By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Texas Wrestling Entertainment is ready to return to Del Rio.
After a successful appearance at the Del Rio Civic Center in August, TWE owner/promoter Rudy Gonzalez set out immediately to find a date to return to the Queen City. Now comes the Battle on the Border, set for Saturday, Nov. 20. Bell time is scheduled for 7 p.m. Doors will open at 6 p.m. for VIPs and 6:30 p.m. for the general public.
Tickets will be $20 for VIP, which also includes a meet and greet with talent; $10 for general admission for adults and $5 for kids.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.eventbrite.com. Just search under Battle on the Border and you’ll find what you’re looking for.
Del Rio has been a popular destination for professional promotions for decades. Searching through online records there were stories and advertisements for wrestling matches in Del Rio as far back as the 50’s.
For example, in 1959 the Guadalupe Gymnasium hosted several matches that were promoted by Vic Weber from San Angelo. The card included Stu Gibson of Louisville versus Gilberto Cornejo of Durango, Mexico in a two-out-of-three-falls match with a one-hour time limit.
As pro wrestling gained popularity, the names of the wrestlers brought to Del Rio began becoming more and more well known.
In 1978, the Del Rio Boys and Girls Club, under the guidance of then-director Armando Fernandez, brought in several wrestlers from Champion Wrestling out of San Antonio.
The main event featured Armando “Mando” Guerrero, a member of the legendary Guerrero family that included father Gory and brothers Chavo, Mando, Hector and Eddy, defending his Southwest Championship title against Tully Blanchard. Blanchard, who gained noteriety as part of the Hall of Fame stable the Four Horseman, is currently a manager in the AEW promotion.
Also on the card were Dale Valention versus “Soul Man” Rocky Johnson, who would go on to become a tag team champion with Tony Atlas and a Hall of Famer and who was the father of “The Rock” Duane Johnson; as well as matches featuring Joe Blanchard, Tully’s father and a legend in his own right, and Colosso Colosetti against someone known simply as Von Erich. There’s no indication if it was father Fritz or one of his sons.
Then in December 1982, World Class Wrestling made its first appearance in Del Rio, bringing stars such as Kerry and Kevin Von Erich, the Great Kabuki, Jose Lothario and “Killer” Tim Brooks.
The 90’s were a quiet time for pro wrestling events in Del Rio, but that soon changed with the new millennium as former WWF World Champion, and one-time Del Rioan, Shawn Michaels brought the Texas Wrestling Alliance to Del Rio. Michaels himself made an appearance, which helped bring more than 500 people to the civic center, but that was also the day Del Rioans got to see future stars like Lance Cade, Brian “Spanky” Kendrick and “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson.
Over the years, Gonzalez, who took over where Michaels left off, has brought a variety of familiar faces and champions-to-be to Del Rio. Some of the talent Gonzalez has helped bring to Del Rio included Paul Diamond, D’Lo Brown, Hardcore Holly, Lita, Essa Rios, Manny Fernandez, Konnan, Paul London, Samoa Joe, Brian Cage, Mil Muertes, Ricky Reyes, Moonshine Mantell, Max Castellanos, Terrale Tempo and others.
This time around, Gonzalez will be bringing a bevy of talent from Florida including “The Mercenary Pitbull” Romeo Quevedo, a veteran of the business who had a tryout with the WWE’s NXT brand earlier this year.
Quevedo, who also competes as “The Cuban Heist of the Century,” and several other wrestlers from Florida were supposed to be a part of the August show in Del Rio, but an “operational meltdown” by Spirit Airlines disrupted air travel for thousands of people.
If you want to get a preview of what to expect from Quevedo, check out some of his matches on YouTube.
Also scheduled for the Nov. 20 show are Women’s Texas Champion Myka and fan favorite Sabino Blaze as well as several other wrestlers.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
