By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Deadlock Pro Wrestling “4th Anniversary”
December 12, 2025, in Cary, North Carolina, at SportHQ
Released December 21, 2025, via DPWondemand.com
The building is sold out with a crowd of 350-400. The quality of the production (particularly lighting and sound) is always top-notch here. Rich Bocchini and Caprice Coleman provided commentary.
* Sadly, this is Deadlock Pro’s final U.S. show. While I consider it the best indy over the past three years, they clearly weren’t making money, even with a subscription-required website ($15 a month) to access the shows. I subscribed fairly early on, as I used to pay that much (or more!) for a DVD every month, and I found enough value and quality in the shows to justify that price point. Sadly, it appears not enough people agreed with that assessment.
* Only one match was announced in advance. The rest of the show is a mystery, and I somehow have avoided all spoilers all week. Heck, I don’t even know which wrestlers are booked! The commentators stressed that they don’t know the lineup. This statement was repeated over and over as guys emerged from the back for each match.
* A nice music video opened the show with footage of the top stars who have made DPW so much fun to watch.
1. Baliyan Akki vs. Kevin Blackwood. No sign of Mei Suruga; hopefully, she has a match later. Standing switches to open, and Kevin nailed a doublestomp to the chest. Blackwood hit some roundhouse kicks to the chest; Akki fired back with some chops. Kevin hit a top-rope back suplex at 4:00 for a nearfall; this crowd was insanely hot! Akki hit a backbreaker over his knee and he took control. Blackwood applied a front guillotine choke. Akki hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker over his knee.
Kevin hit a running knee to the jaw at 7:00. He went for a top-rope doublestomp, but Akki caught him and hit a third backbreaker over his knee, then a clothesline. Akki went for a fisherman’s suplex but instead did a neckbreaker over his knee for a nearfall! Kevin hit a top-rope doublestomp and a brainbuster for a believable nearfall at 9:30. “This is the first match, Bocchini!” Caprice shouted. Blackwood nailed a Helluva Kick and a top-rope stomp to the collarbone of a standing Akki for the pin. An awesome opener.
Kevin Blackwood defeated Baliyan Akki at 9:43.
2. Manny Lo vs. Bryan Keith. Manny is a talented, young heel and he’s had a few matches recently in Jersey Championship Wrestling, having just qualified for the J Cup in February. Lo pushed Keith; Bryan dropped him with a hard chop. Bryan hit a Mafia Kick at 1:30 that sent Lo to the floor to regroup. They traded chops at ringside; the fans are seated far too close to the ring. Manny hit a drop-toe-hold, with Keith crashing on an open chair at 3:00. They got back in the ring with Lo in charge, but Keith hit an Exploder Suplex at 5:00.
Keith hit a second Exploder Suplex. Rich said this is a first-ever singles match. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Keith hit a third Exploder, this one into the corner at 8:00. Manny hit a dive over the top rope and crashed onto Keith. In the ring, Keith hit a leaping headbutt in the corner. Lo hit a Roderick-style backbreaker over his knees for a nearfall at 10:00. Bryan hit a discus clothesline. He nailed the Emerald Tiger Driver (butterfly powerbomb) for the pin. Awesome stuff; this show is off to a great start.
Bryan Keith defeated Manny Lo at 10:38.
* Outside, Blackwood praised DPW, saying “this place is special” and “it sucks it’s going away.”
3. Calvin Tankman vs. Kevin Ku. Bocchini noted that Ku appeared on the first-ever DPW event and has as many matches here as anyone. Kevin tried some shoulder blocks at the bell. He leapt off the ropes and stomped on Calvin’s wrist and began targeting it. They traded chops. Tankman hit a splash onto Ku’s back on the mat at 3:30, then cranked back on Ku’s neck. They went to the floor, where Calvin shoved him into the ring post, then slammed him on the apron.
Back in the ring, Tankman dropped him with a shoulder tackle at 7:30. Kevin popped to his feet and hit some open-hand slaps, but Tankman dropped him with a forearm strike. Ku hit a heel hook kick, then a shotgun dropkick into the corner at 9:30. Kevin hit a top-rope doublestomp to the chest for a nearfall. Calvin hit a hard spinning-back-fist and a decapitating clothesline for a nearfall at 11:30.
Kevin hit a brainbuster! He got a nearfall. Calvin flipped him into the turnbuckles, then hit a Pounce that sent Kevin to the floor. Tankman dove through the ropes onto Kevin. “You ever see a tank fly?” Caprice shouted. In the ring, Calvin hit a Tankman Driver (sit-out piledriver) for the pin. Great action, and we got a “Thank you both!” chant. The crowd sang the Cranberries’ “Zombie” to Ku as he headed to the back.
