DPW Tag Festival 2023 took place on June 18th, 2023 from the Durham Armory in Durham, NC. Winners of four first round matches will advance to a 4-way elimination match to determine the DPW Tag Team Champions. Current champions Violence Is Forever will defend their titles in the opening contest as well. The full show can be found on the DPW YouTube channel.

The announcers are Rich Bocchini, Caprice Coleman and Veda Scott.

Opening Contest: DPW Tag Festival First Round Match/DPW World Tag Team Championship – Violence Is Forever (c) vs. Miracle Generation

Garrini and Waller begin with a handshake and tieup. Waller has the early upper hand so Ku tags in to try and turn the tide, only to get spinebustered down. MG hit a series of sentons on VIF and Waller gets a running shooting star press for two. He slaps Ku and gets dragonscrew legwhipped as a result and VIF hit a backbreaker/kneedrop combo for two. Waller battles out of the corner and makes the tag to King who gets a German suplex on Ku followed by a missile dropkick. A wildly impressive double German to both members of VIF by King and a sitout powerbomb out of the corner. Waller tries a pescado to the floor on Garrini but gets tossed into the post. Ku his a huge lariat on Waller inside for two and then puts on an anklelock. King pushes Ku to the floor so Garrini comes it and tears his head off with a lariat. Ku charges into a suplex from King for two as both guys are out. Waller tags in for some superekicks and a doubleknee strike. Lethal Injection and German suplex gets a close two. MG both go up top, with Waller getting pushed off and King missing a moonsault. Garrini with a backfist and powerbomb, then transitions to a single-leg crab. Waller superkicks him to break the hold and tags in. Another Lethal Injection attempt is caught this time and Ku gets a doublestomp and running kneestrike for two. MG avoids Chasing The Drago and hit a moonsault/450 splash combo on Garrini for another close two. Garrini gets a Musclebuster on King, while Ku hits a brainbuster on the turnbuckle on King. Chasing The Dragon connects this time for VIF to win and retain. I don’t know how anyone will top this match, but I’m sure interested to see the rest of the card try. ****½

The WorkHorsemen attack after the match which leads to:

Match Two: DPW Tag Festival First Round Match – The WorkHorseman vs. Jackson Drake and Jay Malachi

Malachi and Jackson Drake charge out from the back to start this one with the WH as all four guys battle on the floor. The bell rings as the brawl continues inside with Malachi and Jackson hitting a double dropkick. Double suplex on Henry gets two as Malachi dives over the ringpost out to the floor onto JD. Rolling DVD and a frog splash on Henry gets two. Springboard cutter is avoided by Henry and he comes back with a shotgun dropkick and doublestomp on Malachi. JD tries a Vader Bomb but misses so Jay hits a Code Red for two and tags Jackson. Tornado DDT and a moonsault press on JD gets two. Malachi tags in but falls victim to a WH doubleteam. Henry penalty kicks Malachi on the back, the hits some straight kicks to the chest. Jay avoids a suplex and tags Jackson who hits a springboard dropkick on Henry. Angel’s Wings gets two for Jackson. Henry counters a suplex and tags JD, so Jackson tags Malachi. We get a chop-off next with JD getting the better of it. Malachi avoids a powerbomb and tries a cutter but is blocked. Another attempt finally connects but Henry pulls out the ref at a two count. Jackson takes him out and then tags in, heading up top. Outside Henry powerbombs Malachi into the barricade and charges with a leg lariat, sending Jay over the gate. Jackson misses a 630 on JD then walks into a spinebuster. Widowmaker lands for the WorkHorsemen to get the win. Other than the chop-off spot this was another nonstop affair. ****

