By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Deadlock Pro Wrestling “DPW Live 7”
Available via DPWondemand.com
July 6, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina at Kerr Scott Building
The ring was well-lit and the crowd is perhaps 300. Rich Bocchini, Caprice Coleman, and Veda Scott provided commentary, and I’m not sure you’ll find a better trio. What sets DPW apart isn’t just the quality of the wrestling, but the quality of its production. I always compare it to watching ROH’s 2004-08 Golden Era.
* Bocchini opened by telling listeners that Bryan Keith has been stripped of his National Title because of an arm injury. (Once it turned out the arm injury was a work, shouldn’t he be able to now defend it and keep it?)
1. Labron Kozone defeated Diego Hill and Ichiban in a three-way at 9:19. Kozone has a size advantage on the other two, and he tossed them around at the bell. So, Ichiban and Diego hit stereo dropkicks on Kozone, sending him to the floor, allowing them to do some one-on-one action. Ichiban dove through the ropes onto Kozone at 2:00. Diego is coming off a huge singles match last weekend against Mustafa Ali, and I just consider him a rising star. In the ring, Diego hit a doublestomp on Ichiban’s back. Kozone essentially hit a spinebuster on both men and it popped the crowd.
Diego hit a Mafia Kick on Ichiban, then a spin kick to Labron’s head at 5:30. He nailed a Fosbury Flop to the floor on both opponents. In the ring, he missed a moonsault but landed on his feet. Ichiban hit a handspring-back-elbow and missile dropkick on Kozone, then his leaping Flatliner for a believable nearfall, but Diego made the save at 7:00. Diego hit his mid-ring Spanish Fly on Ichiban, then a double-jump corkscrew press for a nearfall. The smaller guys hit superkicks but it just angered Kozone! Kozone took Ichiban’s head off with a clothesline! Kozone then straddled Hill on the top rope and nailed The Ballgame (stiff clothesline) to pin Diego. A very good opener.
2. Chris Danger defeated (Tyler) Breeze at 11:52. Danger is a youtube gamer personality; he’s a good athlete and he’s competed in DPW before, and Breeze is among his trainers. Breeze knocked him down and rested by kicking his feet up in the corner. They went to the floor, where Danger hit loud chops at 3:00. Danger got a table from under the ring, but Breeze hit a baseball slide dropkick, and Breeze slid it right back under the ring and was booed. In the ring, Breeze was in charge; he set up for a Goldust-style Shattered Dreams but the ref stopped him. Instead, he wound up shaking the ropes and crotching Danger, then he hit a DDT to the mat at 6:30.
Breeze hit his Superkick but he didn’t go for the cover. Breeze hit a second superkick, and Danger collapsed through the ropes to the floor. Breeze dragged Danger to the back and returned to the ring and demanded the ref count out Danger. Chris returned, and he hit a Blue Thunder Bomb at 10:00, then his own superkick for a nearfall. Breeze nailed the Beauty Shot/spin kick to the head for a nearfall. However, Danger hooked both arms, rolled Breeze over, and got the flash pin! Caprice said it was Danger’s first-ever win.
3. Dani Luna defeated Danni Bee in a “Battle of the Best” first-round match at 10:36. I’ve seen Bee in NWA and in the Texas-area indies, and this is her DPW debut. An intense lockup early and Luna has the height and strength advantage. Luna hit a snap suplex and a sliding clothesline for a nearfall at 1:30. Bee hit running double knees. Luna hit a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall. Bee hit a running blow to the base of the neck and she grounded Luna. Luna hit some loud chops and a basement dropkick for a nearfall at 5:00. Bee trapped Luna’s arms and nailed a short-arm clothesline for a nearfall at 7:00.
