DEADLOCK Pro Wrestling
Limit Break 2025
May 18, 2025
Durham Armory
Durham, NC
Watch: DPWOnDemand.com
Bojack def. Morgan Dash and Manny Lo
This was a great way to kick off DPW’s homecoming. Morgan Dash and Manny Lo have one main card DPW match between them, and they got a chance to prove themselves in a three way against the first DPW champion, Bojack. All three guys looked good in this one and got to play their own role. The size difference between Bojack and Dash jumped out immediately as the 350 pound Bojack faced off with the 5’ 2”, 125 pound Dash. While Manny falls somewhere in between the extremes of Bojack and Dash, he stood out as the only heel in the match with some good power spots. Dash’s smoothness of movement is far beyond what you would expect of someone with only 21 matches listed on Cagematch. While the new guys were impressive and got their spots, Bojack got to do what he does best: throw bombs. After throwing Morgan Dash into the crowd, Spike Dudley style, Bojack hit Lo with the Bojack Driver and picked up the win. ***½
Hyan def. Maya World
Coming off two unsuccessful title challenges, Hyan makes her return to the orange and black ring. Hyan was great in this match. She is starting to excel as a heel with some mean offense. Maya World also had some impressive moments here, but this was built around getting Hyan some heat back after her two losses so she didn’t get a lot of time. Hyan grabbed the win with a rope assisted pin. ***
DPW National Title Eliminator Qualifying Match
BK Westbrook def. Kevin Blackwood
I was interested in how this babyface vs babyface match was going to work, and they made the right decision by having Blackwood lean heel. I’m not sure Blackwood will ever be a world champion in DPW, but he would be an excellent gatekeeper heel to the main event scene. His offense looked great in this match, due in large part to how well Westbrook sold it. Westbrook showed some good fire in this match and did a very impressive outside-in moonsault. Westbrook got the win with a victory roll. Blackwood sold the finish well, trying to land a kick on Westbrook after a flash pin. I hope this is leading to a heel turn for Blackwood. ***¼
Relaxed Rules Match
Mad Dog Connelly def. Thomas Shire
For those unfamiliar with the stipulation, Relaxed Rules is essentially a No DQ match that also has rope breaks and a time limit. The referee can still throw the match out, but is encouraged to only step in if it’s necessary.
Mad Dog is so good. He feels dangerous in an era where everything is sanitized. A wild man character who feels authentic. This match clocked in at just eight minutes, but it was a great eight minutes. It got going immediately as Mad Dog threw a trainee through the curtain and started choking him with the dog collar and it didn’t slow down from there, bar the moment where Shire put Mad Dog’s exposed toes in a knuckle lock. After taking it back to the outside, Mad Dog gained the advantage with a chair and every other weapon he could find as he marched around the ring. Shire lost pretty definitively, but he had the spot of the match when he put Mad Dog through a trash can with a UFO. After Shire struggled with the collar, Mad Dog put on himself and then Shire for good measure. Once he got Shire over the top rope, Mad Dog choked him out for the win. ***½
DPW World Tag Team Title Match
Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson) (c) def. Miracle Generation (Dustin Waller & Kylon King)
After a shaky start to the year, DPW’s tag division is rebounding in a major way. GYV has an established match structure in DPW that works, which puts the onus on their opponents to make the match land. Miracle Generation were up to the task. GYV’s control segment did its job in the heart of the match, leading to a good solo moment for Waller after King took a tombstone on the outside. After King had recovered, Miracle Generation got some very good nearfalls before GYV got the win when Waller was fractions of a second too late to break up the pinfall. Miracle Generation may be next up in the DPW tag division. ***¾
DPW National Title Eliminator Qualifying Match
Cedric Alexander def. Andrew Everett
I’d be lying to you if I said I’ve been locked into Cedric’s performances since the glory days of 205 Live, but I was still eagerly anticipating Cedric’s DPW debut. The physicality and the moves were good in this one, but it struggled to hit the next gear for me with both guys being faces and not much of a story in the match to speak of. Despite the commentary’s best efforts to make a story out of all the damage Cedric was taking to the head and neck, it didn’t seem to affect him much. It was good but didn’t come close to being great. ***½
Tag Team Match
Colby Corino & LaBron Kozone vs. Adam Priest & Trevor Lee
It’s time for the return of my favorite character in DEADLOCK: Trevor Lee, the lamest hype man in history. He ran the whole hype man playbook here. I’m talking points, thumbs up, double fists up, waving his arms in the air, and starting chants for his partner. This match was worked in such a smart, simple way. The babyfaces had control early while Priest and Lee, two men who would rather be on the apron waiting for a tag than wrestling a fresh opponent, tried to find a shortcut. Once they had isolated Colby Corino they couldn’t wait to get into the ring. Corino is always a good underdog babyface and Kozone’s power offense makes him a strong hot tag. Kozone is guaranteed to have a ridiculous feat of strength every time you see him, and this match was no exception as he did a leaping senton to Lee with Priest on his back. The latter portion of this match was good, bar a contrived grab your partner’s hand so he doesn’t tap spot. Trevor Lee pins Corino after the Cave In with less than a minute to spare. After the match, Lee and Priest resumed their beatdown of Kozone and Corino, only to be stopped by a returning Jake Something. ***½
Final Thoughts
DPW’s homecoming had a lot of good, but nothing crossed over into great. The lack of singles title matches was felt, but Limit Break 2025 was well worth your time, and it painted an exciting picture of the summer in the orange and black ring.
