What's new, worshippers of worked wallops?!
Back to the DPW library this week, trying to take the final bites out of the remaining few shows I have left. I''m not looking forward to finishing DPW, let me tell you that.
As always, their cards are exciting and filled with great matches, but which match made the cut this week?
Well, dear reader, read on and find out!
 |
| DPW |
Weekly Roundup
Here's what I watched for the week;
Here’s what we’re reviewing for the Watchlist;
• • • • •
Adam Priest vs. Calvin Tankman - David Defends Against Goliath
 |
| DPW |
Basic Breakdown
 |
| The defending Champion, Priest. DPW |
The decision was made for a new Champion to be crowned at DPW's April event, "Title Fight in Vegas," with a 12 Man Ultimate Conflict match main eventing the show. A battle royal that turned into a standard singles match when there were only two men left, it came down to Adam Priest and the former DPW Worlds Champion, Calvin Tankman. Priest thought he had the match well in hand when he dumped Tankman over the top at the very end, only to be reminded the final elimination must be by pinfall or submission. Priest was able to force Tankman to submit, with the help of Trevor Lee and a steel chair, becoming the 6th DPW Worlds Champion in the process.
Moving up the ranks since winning the National Championship, this felt like a well deserved crowning for Priest, even if he's a despicable asshole that will use every and any underhanded tactic to get the win. Despite that, Priest defended his title in back-to-back DPW shows, Spirit Rising nights 1 and 2, while the company was in Japan later that month. Now, nearly two months later, Priest comes face to face with Tankman once again, this time in defence of his newly won DPW Worlds Championship.
Will Priest be equal to the task when they are forced to face one-on-one, or will he crumple beneath the monstrous pressure of the former champion?
Bell to Bell
The bell rings, and both men are slow to start. Despite Tankman having a significant height and weight advantage, being billed at nearly twice the weight of Priest, he isn't too eager to dart in and start clobbering Priest. He knows the champion is as crafty and scrappy as they come, and backing him into a corner while he's fresh is a sure fire way to get a limb chewed off. He needs to be crafty and smart, despite having every physical advantage in the world.
He offers to meet Priest in the middle of the ring, gesturing to the DPW logo at centre. Priest is hesitant, but moves to the middle, snatching a side headlock, only to get shot off into the ropes with barely a moments hesitation from Tankman. Firing off the ropes, he collides with the man named "heavyweight hustle" and nearly falls flat on his ass from the impact, with Tankman not so much as quivering in his boots. Slowly turning, Priest locks eyes with a still vertical, completely unfazed Tankman, taking this as a sign to fall flat to his back and roll to the floor, needing some time to collect his thoughts.
Something to think twice about. DPW
Confident despite the apparent setback, Priest hits a coupe quick pushups on the floor, stretches a wee bit, and paces the floor, looking for the right opening to return. When he does, he rolls from one side to it's neighbour, returning to the floor. Refusing to give in to Priest's attempt at goading Tankman to the floor, Calvin remains in the ring, beckoning for Priest to rejoin him, which Priest reluctantly does after some time to consider his options. Another side headlock is snatched after ducking the grasp of Tankman, with Priest holding fast and deepening the squeeze when he tries to shoot him into the ropes. Despite literally standing on his toes, Priest is able to squeeze the head of Tankman and apply pressure that would disorient even the toughest and most resolute athletes.
Another attempt to get Priest off and into the ropes is thwarted as Priest digs deep into the canvas, using the lower position to trip up one of Tankman/s redwood sized limbs and bring him down to a knee, a much more favourable angle of attack. Small problem, though, this also gives Tankman a lower centre of gravity, allowing him to snake his arms around the torso of Priest and get him off his feet. Priest tries to roll Tankman over and through the headlock into a takeover, but Tankman muscles Priest over his head, with Priest able to land on his feet on the other side.
Sensing the gnat-like champion was close, Tankman fires off his signature back elbow strike, nearly cleaving Priest's head from his shoulders. He ducks the shot and snatches the side headlock once again, bringing Tankman back to a knee to bring him off balance. Walking to wards the corner, Tankman has little choice but to follow, with Priest climbing the corner pads like a set of steps, kicking off the top to take Tankman over to the canvas. Tankman is able to shift around and nearly pin Priest after landing, then forcing Priest back to his feet and into the ropes once again.