Luna hit a shotgun dropkick and they were both down. She hit a standing powerbomb with a jackknife cover for a nearfall at 8:30. Bee hit a discus forearm and a swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall; Caprice noted how Bee is focused on damaging the neck. Bee hit a Lungblower to the chest for a nearfall at 10:00. Luna hit a clothesline, then the Luna Landing (fireman’s carry into a powerbomb) for the pin. Really good action.
* Adam Priest has a mystery partner for the next match. The commentators reminded us that Andrew Everett got injured in Chicago last month and is out of action.
4. BK Westbrook and Kevin Blackwood defeated Adam Priest and Mads “Krule” Krugger in a Raleigh Street Fight at 18:36. I always compare BK to a young Adam Cole, and he’s recently become a babyface here. BK and Kevin came out first, then Priest; the bell rang and they beat him up. But at 0:30 the lights went out, and out came Mads “Krule” Krugger! The commentators wondered how Priest convinced Krule to team with him. Krule beat up Blackwood on the floor. Krule slammed BK onto the apron at 4:00. Priest got a trash can lid and hit his opponents with it. BK hit a trash can over Priest’s head at 7:30.
Blackwood hit some rolling German Suplexes on Priest at 11:30. Krule chokeslammed BK across an open chair for a nearfall at 13:00. Blackwood hit a Death Valley Driver on Krule through a table in the corner for a believable nearfall at 15:30. Krule hit a dive over the top rope onto all three and that POPPED the crowd. Adam Everett appeared at ringside and hit Krule with a crutch! He was hopping on one leg, as the other was wrapped. He got Krule to follow him to the back. BK and Blackwood beat up Priest two-on-one, with Kevin hitting his top-rope doublestomp. BK hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press to pin Priest. Decent brawl.
* BK got on the mic and said this was his first-ever DPW victory; both me and Bocchini were shocked by this, as he’s been a regular. The mic kept going in and out. He wants a title shot. Intermission wasn’t edited out but no issues fast-forwarding over it.
5. Robbie Eagles defeated Alec Price at 14:27. Eagles is spending a few weeks in the U.S. and this is a great opportunity for fans to see this Australian live for the first time. Price was immediately annoyed by the “Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oy Oy Oy!” chants. They traded reversals on the mat, and Robbie hit a flying head-scissors takedown at 2:00. Fans chanted “Boston sucks!” at Price. Price hit some snap suplexes as the fans chanted “F— the Red Sox” then “F— the Celtics!” Eagles hit a flip dive through the ropes at 4:30. In the ring, Eagles hit some Yes Kicks to the chest. He hit a running double knees for a nearfall. Eagles switched to focusing on the left knee and ankle.
They got up and traded slaps, then traded Mafia Kicks. Price nailed a Rebound Lariat and they were both down at 10:00. Price nailed a Dragon Suplex, then a dive over the top rope to the floor on Eagles. In the ring, Eagles hit his springboard Blockbuster for a nearfall, but he was limping. Eagles tied him in the Ron Miller Special leg lock, but Price immediately reached the ropes. Eagles hit a series of kicks to the head. Price hit a doublestomp as Robbie was tied in the Tree of Woe, then a flipping DDT for a nearfall. Price nailed a springboard spin kick and his running knees in the corner. Robbie hit a top-rope 450 Splash onto the knee and again tied him in the Ron Miller Special, and Price tapped out. Very good match.
6. Shoko Nakajima defeated Masha Slamovich in a “Battle of the Best” first-round match at 16:16. Shoko wears animal furs including a tail and this is her DPW debut. Standing switches and a feeling-out process to open. Shoko hit an armdrag and a dropkick. She nailed a slingshot senton for a nearfall at 3:00. Masha hit a running knee to the forehead, then a Helluva Kick and her rolling Koppo Kick or a nearfall. She tied up Shoko in a modified Camel Clutch, with her hands around Shoko’s throat. Masha hit a running knee. Shoko hit a DDT and they were both down at 8:00.
