By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Deadlock Pro Wrestling “Victory Lap”
June 15, 2025, in Durham, North Carolina at The Armory
Released June 25, 2025, via DPWondemand.com
I’m unabashedly a big fan of Deadlock Pro. The lighting, the overall quality of production, is simply top-notch for an indy. This is an attractive brick venue and the building is packed with perhaps 300. Rich Bocchini, Caprice Coleman and Veda Scott provided commentary.
1. Manny Lo and Jackson Drake vs. Morgan Dash and Bojack. Both Dash and Manny have appeared on a handful of shows here and they have looked good. Dash is much shorter; he came out on Bojack’s shoulders. Bojack dropped Manny with a chop at the bell, and Manny immediately tagged out. Funny. Bojak hit a Pounce on Drake. Lo hit a huracanrana on Drake. Bojack picked up his teammate and tossed Dash to the floor onto the heels. In the ring, Dash hit a running Shooting Star Press on Drake for a nearfall at 2:00. Drake hit a German Suplex for a nearfall. Manny got in and hit a slam on Dash, and the heels worked over Morgan.
Bojack tagged in at 4:00, but the ref missed it and ordered him back to his corner. Drake hit a Lumbar Check-style gutbuster move on Dash. Bojack got in and hit a uranage and a massive senton on Manny, then he slammed Drake and hit a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall at 6:00. Drake hit a senton on Bojack for a nearfall. Manny made a blind tag, and he argued with Jackson. Uh-oh. Dash flipped Manny at Bojack, and Bojack clocked him with a forearm strike. Bojack did a Rocket Launcher, tossing Dash onto Manny for the pin. Good energy.
Morgan Dash and Bojack defeated Manny Lo and Jackson Drake at 8:36.
* A really nice video package aired to set up the next match.
2. Cedric Alexander vs. BK Westbrook (w/Andrew Everett) in a No. 1 contender’s match for the DPW National Title. A nice pop for Cedric. He kicked away BK’s handshake offer at the bell. Cedrick threw him to the mat, and they traded reversals on the canvas. BK hit a huracanrana. Cedric hit an armdrag. BK hit a standing neckbreaker, and he clotheslined Cedric to the floor, then he dove onto him at 2:30. In the ring, BK hit a springboard back elbow. Cedric hit a uranage onto the ring apron, and BK collapsed to the floor.
In the ring, Cedric hit a series of five snap German Suplexes. They traded slaps to the face at 7:00. BK hit a rebound discus clothesline, and they were both down. Cedric hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. He hit a running knee to the side of the head. BK countered with a TKO Stunner at 10:00, then a buzzsaw kick for a nearfall. They got up and traded forearm strikes. They hit stereo pump kicks to the chest, then again. BK hit a DDT, and they were both down at 11:30, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Cedric hit the gutbuster over his knees, then the Lumbar Check to get the pin. A very good match. They shook hands afterwards, and we got a “both these guys!” chant.
Cedric Alexander defeated BK Westbrook to become No. 1 contender at 12:12.
* Outside, Manny Lo grumbled that “everything thinks I’m a joke.” Jackson Drake told him he was an idiot. They argued.
3. Kevin Blackwood and Thomas Shire vs. Colby Corino and Jake Something. The commentators talked about how Colby looks just like his dad at that age. (Seriously, it is eerie!) Jake was forced to vacate his title a few months ago due to injury. Blackwood and Colby opened. Kevin’s short hair was pink today. Intense mat reversals early on. Jake and Shire tagged in at 3:00; these are two big guys! They went to a knuckle lock and test of strength. They fell to the floor, still tied up! They got back in the ring and right back to the intense lockup. “It’s like two bulls!” Caprice said.
Colby and Blackwood got back in at 6:00 and traded chops. Shire entered and dropped Corino with a Mafia Kick. Shire and Jake traded mat reversals, and Thomas flipped Jake to the floor. Corino hit a flip dive to the floor; I am pretty sure his butt landed on the floor at 9:30. In the ring, he hit a flipping senton. Shire gave Colby an airplane spin and dropped him to the mat. Jake hit his running body splash on Shire. Those two traded punches and forearm strikes and we got a “meat!” chant. Jake hit a Tiger Driver for a nearfall, but Kevin broke it up at 12:00.
Kevin hit a series of kicks on Jake, and Shire clotheslined Jake and got a nearfall, but Colby made the save. Corino and Blackwood traded forearm strikes. Colby hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly. Colby and Jake hit a team chokeslam on Shire at 14:00. Blackwood avoided an Into The Void, but moments later, Jake hit a chokeslam. This has been insanely good. Jake hit the Into The Void (Black Hole Slam) on Shire and scored the pin. A top-notch tag team match.
Jake Something and Colby Corino defeated Kevin Blackwood and Thomas Shire at 15:23.
