By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Deadlock Pro Wrestling “Limit Break”
Available via DPWondemand.com
May 19, 2024 in Durham, North Carolina at Durham Convention Center
I like this venue, and the crowd is perhaps 300-400. Rich Bocchini, Caprice Coleman, and Veda Scott provided commentary. I love the work they do together.
1. Labron Kozone defeated Bojack in an eliminator match at 10:44. The 350-pound Bojack has a clear size advantage, and this is their first singles match in DPW. They traded forearm strikes and Bojack hit a shoulder tackle. They brawled to the floor; Kozone could barely budge Bojack. In the ring, Bojack hit a Saito Suplex for a nearfall at 3:30. He hit a massive senton for a nearfall. Kozone hit a basement dropkick on the knee, then a Dragonscrew Legwhip in the ropes. He tried a bodyslam at 5:00, but couldn’t lift Bojack. So, Bojack hit his own bodyslam, but he missed a senton.
Kozone hit a bodyslam! He applied a Figure Four Leglock. Kozone dove through the ropes onto Bojack at 7:00. In the ring, he hit a top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees. Kozone hit an enzuigiri. Bojack nailed his pop-up forearm strike for a nearfall, and they were both down. This crowd is hot and totally into the action. Bojack nailed a standing powerbomb, then a brainbuster for a believable nearfall at 9:30. Bojack set up for a Vader Bomb but Kozone slammed him to the mat. Kozone then hit a decapitating clothesline for the pin! That’s an upset in my eyes.
2. Miyu Yamashita and Lady Frost defeated Hyan and Vert Vixen at 13:29. Vert and Miyu opened, and Vert knocked her down with a shoulder tackle. Miyu hit a hard kick to the spine. Hyan and Frost locked up at 2:00. They all brawled to the floor and traded chops in front of the fans. In the ring, Hyan accidentally hit a spear on Vixen at 5:30! “You can’t buy chemistry,” Caprice said. Hyan hit a snap suplex on Frost. Hyan and Vert tied up Frost. They all brawled back to the floor. In the ring, Miyu applied a Koji Clutch on Vixen at 8:30, then she hit repeated kicks to Vert’s back, then a German Suplex. Vert popped up and hit her own German Suplex, then a Helluva Kick.
Vert hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall on Miyu. Hyan and Vert hit a Chasing the Dragon spin kick-and-brainbuster combo on Miyu for a nearfall! Vert tied Frost in a Sharpshooter. Miyou hit a kick that dropped Vert. Hyan hit a Road To Valhalla faceplant on Miyu. Frost hit a running Penalty Kick on Hyan, and all four were down at 12:00. This has been excellent. All four brawled in the ring and traded chops. Miyu nailed a skull kick on Vert! Hyan hit a shotgun dropkick on Miyu. Frost hit a spin kick to Hyan’s head! Frost hit a top-rope Phoenix Splash to pin Hyan! That was some intense, really good action from some of the very best indy female wrestlers.
* Hyan shoved Frost; when Vert tried to pull Hyan off Frost, Hyan shoved Vert! It appears their tag team was very short-lived!
* Backstage, Kozone boasted about beating Bojack. He is ready for the National Championship.
3. Adam Priest defeated Kevin Blackwood in an eliminator match at 14:11. Blackwood has normal blond hair tonight. They traded chops and strikes early on, and Priest rolled to the floor and regrouped. In the ring, Blackwood hit a double stomp to the chest at 3:00, then a stiff kick to the spine for a nearfall, and he was in charge early on. Priest hit a chop block and Kevin collapsed and sold the pain in his knee. Priest went to work on twisting the damaged left leg. Priest put Blackwood’s feet on the ropes and hit a spike DDT at 6:00, and Kevin rolled to the floor to regroup. Back in the ring, they traded forearm strikes, and Priest hit a pump-handle back suplex at 8:00.
Blackwood crotched Priest in the corner, then he hit a top-rope back suplex on Adam, and they were both down. They got up and traded more forearm strikes, and Priest hit a German Suplex. Blackwood hit a doublestomp and a brainbuster for a nearfall at 10:30. Priest nailed a Gotch-style piledriver for a nearfall. Priest immediately switched to a half-crab, then switched to an STF, but Blackwood reached the ropes. Blackwood nailed a Helluva Kick; he went to the top rope but Priest rolled to safety. Blackwood hit a Death Valley Driver on the ring apron at 13:30! Ouch! Blackwood missed a top-rope doublestomp. Priest hit another chop block, re-applied the half crab, and Blackwood tapped out! That was really good.
* Blackwood and Priest brawled some more after the bell until BK Westbrook and Adam Everett made the save! BK got on the mic and told Priest he forgot where he was. BK challenged Priest to a tag team street fight next time DPW is in North Carolina in July.
* Backstage, Vert Vixen was upset they lost. Hyan approached her and swore at her; Vixen slapped her and walked away. Hyan talked to herself and seemed off-kilter.
4. “Motor City Machine Guns” Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley defeated “MxM” Mason Madden and Mansoor at 17:31. Shelley and Mansoor opened and this crowd was HOT before they locked up and traded intense mat reversals. Sabin and Madden entered at 4:30, and Mason easily shoved Chris to the mat; this is a huge size difference. Sabin hit a missile dropkick. MXM hit team moves right out of the MCMG playbook. Shelley got a blind tag and kicked at Mansoor’s elbow at 7:30, and the Guns took control. Shelley applied a Fujiwara Armbar on the damaged elbow. The Guns applied double Crossface moves.