Size be damned, physics tends to win every time. DPW
Against the ropes, Priest breaks the hold but wrings the arm to keep Tankman in place a moment longer, firing off with a chop that really only seems to annoy his challenger. Literally brushing off the chop, Tankman stands stoic, waiting for more. Priest goes low with a kick, doubling over Tahnkamn with the shot to the gut. Rebounding off the ropes, Priest tries a tackle but again, Tankman doesn't budge. Another low kick is fired off, with Tankman catching the boot, only for Priest to snipe him in the back of the skull with the other boot, staggering Tanmna for the first time in this matchup.
Taking off for the ropes, Priest tries to build momentum before charging into Tankman, only for Tankman to hit the ropes himself and catch Priest with a pounce off the rebound. Out on the floor to catch his breath, Tankman follows Priest and meets him against the rail, crashing into his with heavy handed chops. Priest tries to... escape into the crowd? He starts to climb over the rail and into the front row, but Tankman is hot on his heels, pulling him back within the confines of the barricades. Hooking his arms over the rail, the DPW faithful help Heavyweight Hustle keep Priest in place, grabbing him by the wrists to keep his chest open wide for Tankman to chop his chest once again.
Tossing him into another section of the rail, more DPW fans hold Priest open for a chop, with the champion wearing the face of "why did I sign up for this?" A backdrop plants Priest on the apron, with the champion rolling back inside, desperate to get away from Tankman. Lying in wait, Priest eyes Tankman climbing back inside the ring and charges the moment he passes a leg within the threshold of the ropes, dropkicking the knee of his foe.
The precision of a laser beam. DPW
Wasting no time, Priest begins to work on the limb of Taknman, wrapping it tight and dropping boots across it. Knowing he'll only be able to win the match by keeping Tankman off his feet, Priest does everything he can to keep his opposition horizontal. Bending, twisting, and driving the knee into the canvas, Priest finally shows a bit of confidence when he knows he's created a gaping would on Tankman, ready to open it as wide as possible as quickly as possible. He even goes for a chop to the chest of Tankman, a move that would have only pissed his challenger off before proves to be more effective when he's half as tall and working with a bad wheel.
Priest is truly effective when he has an opening on his opponent, knowing exactly how to exploit a weakness and tear into a limb like nobody else. From slow, methodical care early in the match to wild, vicious precision once he smells blood, Priest is exceptional at seizing on a wound and wearing it down to the marrow. Once he smells blood, there's little you can do to keep him away.
A pin is attempted, but he doesn't even score one, with Tankman effortlessly pressing Priest off his chest, like a father shoving his son off his chest when he tires of being tickled. Priest allows Tankman to start rising to a vertical position, but quickly works on chopping him down again, kicking the bad limb and pressing Tankman down for another pin, but he gets pressed off again, this time flying through the ropes to the floor!
 |
| Later, champ! DPW |
Wasting no time on the floor, knowing his window of advantage stays open only as long as Tankman stays down, Priest charges back inside the ring and sits across the back, clawing at the face of Calvin as the ref begins his count, breaking before he reaches five. Seizing on Tankman again, Priest gets caught with chops that stagger him back, with Tankman using the ropes to support himself as he tries to climb vertical. Fighting through the pain, Tankman gets to his feet and slaps feeling back into his knee, gutting out a clubbing blow from the champion. Priest chops Calvin in the chest, with Tankman bellowing for more; despite the punishment, he's not quite done yet.
⚡Move of the Match⚡
Meeting Priest in the middle, he blocks a chop and unloads with a flurry of offence. Body shots that stagger Priest, a forearm and back elbow that nearly take him off his feet, a backbreaker that drives the air from his lungs and a lariat that cleaves Priest in two all follow each other in rapid succession, with Tankman's bad wheel damaged too much for him to follow up with a pinfall fast enough.
 |
| Heavyweight speed. DPW |
He does get to a cover, but it's only good enough for two, with Tankman on his feet first through gritted grills. He staggers to Priest, on his feet for but a moment before falling to his knees before Tankman, trying to plead with his much larger opposition. Tankman doesn't give him anything at all, pulling him up for a vertical suplex, only for Priest to claw at the face of Tankman as he slips behind.