Match Three: DPW Tag Festival First Round Match – Above The Rest vs. MSP

Above The Rest is Gabriel Skye and Tristen Thai (aka Ikuro Kwon for any MLW fans out there). MSP is Aiden Aggro and The DangerKid. Aggro starts with Skye. Skye charges and boots DangerKid and Thai comes in quickly for a superkick and monkeyflip. DangerKid runs in with a senton and Aggro covers for two. Aggro seems to have hurt his ankle so Above The Rest attack it aggressively. Doublestomp onto the leg gets just a one count. Skye DDTs the ankle Thai suplexes him onto Aggro for a two count. Single-leg crab is applied next, but DangerKid breaks that up quickly. Skye continues to work the ankle and they fight over a suplex where Aggro gets a small package for two, and then does get the suplex despite the ankle. Thai tags in and Aggro eventually makes the tag on his end as DangerKid runs wild. Side suplex on Thai gets two. Assisted Backstabber gets another two. Aggro tries a kick but Thai catches it and goes back to the ankle. He’s able to break loose but MSP can’t suplex Thai and Above The Rest hit a combo German suplex on DangerKid. Monkeyflip into a kneestrike on Aggro gets the win to send Above The Rest to the finals. ***

Match Four: DPW Tag Festival First Round Match – BestBros vs. International Giants

BestBros are Baliyan Akki and Mei Suruga. International Giants are Andrew Everett and Miyuki Takase. The ladies start things off as they exchange armdrags and stand off. Everett and Akki tag in with Baliyan getting a crossbody. Everett dumps him out to the floor and send him into the guardrail as Takase does the same to Suruga. Takase takes a lap around the ring to deliver a clothesline. All four wind up on the stage with the Giants maintaining the advantage. BestBros use some parkour to land stereo kicks and we head back to the ring. Takase lays in the chops and hits a flying forearm strike followed by a powerslam for two. Suruga cartwheels out of the way getting a crossbody and a doublestomp, then tags Akki. Deadlift backbreaker on Takase twice gets a two count. Takase ducks a clothesline, hits a DDT and tags out to Everett. Belly to belly suplex to Akki and an Asai moonsault to the floor. Springboard dropkick connects for a two count. Enzuigiri, but Suruga interferes to take Andrew down allowing Akki to hit a senton for two. BestBros look to chokeslam Everett but can’t get it as The Giants takes them both out. Shooting Star Press misses but a spinning heel kick does not. Takase tags in with a missile dropkick of her own for Akki. The Giants double chokeslam Akki and Takase lariats him down for two. Akki dropkicks Everett to the floor and gives Takase a backbreaker. Akki looks for a coast to coast but Everett pulls him outside. Takase and Suruga go through a pinfall sequence with a series of two counts. Assisted chokeslam by Suruga to Takase and then Everett. She covers both at the same time for two counts. Dolphin Press is delivered to Takase for the win. Another good match in a series of them tonight. ***½

Match Five: Emi Sakura & Mizuki vs. Miyu Yamashita & Vertvixen

Sakura is the DPW Women’s Champion at this point in time. Yamashita and Mizuki begin with a tieup. After some fast-paced reversals Sakura tags in, and then Miyu bows out to Vertvixen. Sakura with the backscratch so Yamashita comes in only to get hit with a drop toehold allowing Sakura and Mizuki to do their tea pose. Vertvixen comes back with a Flatliner and tags out to Miyu. A series of kicks to the champion connect but Sakura aviods the last one and crossbodies Miyu out to the floor. All four ladies do some brawling out there and somehow Vertvixen gets pushed back through the curtain. Sakura throws Miyu into the guardrails as they head back inside. Mizuki comes in with a flying crossbody for two. Crossface applied which Miyu works out of, then clotheslines Mizuki down. Wheelbarrow suplex and a springboard kick land and the tag is made to Vertvixen. She gets both Sakura and Mizuki on her shoulders but they shake loose, only for Vertvixen to double spear them. Mizuki comes back with a Whirling Candy on Miyu and Sakura gets a La Majestral cradle on Vertvixen to steal the pin. ***

