed a running penalty kick. Tankman nailed a Jackhammer for a nearfall at 7:30. Bailey hit a series of forearm strikes and a superkick. Tankman hit a clothesline and they were both down.
They got up and traded chops. “You couldn’t pay me to trade chops with Calvin Tankman,” Caprice said. This exchange went on for a bit, and Bailey hit some roundhouse kicks. Tankman hit a powerslam onto the ring apron at 10:30, and Bailey tumbled to the floor. Bailey hit an Asai Moonsault to the floor. In the ring, Bailey missed a Shooting Star Press, and Tankman immediately hit a Pounce. Bailey missed a moonsault kneedrop on the ring apron. Tankman hit a Rikishi Driver piledriver on the ring apron, and Bailey fell to the floor at 13:00. Bailey dove back into the ring just before the 10-count. Tankman hit some clotheslines and a backbreaker over his knee, then another clothesline for a nearfall at 15:00.
They traded rollups and Bailey hit a moonsault kneedrop. Bailey hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press, then a superkick for a nearfall. Bailey nailed the Ultima Weapon for a believable nearfall at 17:00. He hit the moonsault kneedrop on the ring apron. They fought on the ropes, and Bailey hit a powerbomb out of the corner. Bailey went back to the top rope, but Tankman cut him off. Tankman nailed a second-rope Rikishi Driver for a believable nearfall at 19:00. Tankman missed a Hidden Blade and Bailey got a rollup for a nearfall. He hit some superkicks. Bailey set up for another Tornado Kick, but Tankman nailed another Pounce and a clothesline for a nearfall, then the Hidden Blade and a third Rikishi Driver for a believable nearfall. Tankman applied a rear-naked choke on the mat, and the ref called for the bell; Bailey did not tap out.
* Tankman didn’t initially release the hold. He began hitting forearm strikes to the back of Bailey’s neck! Several refs tried to pull Calvin off, but he shoved them away, and the crowd booed. Jake Something ran into the ring and attacked Tankman. The whole locker room entered and everyone brawled. Jake leapt over the top rope onto several guys on the floor. Tankman and Ku started shoving each other.
Final Thoughts: I strongly urge you check out some of the DPW stuff that’s on youtube and you’ll see why I’m such a big fan of this promotion. They have done a great job of mixing in the best talent from the North Carolina area with some great top-notch indy wrestlers from around the world. Tankman-Bailey takes best match and it was mind-blowing good, even though I really never thought Bailey was winning here. The four-way was really good and even though it was just under 10 minutes, I’ll give that second place. Colby-Tanaka takes third, although they really don’t need those chairshots to the head. The action is good enough without it.
This show was recorded on a Sunday… but on this same night, Prestige Wrestling was holding a huge show in Oregon and West Coast Pro Wrestling had a show in Los Angeles. It really shows how much great talent there is out there that you had all these shows going on at the same time. I mention this because those promotions have vowed to “work together” going forward. I’m intrigued to see what that means, but if it means some of these stellar NC guys get flown to the West Coast for shows, I’m all for it. Check out this promotion at deadlockpro.com
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