Duke Davis: The Main Event Is Now

Duke Davis built his legacy on a historic first: the moment the self-described “tag team guy” shocked the world by capturing the IWC Heavyweight Championship, becoming the promotion’s first Black world champion in a game-changing victory.

“It took me back to seeing my whole life at a glance,” Davis reflects. He shattered more than just an opponent that night; he ended Bill Collier’s monumental 931-day reign, achieved the impossible, and cemented his own legacy in the record books. “I never really thought about being a champ of a company,” he admits. “Becoming champion of IWC, who’s been around for 25 years… that was huge for me.”

In that moment of triumph, he felt the presence of those who helped him get there, specifically his late wife. “She’s been the one that used to drive me to the training… She drove me to try out. So it hit me like, you know, she’s not here, but I felt like she was there.” He wasn’t alone in that ring. “And so, yeah, in that moment, it was definitely like some faces that I saw, some people I thought about, like my grandma who introduced me to wrestling,” the champion recalls. “It was emotional, but, you know, it was good to get it out because we do this thing, man, we wrestle and people tend to forget that we’re putting ourselves in this, you know?” It was a testament to the sacrifice behind the spectacle. “I put a lot of my life into this… My intensity comes from that.”

That intensity is the signature of Duke Davis. It’s an energy he first fell in love with watching the gritty promos and captivating storytelling of the NWA on local television growing up in Norfolk. “My first promo that I ever watched was Ric Flair… and it was captivating,” Davis remembers, reflecting on past wrestlers’ high energy. “The baby faces were super, super baby faces… The heels, man, they were just gritty. They could be flashy like Tully Blanchard and Art Anderson… but they get in that ring, man, they about business.” It’s a style he has made his own.

But he immediately had to prove that intensity was real when a new challenger emerged. The target was on his back, and the first man gunning for him was the self-proclaimed “Indie King,” Matt Cardona. For a new champion, facing a veteran known for every trick in the book was a challenge. “The most unique challenge is the fact that we never wrestled before,” he notes. “It was the first day I met him… coming out cold, not knowing exactly what I’m facing… It was a feel-it-out process, like a boxing match.” Davis passed the test, successfully defending his title and proving his singles run was no fluke; he belonged at the top.

While his historic singles run in IWC proved he could stand alone, his heart beats in unison with his tag team partner, Gannon Jones Jr. Together, they are The Main Event (TME). Their bond is the foundation of all their success. “It’s a family thing. Like that is my brother,” he states plainly. “I talk to him every day. So for us, we are not separated.” Looking toward the future, Davis is optimistic. He envisions both himself and Jones on a major platform, ready for any opportunity. “I have blind confidence… I do see it happening.”

When this championship reign eventually ends, Davis has already defined the legacy he intends to leave. It’s not about a long list of accolades, but a lasting feeling. He wants fans to say, “that they will never forget Duke Davis.” His goal is to leave a legacy of pure, unadulterated passion. “I want someone to say when they see a picture of Duke Davis, that this is the most intense and energized person they have ever seen.” And for The Main Event? He wants their name synonymous with greatness: “the best tag team ever, signed or unsigned.”

For Davis, the journey is far from over. In fact, Duke Davis promises that The Main Event has only just begun.