Calvin Tankman defeated Kevin Ku at 14:03.
* Backstage, Bryan Keith noted the crowd was going crazy out there tonight. “DPW is for real, motherf—-ers,” he said. He said he wouldn’t be where he is without Deadlock Pro. He refuses to say goodbye because he hopes it isn’t over.
4. Trevor Lee and Adam Priest vs. BK Westbrook and Andrew Everett in a tag team street fight. The heels rolled to the floor, so BK and Everett hit stereo planchas on them, and we’re underway! The babyfaces were dressed in denim jeans because this is a fight. BK choked Priest on the floor. A ladder was pushed into the ring. Lee and BK brawled. The babyfaces lifted the ladder to crotch Trevor at 3:00. The heels took control and beat down Everett. Priest hit a snap suplex on BK at 5:00.
Lee went to a toolbox and got some zip ties, and they tied BK’s wrists in front of his waist. Lee shoved a table into the ring, then Lee shoved Everett head-first into the ring post. The heels powerbombed BK through the table in the ring at 7:30. Everett hit a springboard double dropkick, then a German Suplex on Priest, and he snapped off a huracanrana on Lee at 9:30 that popped the crowd. Everett got a TALL ladder from under the ring and slid it in. Lee and Everett fought on the ladder.
Everett was pushed off the ladder and struck a table in the corner at 12:00; that was a scary bump. (The camera showed some fans who were concerned.) Everett rolled to the ropes. Priest hit a brainbuster on BK. BK (now free of the zip-ties) hit some running knees on each of the heels. The heels set up another table; Everett got to his feet, but Lee immediately hit a Mafia Kick to drop him. Lee hit a Sliced Bread on the table, and it cracked. BK hit a chokeslam, and Everett hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 16:00.
Everett and Priest walked to the staircase and headed upstairs! They teased tossing each other over the guardrail! Everett dove off the balcony onto several guys on the floor at 17:30! That’s an inside dive! In the ring, BK hit a superkick. Everett hit a Poison Rana. BK hit a mid-ring Sliced Bread on Lee, but Priest pulled the ref to the floor. Everett hit an Asai Moonsault. Everett hit a low blow punt kick on Lee, then a top-rope Shooting Star Press. Westbrook hit his own Shooting Star Press for the pin on Lee. That was absolutely insane; there were many bumps that looked dangerous, and it’s amazing no one got seriously injured.
BK Westbrook and Andrew Everett defeated Trevor Lee and Adam Priest in a street fight at 18:57.
* Backstage, Calvin talked about what DPW has meant, saying people will look back and talk fondly of it in the way they do about early ROH and ECW. He said he “will forever bleed orange and black” and had the best run of his career here.
5. Bojack and Morgan Dash vs. “Miracle Generation” Kylon King and Dustin Waller for the Deadlock Pro Tag Team Titles. This is an immediate rematch, as Bojack and Dash shocked everyone by winning the belts last month. Dash and Waller opened and traded rollups. Dustin hit a plancha to the floor on Bojack. In the ring, the tiny Dash snapped off a huracanrana on Waller. He launched off of Bojack’s shoulders and hit a moonsault to the floor onto the MG at 2:00.
In the ring, Bojack whipped Dash onto Dustin in the corner, then Dash hit a top-rope corkscrew splash on Dustin, then a running Shooting Star Press on King for a nearfall. Waller hit a top-rope flying clothesline on Dash at 4:30. The MG worked over Dash. Morgan hit a handspring-back-kick on King at 7:00, and they were both down. Bojack got back in and hit a big back-body drop on Kylon. King tried a German Suplex, but Bojack didn’t move. Bojack nailed Kylon with a Pounce at 8:30.
Dash hit a doublestomp on Dustin into a frog splash on King, and Bojack hit a piledriver on Dustin. Kylon hit a German Suplex on Bojack! Dustin hit a Canadian Destroyer on Bojack! King hit a top-rope superplex on Dash, and Dustin hit a Mamba Splash on Dash! King then hit a top-rope moonsault on Dash for the pin! The Miracle Generation regained their titles! The crowd gave them an “all these guys!” chant.
“Miracle Generation” Dustin Waller and Kylon King defeated Bojack and Morgan Dash to win the DPW Tag Team Titles at 10:28.
* Backstage, BK and Everett talked about the final show. Everett said he’s 33 and that was his first-ever balcony dive. BK thanked Deadlock Pro. Everett noted he’s a “Deadlock original.” “You can’t explain it, but you can feel it. Deadlock is something special,” Everett said. “It makes me so proud to see North Carolina shining through. Deadlock let the entire world see how good the Carolinas do it.” BK said he also bleeds orange and black.
* Queen Aminata came to the ring with her women’s title over her shoulder; she’s still not medically cleared to compete. She wore a nice orange blazer and black outfit, which Caprice pointed out she’s representing the promotion’s signature colors (as pointed out a few times already.) She got on the mic and noted she had her first DPW match in 2023. “DPW, from the first day, have treated me like the queen I am,” she said. She indicated that this will be a long recovery from her sprained neck. “Every time I step in this ring, there is only one thing I think of — violence,” she said, and that drew a pop. She announced she is relinquishing her title.
* Australian 6’1″ star Lena Kross came to the ring, got on the mic, and said she was really looking forward to dethroning Aminata. “But clearly you aren’t strong enough to hold this title.” The crowd chanted profanities at Kross. Here comes Mei Suruga! Worth pointing out that Mei is listed at 4’8″ (which certainly seems legit) , so we have a huge height and weight disparity here.
6. Lena Kross vs. Mei Suruga (w/Baliyan Akki) for the vacant Deadlock Pro Women’s TItle. They stood toe-to-toe at the bell, and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a bigger height advantage in a women’s match. Mei stood on the second rope, wanting a test of strength. Lena knocked her down with a shoulder tackle, and Bocchini noted Mei is 4’10.” Lena hit a sideslam for a nearfall at 2:00. She planted her foot on Mei’s spine as Mei was stomach-first on the mat, celebrated, and was booed. Mei bridged out of a pin attempt and hit a basement dropkick at 3:30.
Mei walked along the top rope and tried a crossbody block, but Lena caught her and hit a fallaway slam for a nearfall. Mei jumped on Lena’s back and applied a sleeper at 6:00, and the crowd taunted Kross to tap out. Lena hit a Helluva Kick for a nearfall. Mei hit a top-rope dive to the floor onto Lena. Mei tied her in a Tarantula in the ropes at 10:30. She tied up Lena on the mat, but Lena powered to her feet and hit a sideslam, and they were both down at 12:30. Mei fired up and hit some punches, then a dropkick. Lena hit a pump kick to the chest and a sit-out powerbomb move for a nearfall at 14:00.
Mei applied a submission hold on the mat and cranked bout of Lena’s arms behind the back, but Lena rotated and got her feet on the ropes. Mei hit a bodyslam for a nearfall at 16:00. Mei hit a top-rope doublestomp onto Lena’s back for a nearfall, but Lena again got a foot on the ropes! Lena blocked a move and sat down on her for a nearfall, then she dropped her stomach-first. She hit a hard knee strike to the chin for a believable nearfall at 18:00. This crowd was insanely hot. Mei got a rollup for the flash pin!
Mei Suruga defeated Lena Kross to win the vacant Deadlock Pro Women’s Title at 18:44.
* Backstage, Bojack put over his teammate, Morgan Dash, noting that Morgan was in preliminary (dark) matches when DPW began. He said you cannot take away the impact that Deadlock Pro had in the industry. We then saw Miracle Generation backstage, who also put over DPW. Kevin Ku approached them and told them to come to Japan to defend those titles!
* Back to the venue, Erick Stevens stormed to the ring, and he had a dog collar. We were supposed to be headed to the main event, but we got a bonus match! Mad Dog Connelly stormed to the ring. Stevens dove on him, and I started the stopwatch at first contact.
7. Erick Stevens vs. Mad Dog Connelly in a dog collar match. They fought at ringside. Bocchini said he thought he heard a bell; I did not. They brawled in the ring and back to the floor. They put the dog collar around their necks, and they traded more blows as they looped ringside. They got in the ring, and Connelly jabbed Stevens in the head with a corkscrew at 6:00. Erick sat up, and he was bleeding from the forehead. Connelly put Stevens in the ropes and jabbed him some more with the corkscrew, then he licked it, and that drew the “You sick f—!” chant. Erick got back up and hit a discus forearm at 8:00.
Stevens hit a powerslam. He hit a powerbomb for a nearfall at 10:00. Connelly hit a back-body drop onto an open chair, and he switched to a half-crab. Stevens jabbed Connelly with the screwdriver. Connelly threw Stevens over the top rope, so he was hanging from the chain. He dragged Stevens into the ring and got a nearfall at 13:00. They tried to hang each other along their backs. Stevens removed the dog collar and hit a discus forearm, then another, and he hit a Northern Lights Bomb onto an open chair for the pin! Violent brawl.