Match Six: DPW World Championship – Lucky Ali (c) vs. Speedball Mike Bailey

Colby Corino is the special enforcer for the match. Ali tries for a cheap shot kick which Bailey catches and armdrags him down. Speedball with the rapid fire kicks and big boot sending Ali to the floor. Springboard moonsault out there as Bailey sends the champion back in. Helluva kick in the corner and a double kneedrop gets two. Lucky uses Corino as a diversion to send Bailey into the guardrail. A chop hits the ringpost so Speedball fires of some more kicks. Ali dodges the last of those as Bailey’s leg hits the guardrail. Back inside the champion works on the injured left leg. Ali drops a knee for two and puts on a chinlock. Bailey busts out with a superkick and missile dropkick. Standing shooting star press gets two for Speedball. Ali catches a kick and bites the foot then gets a Northern Lights suplex and doublestomp to even the odds. They duke it out with Ali stomping the bare foot of Bailey. Speedball goes Karate Kid on the champ with a bicycle kick and moonsault double kneedrop for two. Ultimo Weapon misses and Ali hits the Grime line twice but only gets two. Pele kick, then Ali drops Speedball on the top turnbuckle. He tries for the Junkie Driver but Bailey counters it into a poison rana. They go up top in the corner and Speedball enzuigiris him to the floor. BK Westbrook looks for a belt shot, but Corino stops him and Bailey backdrops BK onto Ali, then follows with a springboard corkscrew moonsault onto both. The ref tosses Westbrook from ringside as Speedball back bodydrops Ali on the apron, then gets the moonsault double kneestrike on the floor. Ultimo Weapon is avoided inside, and Ali knees Bailey in the back sending him into the referee. Ali grabs the title belt but Corino takes it away and Bailey hits a series of kicks. Ultimo Weapon connects this time but the ref is out! Corino grabs the referee shirt and counts the three to give Bailey the title! Oh wait, another referee comes out to state that Corino cannot count the pin so we’ve got a Dusty Finish. The match restarts and Ali gets a low blow and Grime Line. Junkie Driver is drilled and Ali keeps the title. They had me on the false finish. ****

Main Event: DPW Tag Festival Finals/DPW World Tag Team Championship – Violence is Forever (c) vs. The WorkHorsemen vs. Above The Rest vs. BestBros

This is an elimination match with no disqualification. Oh wait, JD Drake got that changed and now if VIF gets DQ’d they lose the titles. He looks to start with Ku but tags out to Thai before any contact is made. They work to a stalemate so Skye and Akki tag in. BestBros and Above The Rest faceoff and play to the crowd a bit. We get a couple of comedy spots with BestBros getting the better of things. Skye continues to be on the receiving end for a bit. Double axhandle to the chest gets two. Akki can’t get a fisherman’s buster and Ku tags himself in to continue the beating on Skye. Finally Skye hits an enzuigiri and tags Thai. Suruga comes in with an armdrag to Thai while Akki hits a coast to coast in the corner. BestBros antagonize VIF into the ring and stomp them to the outside. The WorkHorsemen come in and get double chokeslammed by Suruga. She does the same to Above The Rest. Dolphin Press to Thai eliminates ATR.

The WorkHorsemen corner Suruga and eventually hit her with a backbreaker/kick combo to quickly eliminate BestBros.

We’re down to VIF and the WorkHoresmen. Hockey fight and VIF goes on the offensive with Ku hitting a low dropkick to the floor. Stereo running boots out there by VIF. Henry scoots back inside with Drake taking out Ku and the WH isolate Garrini, working on his arm. Penalty Kick to the chest from Henry and he does some joint manipulation. Garrini fights back with a clothesline and tags Ku. Butterfly suplex to Henry gets two. Drake comes in as Ku tries to fight them both off. Drake chops away at Garrini and hits a cross armbreaker, holding onto the arm for a submission attempt. Ku pushes Henry into the hold to break it up. The WH hit corner attacks on Garrini and Henry gets a top rope doubestomp, followed by a Drake moonsault for two. Garrini ducks a clothesline and Ku reeappears for a spike piledriver on Henry for two. Chasing The Dragon is delivered but Drake manages to break up the pin. Henry and Garrini trade kicks and Drake hits Garrini with a cookie sheet from the floor while Henry locks in another submission on Garrini and the ref calls for the bell to end it giving The WorkHorsemen the titles and the Tag Festival trophy. This one really picked up once it got down to WH vs. VIF. ***½

Final Thoughts: I think it would be difficult to find a better top-to-bottom indie show available to watch for free out there. If you enjoy tag team wrestling, there’s just so many good matches to see here. The opener is probably my favorite, but throw in some really good WorkHorsemen matches and an excellent World Title bout and you’ve got a winner of a card.