Duke City Championship Wrestling is presenting a “Clash of Titans” tag-team showdown at the historic El Rey Theater on July 15. This all ages event will host eight professional wrestling matches inside the ring.
Jerry Herrera, a professional wrestler, expects this upcoming event to be just as big as the first one. The overall goal for him and his local wrestlers is to make professional wrestling a more well known sport in Albuquerque, Herrera said.
“Hopefully they (fans) are ready for the second show – more action, more wrestlers, more competition and more entertainment,” Herrera said.
Herrera’s stage name is “Jerry Van Detta.” He will be up against “Enrique del Gato” on July 15. Herrera said that he started his journey in 2006 when he started training in El Paso, Texas and has been professionally wrestling ever since.
When he is not working at his regular job, Herrera said he spends his time at a local gym, training with other professional wrestlers. He and others help to train the younger generation in the art of professional wrestling.
“It’s a tough business to get into. You’ve got to prove trust and you’ve got to have heart. You also have to be humble. You’ve got to learn to take pain. It’s like Fight Club,” Herrera said.
The promoter of the event, Joseph Singer, has been a professional wrestler for 27 years. He will be headlining the show under his stage name, “Hobo Hank,” with his partner Carlos “Thunder” Gallegos against Justin “Charlie 50” Edwards and Joseph “Phoenix” Norris.
“I’m responsible for the show itself – booking the wrestlers, maintaining all their licenses and regulations with the state,” Singer said. “I put the matches together and help with the production of putting it on television.”
DCCW, according to Singer, has a partnership with ProView Sports Network which filmed their first event on May 25, 2023. ProView Sports Network will film the upcoming event and air the matches in four 30-minute episodes every Saturday for viewers at home, Singer said.
DCCW’s debut in May was a sold out show with over 300 attendees. Singer said that he expects the upcoming show to produce the same results with the help of radio advertisements and promotions.
“We are tentatively scheduled one show a month between now and November, and we have a commitment from the El Rey to continue into next year,” Singer said.
After helping bring professional wrestling back to New Mexico, Herrera hopes that with these shows at the El Rey Theater, it will help them get new recruits, women included. He wants to help out the younger generation by preparing them to take his place in the ring when he’s retired.
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“Wrestling went kind of dormant after 2018. There is a lot to it. In our state, there is an athletic commission that regulates wrestling the same as boxing and mixed martial arts. You have to have permits, which is very expensive. We are the first regulated state-recognized wrestling company to run here in the last five years,” Singer said.
Singer said they have plans to host a wrestling event at the Rio Rancho Event Center in the future.
“We appreciate the support. I’m excited about the partners we have established because they are Albuquerque-based businesses. And the El Rey – I mean it doesn’t get more Albuquerque than Central and Seventh Street,” said Singer.
Sydney Walker is a freelance reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com
Sydney Walker is a freelance reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached on Twitter @squidneywrites.
