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“100 Matches Later”: Drake Gallows Reflects on Milestone, Motivation, and What Comes Next

“100 Matches Later”: Drake Gallows Reflects on Milestone, Motivation, and What Comes Next

Posted: Aug 6th 2025 By: Lyndsay Steele

It’s a sweltering Tuesday afternoon inside the DG Dojo, but the man sitting across from me barely breaks a sweat. Drake Gallows — founder of Unified Wrestling Oklahoma, head coach of the DG Dojo, and the heart of indie wrestling in this state — is calm, clear-eyed, and just days away from completing something that once seemed unthinkable.

“On August 10th,” he says with a small, tired smile, “I wrestle Owen! for the Dojo Division Title. And that'll be match number 100 since January.”

Yes, one hundred one-on-one matches in just over seven months. Most of them held within these very walls — and, crucially, all of them filmed and posted online for the world to see. For Gallows, this wasn’t just a private challenge. It became a public promise.

LS: Let’s start with the obvious: Why? Why take this on, on top of everything else you do?

DG: I got asked that back in January and I still don’t have a sexy answer. Honestly, it started as a personal challenge.I thought it’d keep me sharp. I didn’t expect it to become something this big. The Dojo’s students range from day-one beginners to seasoned locals trying to fine-tune their timing. Drake’s sessions are long, technical, and brutally honest. The matches, posted on UWO’s platforms, have quietly built a cult following — not for their polish, but for their purity. No gimmicks. No grand entrances. Just wrestling.

LS: You’re not exactly taking it easy the rest of the time, either. You’re running the shows, booking talent, running your own life. Did you ever hit a wall?

DG: Oh yeah. February was rough. March was worse. I had a stretch where I could barely lift my arm. I recently discovered I had broken my collar bone and I was still rolling. I had to change my routine. Started stretching at heoufhout the day just to get moving. That’s been humbling.

Gallows lights up when talking about his students. He name-drops them constantly, not as protégés green horns or rookies, but as equals — peers he's learning from just as much as they’re learning from him.

LS: You made the decision to post every match online. Why go public with something so personal?

DG: Easy, we film everything! I figured, if I’m asking these kids to put themselves out there, I should too. We keep it raw, uncut — no commentary, no edits. Just bell to bell. People can watch us grow. They can see the real work, not just the highlight reel.

LS: What’s the mental side been like? Competing this hard, this often, with no break in sight?

DG: It gets quiet in your head. I’ve had days where I didn’t want to talk to anybody, but I knew I had to walk in and be present. That’s the job. That’s the privilege. I started noticing that when I wrestled, I could shake off everything else for about 8 minutes a day. And for me, that was enough.

As the 100th match nears — against Owen!, one of his sharpest students and most explosive competitors — there’s a sense of quiet finality in the air. But Gallows doesn’t seem interested in a victory lap.

LS: You ever worry about burnout? About pushing too hard?

DG: I worry more about coasting. I love this. I love teaching. I love wrestling. I love Oklahoma. If my back goes out tomorrow, I’ll still be here with a whistle and a clipboard yelling about footwork. Until then — I’m gonna keep going.

LS: So what happens after August 10th?

DG: I take a nap. And then I ask what the next challenge is. There’s no off season in wrestling so we just figure out what our next big goal is and shoot for it.

One hundred matches. All on tape. All in the open. No banners. No confetti. Just another day at the DG Dojo.

 

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Spotlight in History

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  • 2021 Brawler Morrison def. Blade [2nd] for the UWO Heavyweight Title

Week of Sun 06-07 to Sat: 06-13

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  • 06-07 2014 Steven Sterling def. Sam Stackhouse for the ComPro Showtime Title
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  • 06-08 2013 L. J. McDaniels became the SWCW Hardcore Champion
  • 06-08 2013 Hurricane Ross def. Billy Ray for the NAW Heavyweight Title
  • 06-08 2019 Michael Duplanti def. Anarchy [2nd] for the NAW Lightweight Title
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  • 06-09 1980 The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts) def. Junkyard Dog & Buck Robley for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Titles
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  • 06-11 2009 Sage became the SWCW Art of War Champion
  • 06-11 2011 Jake O'Brien def. Robbie Awesome for the MERC Patriot Title
  • 06-11 2011 The Ring Intruders (Jon Cross & Fuel) became the SRPW Tag Team Champions
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  • 06-11 2011 Tim Storm def. Michael Faith for the NWA-OK Oklahoma Heavyweight Title
  • 06-11 2022 Pastor Brent & Andrew Fenix def. The Rejecs LM (Elijah Sparks & Dr. Corvus) for the WAH Tag Team Titles
  • 06-11 2022 Connor Smith def. Romeo Reese for the WAH Spotlight Title
  • 06-11 2022 Umbra def. Koko for the WAH Living Hope Title
  • 06-11 2022 Dan Webber def. Paul Puertorico for the WAH Heavyweight Title
  • 06-12 1982 The Spoiler def. Frank Dusek for the WCCW Television Title
  • 06-12 2009 El Latino became the NWA-OK Oklahoma Light Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-12 2021 Brawler Morrison def. Blade [2nd] for the UWO Heavyweight Title
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  • 06-13 1998 The Bad Boys (Splash Jackson & Bull Schmitt) def. The Texas Outlaws (Dan Wilder & Bernard Funk) for the OPW Oklahoma Tag Team Titles
  • 06-13 2008 Brent Albright def. Slam Shady for the NWA-OK Oklahoma Heavyweight Title
  • 06-13 2008 High Society (Al Farat & Thomas Trump) became the NWA-OK Oklahoma Tag Team Champions
  • 06-13 2008 Josh Michaels became the ACW Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-13 2009 The Canadian Red Devil became the ComPro Showtime Champion
  • 06-13 2015 Seth Angel & Adrian Dell def. Nemesis (Bobby Starr & Damien Morte) for the ComPro Tag Team Titles
  • 06-13 2015 Killista def. Paul Puertorico for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
  • 06-13 2015 Rolling Thunder def. Michael Duplanti for the NAW Heavyweight Title
  • 06-13 2015 Paige Turner def. Erica for the IZW Queens Title
  • 06-13 2015 Michael Wolf def. Jake O'Brien for the ComPro Heavyweight Title
  • 06-13 2015 Jake O'Brien def. Michael Wolf for the ComPro Heavyweight Title
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