DEADLOCK
Two friends provide chaotic, comedic commentary on pro wrestling's past, from iconic moments to the most bizarre B-shows.
A 'show-within-a-show' format where two hosts watch and react to full episodes of vintage pro-wrestling television. They supplement the viewing with news and gossip from that specific time period, often sourced from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The tone is irreverent and heavily reliant on inside jokes, exaggerated reactions, and a deep catalog of wrestler impersonations.
“What stands out is the combination of watching full, unedited episodes (including commercials) and using contemporary news sources like the Observer for historical context. Their direct experience as promoters for their own independent federation, DPW, lends a unique, practical perspective to their commentary on the wrestling business.”
Who hosts this show
DEADLOCK is a pro-wrestling entertainment brand founded in 2019 by James Darnell and John Blud, who are described as long-time creators in the wrestling space. The brand's flagship is the DEADLOCK Podcast, which features the hosts conducting off-the-rails retrospective reviews of wrestling's highest and lowest points. The duo also founded and ran their own independent promotion, DEADLOCK Pro-Wrestling (DPW), from 2021 to 2025, holding events across the US and in Japan.
Credentials & credits
- Podcast Hosts
- Co-Founders of DEADLOCK Pro-Wrestling (DPW).
- Long-time content creators in the online wrestling space.
Other ventures
- DEADLOCK Pro-Wrestling (DPW) (2021-2025).
- DPW on DEMAND (streaming service).
- DEADLOCK Webstore (merchandise).
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01Big Show Was A BEAST In ECW 🔥Jun 27, 2026 · 24s
- 02Matt Hardy Shouts Ring Of Honor On WWE RAW 😲Jun 25, 2026 · 40s
- 03A Vampire Shows Up At ECW? 🧛Jun 24, 2026 · 55s
- 04Scott Steiner HATES Ducks 🤣Jun 23, 2026 · 41s
- 05John Cena Faces Kevin Federline On WWE RAW - DEADLOCK Podcast Retro ReviewJun 20, 2026 · 1h 31m
- 06Macho Man Gets Bitten By Jake Robert's Snake - DEADLOCK Podcast Retro ReviewJun 13, 2026 · 1h 29m
Notable episodes
- 01Macho Man Gets Bitten By Jake Robert's Snake - DEADLOCK Podcast Retro Review
A deep dive into one of the most infamous and shocking angles in WWF history, showcasing the hosts' blend of humor, historical detail, and contextual analysis from the era.
- 02John Cena Faces Kevin Federline On WWE RAW - DEADLOCK Podcast Retro Review
A prime example of the show's focus on the bizarre 'lowlight' moments of wrestling, reviewing a widely-panned celebrity match from 2007 with comedic disbelief.
- 03Matt Hardy Invades, Attacks Edge & Shouts Out Ring Of Honor
This episode covers a pivotal 'worked shoot' moment from 2005, blending real-life drama with on-screen storytelling, a perfect subject for the hosts' analytical style.
What you'll be asked on this show
The podcast is a dual-host, unscripted commentary track laid over archival wrestling footage. Hosts James Darnell and John Blud frequently break into energetic impersonations of wrestlers and personalities like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and Vince McMahon. The format mixes play-by-play reaction with historical analysis and a large volume of recurring inside jokes.
Signature segments
- · Impersonations of wrestlers and personalities
- · Reading from vintage Wrestling Observer Newsletters
- · The 'DEADLOCK Draft'
- · Patreon Q&A and shout-outs.
- · Reviewing commercials from original broadcasts
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show does not feature live interview guests; the 'guests' are the wrestlers and personalities from the archival footage being reviewed, such as John Cena, Kevin Federline, Randy Savage, and Jake Roberts.
- Kevin Federlineon John Cena Faces Kevin Federline On WWE RAW - DEADLOCK Podcast Retro Review
- John Cenaon John Cena Faces Kevin Federline On WWE RAW - DEADLOCK Podcast Retro Review
- Randy Savageon Macho Man Gets Bitten By Jake Robert's Snake - DEADLOCK Podcast Retro Review
- Jake "The Snake" Robertson Macho Man Gets Bitten By Jake Robert's Snake - DEADLOCK Podcast Retro Review
- Big Showon Big Show Was A BEAST In ECW 🔥
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast is primarily funded through direct-to-fan support, including a highly-ranked Patreon with thousands of members and sales from their own merchandise webstore. This model suggests a loyal and highly engaged audience.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch this show
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts of DEADLOCK?
- The podcast is hosted by James Darnell and John Blud, who are also the co-founders of the DEADLOCK brand.
- What is the podcast's format?
- The main episodes are retro reviews where the hosts provide comedic commentary while watching entire old pro-wrestling shows. They also release short daily clips.
- Is the podcast still active?
- Yes, DEADLOCK releases long-form review episodes weekly and short clips almost daily on their YouTube channel.
- What was DEADLOCK Pro-Wrestling (DPW)?
- DPW was an independent professional wrestling promotion founded and operated by the podcast hosts from late 2021 until it ceased active operations in 2025.
- Where can I listen to the DEADLOCK podcast?
- Full episodes are available on their official website, major podcast platforms, and their YouTube channel. Exclusive content is also available on their Patreon.
- Are James Darnell and John Blud their real names?
- These are the public and professional names they use for all their ventures. John Blud is also known as 'Jawnny' from the YouTube channel newLEGACYinc.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]DEADLOCK Official Websitedeadlockpw.com
- [02]DEADLOCK YouTube Channelyoutube.com
- [03]DEADLOCK Patreonpatreon.com
- [04]DEADLOCK Pro-Wrestling (DPW) Wikipedia Pageen.wikipedia.org
- [05]DPW On Demanddpwondemand.com
- [06]DEADLOCK Official Webstoreshop.deadlockpw.com
- [07]DEADLOCK (Podcast) - TV Tropestvtropes.org
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