Shoko hit a Frankensteiner. She dove through the ropes onto Masha, then hit a flip dive through the ropes at 10:00. In the ring, Masha hit a spinning back fist and a buzzsaw kick for a nearfall at 11:30. Shoko got a rollup for a nearfall. Masha nailed a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 13:00. Shoko hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall. Masha hit an Air Raid Crash into the corner for a nearfall at 15:00. Shoko hit a Death Rider double-arm DDT, then a top-rope senton splash for the pin! Excellent match.
7. Mike Bailey and Jake Something defeated Calvin Tankman and Titus Alexander to retain the DPW Tag Team Titles at 17:40. Tankman is the DPW heavyweight champion, but of course his title is not on the line. Titus has spent a lot of 2024 competing in Japan so I haven’t seen much of the West Coast star. Almost immediately, it was just Tankman and Jake trading chops. Jake tossed Titus onto Calvin, as Calvin was setting up for a dive to the floor. Bailey hit an Asai Moonsault onto everyone at 1:00. All four brawled on the floor, with Bailey and Tankman paired up and trading kicks. They got in the ring and the bell rang to officially begin at 2:00!
Jake hit his running body block on Titus for a nearfall. Tankman popped Bailey up, and Titus hit Bailey with a dropkick. The heels worked over Bailey. Titus hit a snap suplex for a nearfall at 4:30. Veda reiterated how hot it is inside and outside the building. Bailey hit an enzuigiri on Calvin, then a missile dropkick. Bailey and Titus hit simultaneous spin kicks to the head and were both down. Jake got a hot tag at 7:00; he hit a double clothesline to drop the heels. He chokeslammed Titus onto Calvin and got a nearfall on Tankman.
Tankman hit a powerslam on Bailey on the apron. Titus hit a flip dive to the floor on the babyfaces. In the ring, Titus hit a top-rope crossbody block on Jake, then a brainbuster for a nearfall at 9:30. Titus hit a Lethal Injection on Jake for a nearfall. Bailey hit a huracanrana and a moonsault kneedrop on Titus at 11:00. The champs hit a team swinging neckbreaker on Titus for a nearall, but Calvin made the save. Tankman hit forearm strikes on each opponent. Jake speared Tankman. Bailey hit his Triangle Moonsault to the floor on Calvin. Jake hit his running body block on Titus. Jake fell into the ropes, causing Bailey to fall and be crotched in the corner!
Tankman hit a second-rope Rikishi Driver piledriver, but Bailey rolled to the floor at 14:00. Jake and Tankman traded blows and Jake nailed the BIGGEST Tiger Driver, which POPPED the crowd, and Tankman kicked out, drawing a “holy shit!” chant. Tankman hit a standing powerbomb and a spinning back fist. He hit an elbow to the back of the head, but Jake kicked out at 16:30. Titus hit a Chaos Theory on Jake for a nearfall. Bailey ‘faked’ a tag in; Titus slammed Bailey and made a cover but the ref informed Titus that Bailey wasn’t legal. Titus turned around and was hit by a Jake Something Black Hole Slam for the pin! Superb match. Tankman grabbed his belt and stormed to the back. Again, official “bell to bell” time is about 15:50.
Final Thoughts: What a main event. I love big man/smaller man tag teams that each bring their own strengths to a team, and Jake and Bailey fit that bill. Just a tremendous match and it’s the match of the night. I know everyone has a list of “why isn’t so and so signed?” but seriously, how is Tankman not signed yet? After leaving MLW, a logical next step is TNA. Shoko-Masha was really good and takes second. Eagles-Price takes third, ahead of the three-way opener.
I love Deadlock Pro and I recommend checking them out at deadlockpro.com, but I will add that they have plenty of free content on their youtube page, and they just uploaded an entire show from a year ago. I also want to note that the commentary started out a bit quiet but they quickly got it figured out. Deadlock Pro is recording a tag tournament on Sunday night featuring eight of the best tag teams (four first-round matches with a four-way finale). That show will air next week.
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