Madden made a hot tag at 10:00 and hit a huge leg lariat to Shelley’s nose for a nearfall. Mason hit several punches to Alex’s gut. Mansoor and Shelley traded chops, and I’m surprised at Mansoor’s height and thickness advantage. Mansoor accidentally hit Mason! Sabin got two backslides for nearfalls on Mansoor. The Guns hit a Magic Killer swinging faceplant on Mansoor for a nearfall at 12:30. Sabin accidentally kicked Shelley! Mason hit a shoulder tackle on Sabin, then a spear on Shelley and he was fired up.
Mansoor hit a German Suplex on Sabin for a nearfall. Sabin hit a baseball slide dropkick on Mansoor. Madden went for a double chokeslam but they broke free, and the Guns hit stereo superkicks at 15:30. Sabin put Madden on his shoulders but couldn’t hit the Cradle Shock. The Guns hit their Dream Sequence offense on Mansoor, then double kicks in the corner on Madden. Mansoor hit a Chaos Theory on Sabin! MXM hit a Neckbreaker and powerbomb combo on Sabin for a believable nearfall! Madden went to suplex Sabin, but Sabin managed to avoid it, roll him up, and score the pin. A top-notch back-and-forth tag match. I’m so impressed here by MXM.
* Backstage, Adam Priest boasted about his win, and he wasn’t concerned about finding a friend to face Westbrook and Everett in a street fight. In another backstage segment, Everett and Westbrook helped Blackwood limp to the back.
5. Roderick Strong defeated Fuminori Abe at 17:08. I’ve seen Abe a few times in GCW; he’s short but a hard-hitter. Strong wore his AEW International Title belt and got a hero’s welcome. They traded standing switches and a feeling-out process. Abe went for a cross-armbreaker at 3:30. Abe slapped him in the face, then he kicked Strong off the apron to the floor, and they traded chops at ringside. Back in the ring, Abe hit an enzuigiri at 9:00 and the crowd chanted for Abe. He hit an impressive Tornado Kick in the corner, and he grapevined Roderick’s leg on the mat. Strong hit a running knee to the jaw in the corner. Abe hit a huracanrana at 12:00. Abe hit a fastball punch (think like Kushida, who overall is an apt comparison.)
Strong hit a Sick Kick; Abe hopped back up and hit another fastball punch, and they both collapsed. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees and Abe hit a HARD slap to the face! Strong caved in his chest with a loud chop. Abe hit a dropkick at 14:00, then a back suplex for a nearfall. He applied an Octopus Stretch, but Strong escaped and he grounded Abe. We had the five-minute warning and the crowd chanted “fight forever!” Strong hit an Angle Slam. Abe hit a huracanrana for a nearfall. Strong hit a jumping knee to the chest, then the pop-up double kneestrike to the back for the clean pin. That was tremendous and the fans immediately chanted “please come back!”
* Backstage, Mansoor and Mason Madden expressed frustration that they lost to Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin. Madden said they only get better when they face the best in the world, as “iron sharpens iron.” We then headed to footage of Sabin and Shelley; Chris said they are back on track with this win. Shelley vowed they will regain their tag team titles from Mike Bailey and Jake Something. We then went to a third segment, where Roderick Strong was proud of his win over Abe. He said he wants some DPW gold, too. We then heard from Kevin Ku, who was disappointed in Calvin Tankman for lashing out last month.
6. Calvin Tankman defeated Kevin Ku to retain the Deadlock Pro Heavyweight Title at 16:49. Ku charged at him at the bell. He hit a dropkick. Ku dove to the floor but Tankman caught him and tossed him headfirst into the guardrail. In the ring, Tankman hit a bodyslam with a cocky one-footed cover for a nearfall at 2:30, then a hard clothesline. Tankman dropped him with a hard chop. Ku hit a dropkick on Tankman’s knee, and Calvin immediately began selling the pain in his knee. Tankman hit a backbreaker over his knee at 5:30, but it hurt him, too. They stood up and traded chops and forearm strikes, and Ku hit an enzuigiri. Tankman hit a German Suplex at 7:30. Ku hit a missile dropkick on the knee, and a series of dropkicks in the corner.
Ku hit a doublestomp on the back at 10:00, then a backbody drop on the ring apron, with Calvin tumbling to the floor. Ku hit a second-rope moonsault to the floor, and the crowd chanted “DPW!” Both barely got back in at 12:00 to avoid a count-out. Ku immediately hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip and a small package driver for a nearfall. Tankman hit a headbutt, then a standing powerbomb, then a Hidden Blade forearm to the back of the head for a believable nearfall at 13:30. Ku hit an enzuigiri in the corner, then a massive second-rope superplex! Ku nailed a top-rope kneedrop on the forehead and he grapevined the leg, and he turned it into an anklelock! They got up and traded slaps and chops. Ku hit a heel hook kick to the face. He leapt off the ropes, but Tankman hit a spinning back fist, then the Rikishi Driver piledriver for the pin. That was tremendous.
* Alex Shelley walked out from the back, with Tankman still in the ring. He told Tankman that he’s awesome, but he acts like an asshole. Shelley said he “isn’t sure how much longer he’ll be on the indies” but he wants a shot at Tankman. Backstage, Tankman made comments, saying it might not just be Shelley’s last match on the independents, it might be his last ever.
Final Thoughts: I am such a big fan of Deadlock Pro. The production is top-notch, a step above any other indy promotion. I love the commentary trio, and they always have great matches. Strong-Abe takes first place, with Guns vs. MXM for second, ahead of the main event for third. The women’s tag was really good for honorable mention. Nothing wrong with the other two matches, as Kozone and Priest will now face each other, with the winner taking on DPW National Champion Bryan Keith. Check out this promotion at deadlockpro.com.
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