Featured image by CJ Downey
There may be better matches in the world, but few are as laser focused as this. Every single thing about this match feels purposeful, from the broader booking of it to all the minute details between the ropes. In the larger sense, this acts as a very intentional elevation of Adam Priest in the DPW hierarchy. He’s primarily been floating about the midcard of the company to this point, and as a heel, has only ever won with the consistent use of chairs. Here against one of DPW’s tentpoles, Priest doesn’t need a chair and relies entirely on his own ruthless nature.
And that brings us to the match itself which sees Priest develop two key points of attack. The first is Everett’s historically bum knee. He charges for it immediately before the bell even rings, and the moment he catches sight of how badly damaged Everett is from the attack, he ruthlessly zones in even further. There’s also a neck attack too, created from Priest’s bigger bombs like some heavy suplexes as well as a piledriver. Everett, for his part, plays the babyface caught of guard brilliantly. Having already suffered a beating at Calvin Tankman’s hands on the previous show, he’s already softened up for the relentless attack from Priest here. He’s so sympathetic as a babyface, and extremely likeable when he tries to mount those doomed comebacks, that it genuinely does sting when he has to take the loss to old Any Style here.
A great appetizer for more to come from these two.
Rating: ***3/4