Erick Stevens defeated Mad Dog Connelly at 14:20.
* Backstage, Trevor Lee and Adam Priest are “done with this place.” They stormed out the exit door and left.
8. Jake Something vs. LaBron Kozone for the DPW Title. Kozone carried his DPW National Title; these two just fought with Kozone winning. An intense lockup to open. Jake hit a bodyslam at 2:30. He hit some front-and-back clotheslines, and he applied a bear hug. Kozone hit a backbreaker over his knee, and they were both down at 4:30. Kozone hit a bodyslam for a nearfall. He hit some chops and kept Jake grounded. He hit a suplex at 8:00. Jake hit a running body block, and they were both down, and we got a “This is Deadlock!” chant.
Jake hit a back-body drop and a shoulder block to the ribs in the corner. He hit a butterfly piledriver for a nearfall. They got up, and Kozone hit some spinning back fists. Kozone hit a German Suplex, but Jake popped to his feet and hit his own German Suplex! Kozone hit the Ballgame clothesline for a nearfall at 12:00. Jake hit a dive over the top rope, but he barely cleared it, and he crashed onto Kozone at 13:30.
Back in the ring, Jake hit a standing powerbomb, then an Into The Void (Black Hole Slam) for a nearfall. They got up and traded forearm strikes, and Kozone hit some enzuigiris. Jake hit his running body block, and they were both down at 15:30; the crowd got to their feet and chanted “DPW!” then “Fight forever!” They fought on the ropes but slipped and collapsed on the floor. They got back into the ring. Kozone hit the Ballgame clothesline for the pin! New champion!
LaBron Kozone defeated Jake Something to win the Deadlock Pro Title at 18:25.
* Jake and Kozone hugged. Trevor Lee and Adam Priest jumped in the ring and attacked them. Lee got on the mic and said he’s the No. 1 contender for the National Title. He said this show isn’t ending until Trevor Lee is the champion!
9. LaBron Kozone vs. Trevor Lee for the Deadlock Pro Title. Jake tossed Priest to the floor on some guys. Lee hit a low blow uppercut on Jake and pushed him to the floor, too. We had a bell at 00:19, but Kozone immediately hit a Ballgame clothesline and pinned Trevor Lee!
LaBron Kozone defeated Trevor Lee to retain the Deadlock Pro Title at an official time of 00:08.
* Everyone in the locker room started coming to the ring. Caprice Coleman joined them. They posed together for photos and hugged everyone as Rich Bocchini listed off a lot of names of people who deserve credit for their behind-the-scenes work. An awesome finish.
* A video package aired with wrestlers who had matches here such as Raychell Rose, Diego Hill, Kidd Bandit, Lucky Ali, Colby Corino, Mike Bailey, Jay Malachi (Je’Von Evans), Cedric Alexander, Emi Sakura, Dani Luna, Yuu, Miyu Yamashita, Nicole Matthews, Dominic Garrini, JD Drake, Anthony Henry, Alex Shelley, the Grizzled Young Veterans, Roderick Strong, Kenta, MXM, Chris Danger, Shawn Spears, Tyler Breeze, Hyan, and others I certainly missed. What a great video to close out their run.
Final Thoughts: What a show. I will give the Kozone-Jake Something match the best of the show, as the crowd was on their feet for the final few minutes. Tankman-Ku takes second. I thoroughly enjoyed Kross-Suruga, and I’ll give that third. So many good matches here to choose from, though. The street fight was wild, with many spots where I truly thought we could have had a serious injury. Everett’s leap off the balcony was insane. If there is a flaw with the final show, it’s that Veda Scott wasn’t there to be part of it.
I’m old enough to see WCW at its great 1996-97 peak, but by the time it died in 2001, people were begging for it to go under. Deadlock Pro is going out on top. It’s the Breaking Bad of wrestling promotions — it just rose to fame and notoriety, right before it suddenly ended. The first year was a bit uneven — several locals who have vanished from the scene, but somewhere in its second year, this promotion just took off. Better production. Bringing in the quality commentary trio. A great use of all the wrestlers who are on this show, and those who were in the music video.
Again… no one has shown me the audit books. But everyone loves this promotion. If it was profitable…. certainly someone would have taken it over, right? My point being… even the most successful indy promotions are doing it “for the love of the game,” and not because they are raking in money. Deadlock Pro, you will be missed.
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