* Jake got on the mic and said, “Calvin Tankman. Adam Priest. It doesn’t matter who, it only matters when. What’s my name?”
* Outside, Cedric Alexander boasted that he is 2-0 in Deadlock Pro, and he vowed to become the National Champion.
* A video montage aired on Mad Dog Connelly. His promos, his cadence… it’s all Cactus Jack. I like what he’s doing, even if it’s clearly a tribute to Mick Foley.
4. Mad Dog Connelly vs. Matt Tremont in a Durham Street Fight. Connelly whipped around his big dog collar chain in the ring. Veda noted that Tremont has had several deathmatches in recent weeks. They immediately traded punches. Tremont’s forehead was already cut. (Does it ever really heal up?) They brawled to the floor at 1:00. They picked up chairs and clanged them against each other, then Connelly clocked Tremont with a chair shot. Matt stood up, and he was bleeding, but Bocchini noted it doesn’t take much to open up that wound.
They hit each other with trash cans as they looped ringside. Tremont wrapped the chain around Connelly’s neck, and he rammed Connelly’s head into the ring post. Connelly got a chair and wedged it into the throat at 5:00 and shouted at him to give up. Tremont got a fork and stabbed Connelly in the forehead with it; yeah, this match isn’t for me. Both men were bleeding a lot now. Tremont flipped him through a table on the floor at 7:30. They traded punches on the ring apron, and they both crashed back-first through the table on the floor.
Connelly hit another back suplex, slamming Tremont through a board leaning against the guardrail, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Connelly rolled him back into the ring and got a nearfall at 10:30. He hit a forearm strike to the back of the head. Tremont hit a uranage (Bocchini said it was a chokeslam) for a nearfall. Connelly hit a basement dropkick in the corner. Yeah, both guys were pretty bloodied. Connelly put the dog collar around the necks of both men. Tremont speared Connelly through the table in the corner. However, Connelly applied a Triangle Choke, and he pulled on the chain, and Tremont passed out! A good but violent match. There are a lot of fans who will love this one.
Mad Dog Connelly defeated Matt Tremont at 13:51.
* Colby Corino came out to protect Tremont, and he confronted Connelly. Those two brawled to the back.
* Outside, Kevin Blackwood looked dejected. “If I can’t win here, I can’t stay here,” he said. He walked away. Yes, that was the entirety of his promo.
* A video package aired of the feud between Hyan and Dani Luna, with Hyan taking out a ‘hit’ on Dani… that was later answered by Nicole Matthews. I love what they do with these video packages, as we heard and saw from Bocchini, Veda, and Caprice as they discussed the feud.
5. Dani Luna vs. Nicole Matthews for the DPW Women’s Title. Nicole carried the largest wine glass I’ve ever seen to the ring; Caprice said it was a goblet. She attacked Luna from behind and immediately hit a Spider German Suplex, then tossed her to the floor. They brawled at ringside. In the ring, Dani hit a Claymore Kick and a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall at 2:00. Nicole hit a twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall; she mounted Dani and repeatedly punched her and was booed. She hit a DDT for a nearfall. She applied a cravat and targeted Dani’s neck.
Matthews tied her in a cross-armbreaker in the ropes, then she hit a Northern Lights Suplex at 5:30, and went right back to the cross-armbreaker. Luna hit a second-rope missile dropkick, but she sold pain in her shoulder. Luna hit a standing powerbomb for a nearfall. Nicole applied a Dragon Clutch. She switched to a half-crab, then into an STF. They got to their feet and traded stiff forearm strikes at 8:30. They traded clotheslines and were both down. Dani hit a basement dropkick as Nicole was tied in the Tree of Woe at 10:30.
Dani then hit her second-rope German Suplex. She set up for the Luna Landing, but Matthews blocked it. Luna hit a piledriver for a believable nearfall. Matthews jumped on Dani’s back, but Luna shrugged her to the mat. Nicole nailed a brainbuster. They traded rollups. Nicole hit another swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall; she got a foot on the ropes for leverage. She rolled to the floor and got that massive wine glass. The ref confiscated it. However, Matthews struck Dani over the head with a bottle in a paper bag! She tied the prone Luna in a crossface move on the mat. The ref checked Luna and determined she was out, and called for the bell! New champion!
Nicole Matthews defeated Dani Luna to win the Deadlock Pro Women’s Title at 13:58.
* Mad Dog Connelly cut another Mick Foley-style promo backstage. He wondered why Colby Corino would meddle in his business. “I thought you were smart, Cody! But now you will end up just like Matt Tremont!”
