With the unfortunate news of Deadlock Pro going on an indefinite hiatus, it feels like a good time to check out some free matches on their YouTube channel.

Fans and wrestlers alike have had nothing but great things to say about the 4 years of DPW, so it should be fun to check out some of the classics.

Match One: Hardcore Match – Colby Corino vs. KRULE (7/10/2022)

From the Showdown In The Carolinas event in Durham, NC. Colby Corino walks out with plastic golf clubs covered in tacks…and a drill. Krule is just legitimately frightening without weapons, who by the way chokeslams the crap out of the referee as soon as the bell rings.

Corino with a tornado DDT on the floor, but Krule just stands right up and takes the golf club shots with no effect. Corino breaks a pool cue over the back of Krule but again, no impact. Krule then destroys him with it and gets a fallaway slam into chairs on the floor. He then finds a door with half-cut soda cans taped to them as we head back into the ring. Colby with two chairshots to the head to take Krule down to a knee, but he shakes that off and tosses Corino through a separate door set up in the corner. Krule sets up a chair but Colby manages to DDT him on it to get a breather.

Corino heads up top only to be tossed off onto an open chair. Krule sets another door across two chairs, no sells another shot to the head, and charges but Corino moves and Krule goes into the door with the soda cans. He of course is not fazed by this and hits a Chokebreaker, and pours thumbtacks on the door propped up on the chairs. They go to the top turnbuckle and Colby uses the drill on Krule’s head (!) and then does a somersault type Stunner through the table and tacks to get the upset pin. Krule sits up shortly after the pin and chases Corino to the back. I enjoy the Krule character so this was entertaining for me.  **½

Match Two: Queen Aminata vs. Jada Stone (1/14/2023)

From DPW Live in Concord, NC. Jada Stone can’t get a suplex, so Queen Aminata tries a German but Jada lands on her feet. Rana from Stone gets two and she follows with a headscissor takedown. Standing moonsault gets only one. Meteora by Stone gets two. Dropkick lands for another two count. Springboard is halted by Aminata and she gets the release German suplex this time.

Queen gets a hard running low kick for two. More kicks to the back of Jada and a double-hand chop in the corner. Another facewash boot in the corner from Queen Aminata gets a two count. There’s certainly a lot of pinfall attempts in this one. Stone counters and lands a DDT, then heads up for a moonsault but only for two. Aminata gets a twisting neckbreaker and then an inverted powerbomb for the victory. Energetic match with Aminata’s strikes in particular getting good reactions.  **

Match Three: DPW Tag Team Championship – Violence Is Forever (c) vs. CDK (4/25/2023)

This is from the DPW x Gatoh Move show in Tokyo, Japan. No announcers for this one. Dominic Garrini starts with Masahiro Takanashi as we get a grappling exchange that ends up pretty even. Chris Brookes and Kevin Ku tag in and a kneelift sends Brookes rolling to the floor. Takanashi takes over but receives a backbreaker/kneedrop combo for two. Brookes is back to run interference as CDK doubleteams Ku on the floor. Inside a kneedrop from Brookes to Garrini gets two. Garrini powers up with a gutwrench suplex on Takanashi, then tags Ku for an airplane spin and slam for two.

VIF stays in control with chops and big boot from Ku. Brookes grabs the leg of Ku however and Takanashi makes the tag. Ku gets a dragonscrew on Brookes and tags in Garrini for some forearms and a German suplex with a bridge for two. Rear choke is applied and now all four men are in as the hold is broken. Takanashi gets an enzuigiri followed by an STF on both members of VIF, leading to a senton splash from Brookes.

Both teams duke it out in the ring which culminates in a big lariat from Garrini to Brookes. Top rope suplerplex from Brookes to Ku and a running dropkick in the corner on Garrini. Another senton splash gets two. VIF comes back with a high/low combo on Takanashi for two, then hit a spiked piledriver which Brookes breaks up the pin attempt on with a doublestomp. Ku and Brookes chop it up and VIF gets a running kick/suplex combo to take Brookes out. Takanashi gets a quick rollup for two but VIF gets Chasing The Dragon to win and retain. This was hard-hitting and very good.  ***½

Match Four: DPW Women’s World Championship – Emi Sakura (c) vs. Miyuki Takase (4/27/2023)

This takes place in part two of the DPW x Gatoh Move shows. No commentary for this match as well. Both women are bringing it early on with some stiff strikes. Emi Sakura gets a crossbody through the ropes and out to the floor. They brawl into the crowd with Miyuki Takase getting a jumping forearm, then doing a full running lap before getting a clothesline. Back inside, Sakura hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and applies a surfboard.

Sakura chops her down some more until her hands turn red. Takase counters and Irish whip with a springboard dropkick and lands a bunch of her own chops. DDT by the challenger, but Sakura comes back with an inverted cutter and a corner crossbody. Double-underhook backbreaker and then head up top where Takase hits a superplex. Takase with a Diamond Cutter and a lariat. Rolling senton and middle rope legdrop get two for the challenger. Twisting vertical suplex for another two.

It’s another chop fight in the middle of the ring as Takase is really laying them in. Sakura gets her own and a delayed double-underhook backbreaker. Top-rope moonsault gets two. They collide in the center where Sakura goes for a Magistral Cradle only to get reversed for a close two count. Sit-out DVD gets another two for Takase as she looks to finish. Big lariato only gets a one count as the champ fires up with a double-underhook powerbomb for two. Ice Driver finishes for the champ to retain. Really good, and watching for the first time I wasn’t sure who would win in the end. ****

Match Five: Jay Malachi vs. Ichiban (9/17/2023)

First round match in the 2023 Carolina Classic from Durham, NC. Jay Malachi is now in WWE NXT as Je’Von Evans. Fast paced beginning with a series of counters and reversals. Ichiban blocks a cutter with a backslide for two and they stand off. Ichiban gets punches in the corner and a flying overhand chop from the top rope for just one. Standing legdrop gets two. Malachi gets tossed over the top but slides back in and trips up Ichiban before a dive. On the floor Ichiban hops the rail so Malachi dives over the guardrail with a splash.

Back in, Ichiban gets a springboard kick and a somersault plancha. To the top, Malachi counters with a Spanish Fly for two. Jay gets a kind of twisting Olympic Slam for two. Ichiban comes back with a Destroyer and Michinoku Driver for two. They exchange kicks and Ichiban gets a Stunner and goes for a top-rope dive but jumps right into a Cutter, and then Malachi gets a springboard cutter for the win. Nonstop action here that I’m sure could have gone longer but clocked in at just under 8 minutes likely due to the tournament format.  ***

Final Thoughts: A good mix here in the first set of five matches available to watch for free on DPW’s YouTube channel. High-flying, hardcore, women’s and tag team matches in the bunch with the Women’s Title Match being my personal favorite. Overall a good use of about 60-90 minutes of time to watch free pro wrestling.