Lubbock Native Chases a National Championship in His Hometown

Lubbock, Texas, is a town known for its humble roots, and its residents are often overlooked, despite the blue-collar work ethic that defines the area. Despite its desert climate, Lubbock is often viewed as a city on an island surrounded primarily by cotton fields and plains so long and flat you could roll a quarter down a road. While the city and its residents are often overlooked in favor of the more glamorous areas of the massive state of Texas, Lubbockites wear a unique sense of pride, epitomized by the humble upbringings of those who call the city home.

While lightning seemingly never strikes twice in the same place, Edgar “El Relampago” Herrera Jr. looks to capture the fifth national event title of his amateur career, this time in his backyard within the Elite division of the 2025 USA Boxing National Championships.

His lightning-fast style earned him his nickname, which translates to “The Lightning,” a namesake that complements his ability to fluidly switch stances from orthodox to southpaw and deliver quick and devastating blows to his opponents.

“It’s just different. It caught my eye,” Herrera Jr. reflected on why he picked up boxing. “I gave it a shot, and before I knew it, I fell in love with the sport. I started coming [to the gym] every day.”

Edgar has been boxing since he was six years old, and the journey began with a push from his parents after routinely driving by The Boxing Club, a local gym owned and operated by Rosie Sumter, or “Miz B.” While his initial motive to take up the sport was to learn to defend himself, it quickly grew into a passion that fueled his everyday life. While he was too young to formally compete in his first two years, he knew that he could build a future as a boxer and committed to working towards that goal, despite his young age.

“Boxing means a lot more than just boxing,” Herrera Jr. mentioned. “It teaches you a lot in life, as well, your patience, how to be respectful, your discipline. You learn how to protect yourself. You learn how to live your life and be a respectable person. The only reason I am who I am is boxing and, of course, the support I have behind me.”

From the moment he stepped into The Boxing Club, Miz B saw the difference between Edgar and the other gym goers his age. He displayed an inherent focus during training that most kids did not.

“He was listening,” Miz B recalled of the moment that she noticed that Edgar was cut from a different cloth. “When he was able to fix what I asked him to do. Not only for him to understand but also to comprehend, I knew that it was time for him to move up from the 6-8-year-old class to the 9-12-year-old class. He was still young and probably the smallest one in the class, but he was also the sharpest one in class.”

That focus pushed him into competition as soon as he was able to participate in local, regional and national events in the USA Boxing circuit. However, the difficult thing in this sport is that focus is not the only tool necessary for success. Edgar suffered losses in the early stages of his amateur career, but he learned from each one. In fact, those experiences evolved into his first national tournament championship at the 2023 USA Boxing Last Chance Qualifier in Pueblo, Colo., where he claimed the title in the Youth Male 112 lbs division.

Now, in 2025, Edgar competes within the Elite division and captured his latest national title at the 2025 USA Boxing National Open in Tulsa, Okla. The Hub City native defeated two opponents on the way to the championship, meeting his own standard of excellence. While that title was a huge milestone for Herrera Jr., it also set the stage for an incredible opportunity for the Lubbock resident to capture a national championship in his hometown.

“It felt a little different because I was coming off the loss at the International Open in Pueblo,” said Herrera Jr. “I was down on myself, and it was just something I was always stuck on. Finally winning that [National Open], coming back off surgery, it just felt good.”

“To be able to fight in front of my family, friends, just anyone who supports me here in town, it means the world to me,” Herrera Jr. explained about the opportunity to contend for a national championship in his hometown. “I love everyone who’s behind me. It gives me that extra edge that I need to push and train harder and want to win even more.”

Throughout his run in Lubbock, he will be coached by Edgar Sr., his head coach and father, and assistant coaches, Veronica Herrera, his mother, and Erik Lorenzi. Additionally, his younger brother, Evan Herrera, will cheer him on from the stands, providing a heartfelt sense of support and brotherhood to Edgar Jr. For Edgar Sr. and Veronica, watching their son grow and develop into the boxer and the man that he is today is one of the biggest accomplishments of their lives.

“There are good moments and hard moments – ups and downs,” Veronica Herrera mentioned while looking back on Edgar’s career as an Olympic-style boxer. “After the International Open in Pueblo, he was pretty down on himself, and as his parents, that hurts. We just keep motivating him, reminding him to take this as a lesson and use it as motivation to work even harder.”

Edgar Herrera Sr. has always pushed his son to be the best he can be, both inside and outside of the ring.

“The word is proud. I love him as a man, as my son. Having family, friends, everybody here locally is even more of a proud moment for me just to know that my son is going to represent the whole city.”

Edgar will be in action within the Elite Male 110 lbs division, and will begin his tournament run on Wednesday, December 10, in the 6 p.m. session. As the No. 1 seed in the weight class, he earned a bye in the opening round and will compete in the quarterfinals for his tournament opener.

Fans looking to watch Edgar Herrera Jr. and any other bouts at the 2025 USA Boxing National Championships in the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center can purchase tickets at the door. Daily passes are available for $10, while weekly passes are priced at $50.

Daily schedules, results and all additional tournament information can be found on the 2025 USA Boxing National Championships event page.