6. LaBron Kozone vs. Trevor Lee for the Deadlock Pro National Title. Kozone is a big, strong man, and he’s comparable to Trick Williams; he’s become a top babyface here. Lee is a hated heel here, so the crowd was fully behind Kozone. Bocchini said this was Kozone’s seventh title defense. Lee immediately targeted the left arm, and they traded reversals on the mat. Lee rolled to the floor at 2:00 to regroup. Back in the ring, Kozone stayed in charge, and Lee cowered in the corner. Kozone hit a Mafia Kick at 4;30.
They went to the floor, and Lee pushed a ringside guard into the way of a clothesline attempt. Lee slammed Kozone on the guardrail, earning a “you sick f—!” chant. Caprice pointed out that the guardrail was bent from that slam. Lee rolled Kozone into the ring and got a nearfall at 8:00. He targeted Kozone’s lower back with some forearm strikes, then he hit a backbreaker over his knee and a diving forearm for a nearfall. Lee hit a stiff kick to the spine and celebrated. They got up and traded forearm strikes, and Kozone hit some European Uppercuts. He hit a suplex, and they were both down at 12:00.
Labron went for a senton, but Lee got his knees up. Labron caught him with a Michinoku Driver, and they were both down. Kozone hit his own backbreaker over his knee. Lee hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly for a nearfall (it looked more like Bailey’s version.) They got up and traded forearm strikes. Both men were glistening; it must be hot in there. Lee hit some clotheslines that Kozone no-sold. He hit a Shining Wizard to the back of the head, then a release suplex for a believable nearfall at 15:00. They traded rollups. Lee hit a German Suplex for a nearfall, then a second and a third one! LaBron caught him with the Ballgame (decapitating clothesline) for the pin. That was tremendous.
LaBron Kozone defeated Trevor Lee to retain the DPW National Title at 16:45.
* Cedric Alexander, who just became No. 1 contender earlier in the show, rolled into the ring. He made it clear that “he’s got next,” then he left, with no punches thrown.
* Backstage, Dani Luna said that Matthews “just made the worst mistake of your f—ing life.” We then heard from Nicole, who was celebrating backstage, twirling and showing off her belt.
* A video package aired that showed the modified Rumble match at the Las Vegas show, where Adam Priest was crowned the new champion. (Again, Jake Something was stripped of the belt due to injury.)
7. Adam Priest vs. Calvin Tankman for the DPW World Title. Of course, Tankman is about 350 pounds, so he has perhaps 150 pounds on Priest. (Priest competed in Atlanta on Friday, in England on Saturday, and back here in North Carolina for this match on Sunday. That’s a haul! Also, I see he competed — and won! — an ROH match last week that will air soon from Seattle.) Priest applied a headlock and slowed Tankman early on. Tankman nailed a huge POUNCE at 4:00 that sent Priest to the floor. Tankman followed and hit some chops against the guardrail. Priest tried to escape into the crowd, but Calvin had the fans hold Adam’s arms as he chopped him some more.
In the ring, Priest targeted the left leg and twisted it and kept the big man grounded. Tankman got up, hit some forearm strikes, a spinning back fist, a backbreaker over his knee, and a short-arm clothesline for a nearfall at 9:00. Priest hit a chop block to the knee, and Calvin collapsed and sold the pain in his leg. Tankman hit a second-rope superplex at 12:30, but he immediately clutched his damaged knee. Priest hit a tornado DDT onto the ring apron, and he shoved Calvin back into the ring. Priest hit a top-rope tornado DDT for a nearfall at 15:00.
Priest shoved Tankman head-first into the second turnbuckle. He rolled Calvin over and applied a half-crab. We suddenly had Trevor Lee, Jake Something, and several other guys at ringside. Lee got in the ring and swung and missed with a belt. Tankman clocked Lee, and he rolled to the floor. Tankman hit a standing powerbomb for a believable nearfall. Priest again hit a chop block and went back to the half-crab, and Tankman tapped out. The appearances of Lee and the babyfaces weren’t needed here. Lee and Priest celebrated Adam’s win in the ring.
Adam Priest defeated Calvin Tankman to retain the DPW World Title at 18:47.
* Backstage, we heard from Kozone, who is ready for Cedric Alexander. We then heard from Tankman, who is sick and tired of Lee and Priest.
Final Thoughts: Simply put, DPW has top-to-bottom the best shows in indy wrestling. There are always great matches, and I’ve compared it to the peak ROH period. By always having just six or seven matches, each is given plenty of time to play out and let the best wrestlers show off what they can do. Sure, other promotions may do more shows, or in more states with more big names, but DPW is the promotion I enjoy watching the most right now. This show was so good I hesitate to rank best matches, but I’ll go with Kozone-Lee for best, the main event was second, and Cedric-BK for third. But I’ll stress that both the Blackwood tag and the women’s match were also really, really good, and the street fight will have a lot of fans, too. Again, this show is available for subscribers through the DPW website.
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