With both men vertical, Tankman absorbs a flurry of chops and backs Priest to the ropes, charging for the opposite side to try and crush the champion on the rebound. Unfortunately, Priest decided that this was the perfect opportunity to take Tankman off his feet, charging out and crashing into his knee with a massive chop block, sending Tankman flipping and crashing to the canvas. You can argue day and night as to whether this is dirty or not, but it's just about the most effective way to take out someone who's literally double your size. Grabbing the leg, Priest looks to try and tie him up, but one boot from Tankman sends Priest flying out of the ring and to the floor.
Priest climbs to the apron, with Tankman limping over to hook him for a suplex back inside the ring. He tries, but Priest digs in and hooks the ropes, clubbing his way out of the grip before falling down to the apron, crawling for the corner post. Muscling himself up the corner, Tankman is able to superplex Priest from the apron back inside the ring.
 |
| Get crushed, son/ DPW |
Slowly, Tankman rolls for the cover, but Priest survives, rolling to the apron and using the ropes to pull himself up. Tankman limps to his feet, charging over to Priest on the apron, trying to shoulder block him off the apron. Priest tags him with a boot before backing up for a charge, with Tankman lying in wait like a gator with its maw open wide. Snatching the moment Priest is near, Tankman rolls for his signature middle rope powerslam, but Priest is hip to his tricks, stopping a half step before disaster, leaving Tankman to roll all on his own. Stunned, Priest seizes on Tankman, drilling him into the apron with a vicious DDT.
Rolling inside the ring, Priest is more than content to take a countout win, being able to retain if that ends up happening. Tankman struggles on the floor, writhing around and using the apron to pull himself up to his feet. Back on the apron near the corner, Priest charges across the ring and catches Tankman with a tornado DDT, spiking him into the apron again and down to the floor. Picking up the dead weight of Tankman, he rolls him back inside and ascends to the top rope, sitting like a vulture, waiting for his prey to move near. Taking off once Tankman is vertical, another tornado DDT spikes Tankman into the dead centre of the canvas, with Priest going for the cover, scoring a close two count.
Pulling Tankman up, Priest looks to try a piledriver, but he's just too big to be able to get him up, but dammit he's gonna try regardless. Tankman backdrops Priest off, but the repositioning ends up costing Tankman big time. Charging in from across the ring, Priest barrels into Tankman and sends him crashing into the corner shoulder first, with Priest seizing on the wounded leg with a single leg crab. Tankman fights, crawling for the ropes, with Priest digging in deep, even as Tankman grabs the ropes to break the submission.
"Trevor! Trevor!" shouts Priest, back on his feet and marching around the ring, stalking his challenger. From the back comes Trevor Lee, with the referee distracted by the group of babyfaces that ushered him out of the backstage area, not wanting to deal with him any longer. Seizing on the opening, Lee, the tentative ally of Priest and enemy of Tankman, snatches the DPW Worlds Championship and climbs inside the ring to clobber Tankman with it, but Tankman figures him out and crushes Lee with a forearm shot, dropping him out to the floor once again.
With Priest and Tankman alone again, a pop-up back elbow looks to have Priest on dream street, and a vicious powerbomb folding the champion in half for a deep, deep cover, but Priest survives. Fighting to his feet, Priest shoves Tankman to the ropes and chop blocks him on the rebound, felling the redwood before snatching the bad wheel in a single leg crab again forcing Tankman to submit.
Crashing down, hurting inside. DPW
Overview & Final Rating
🟢 - Highly recommended
A far more competitive match than you'd expect, looking at these two men stood side by side, Priest was able to wear down Tankman in a more than convincing fashion and bring him to a level that he can be dealt with. To Tankman's credit, he fought hard and had Priest's number on a few occasions, but the champion was more than dominant in this match, proving that no matter how big you are, all can fall victim to the champ. Roll tide.
• • • • •
Man, I've been packing on the wrestling pounds this month, eh? Almost 75 matches watched and we are barely half way through January. 2026 is shaping up to be a crazy year for the Wrestling Vault and I can't tell you how excited that makes me.
But, until next time, be well, stay safe, and love one another.
cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment