Nestled in a second-floor space that’s been converted into a full-fledged gymnasium on Newark Street near the Jersey City border lies the future of athletics in Hoboken.

You might think it’s football because, after all, the high-school grid team, the Redwings, have captured 10 NJSIAA state championships over the years, the most in Hudson County history.

Or perhaps it’s baseball because, after all, the sport was invented in the Mile Square City on June 19, 1846, when Alexander Cartwright brought the game he created to the Elysian Fields in a matchup between the Knickerbocker Club and the New York Nine.

Maybe it’s basketball, because, after all, Hoboken sent Derrick Alston to the NBA, and the Redwings won their share of county and state crowns.

Nope, the future of athletics in Hoboken lies in wrestling.

Not the WWE stuff with Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon. That’s staged entertainment.

We’re talking real wrestling, the kind they used to have in the Olympics, with headgear and flat mats and singlet uniforms and pure strength and quickness.

The Origin Story

Six years ago, Dave Esposito, an excellent wrestler at John F. Kennedy High School in Iselin and Lehigh University, wanted to bring wrestling to Hoboken.

After graduating from Lehigh, Esposito began to coach at a wrestling school founded by the legendary Ernie Monaco in Belleville called Edge Wrestling.

Esposito trained at the Edge under Monaco when he was in high school and college, where Esposito became an NCAA Division I All-American.

“Then I was a coach,” Esposito said.

Esposito, 40, went on to gain his Master’s degree from Columbia University and coached there as well.

A Hoboken resident, Esposito decided that he could serve his wrestlers well by opening a gym/training facility here.

“While I was at Columbia, I found the place that had the space,” Esposito said. “But it was in a community that never had wrestling before. I had the chance to start the Edge Wrestling and did so with Ernie’s blessing.”

Esposito had no idea how it would be received.

“It’s a great sport that keeps the kids active and busy,” he said. “It teaches them about discipline, about mental toughness, about the rewards that come with hard work. When we first started, we couldn’t predict how many kids we would get.”

Esposito aligned himself with good coaches to work with the Edge students.

Marsh Land

Enter Jeff Marsh, 31, a native of Dexter, Michigan. A two-time state champion in Michigan (Dexter High School), he went on to wrestle at the University of Michigan. He won three Big 10 titles there and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament once.

Esposito recruited Marsh to Columbia to coach there as a graduate student.

“I would come to New Jersey to train with Dave,” Marsh said.  “I knew that there were a lot of good wrestlers in New Jersey. It was different than Ann Arbor. I would stay here in New Jersey for a couple of weeks, then go home. But I found that I loved it here.”

Enough, maybe, to start a business in New Jersey.

In 2011, Marsh and Esposito joined forces to bring wrestling to Hoboken. Esposito also opened a satellite facility to Edge Wrestling on Jersey Street.

“As soon as I saw what Dave had done, I said, ‘I’m in,’” Marsh said. “We then started to build the program.”

When Marsh signed on, only 20 kids were registered.

“By being an ex-wrestler, word of mouth got out,” Esposito said. “We found out that we have a lot of former wrestlers in Hoboken and Jersey City. And they had kids. There were a lot of kids that were interested.”

Real Wrestling

One of those kids was James Davis.

“When I was a kid, I thought wrestling was only the WWE,” Davis said. “I’m a big WWE fan and wanted to get involved. I thought it was going to be like WWE. I never knew about this kind of wrestling before.”

But it didn’t take long for Davis, a high-school freshman, to like conventional wrestling.

“The thing I like the best is that it’s a team sport, but it’s also individual,” Davis said. “You can’t have someone win your match for you.”

Luke Leonard, another Hoboken resident, had a wrestling background.

“My dad [Andy] was a wrestler at Bergenfield High,” Leonard said. “He said it was a great sport, that it teaches you discipline and hard work. I checked it out when it first started in Hoboken and really liked it. You learn things at your own pace. I got to meet the coaches as people. They taught me the techniques I needed.”

Leonard took private lessons at the Edge throughout high school.

“There were so many things I needed to work on,” Leonard said. “I would tape my matches and bring them to Dave and Jeff, and they would work on things for me.”

Leonard went on to wrestle at 182 pounds at St. Peter’s Prep and advanced to the NJSIAA District 16 finals. He now attends Miami University of Ohio, which does not have a wrestling team.

“But I do volunteer coaching for the Hoboken Recreation team,” Leonard said.

Children and Champs

Close to 100 kids participate in the Edge Wrestling program.

“Every day we talk of running technique,” said Marsh, who also is an assistant coach at Stevens Tech. “I can run the same practice with the college as I do with the kids. Wrestling is an easy sport to pick up, and it builds their confidence. We have kids who are fully committed to the sport.”

One of the top wrestlers is 9-year-old Anthony DeFillippis, who took second at the Mid-Atlantic districts for 9-year-olds. Seven-year-old Will Gallucci was named the Novice of the Year. He comes from a family of wrestlers, joining Nick Gallucci and Ben Gallucci, both of whom wrestled for St. Peter’s Prep.

Julian Duquet is a 10-year-old who won the district and regional championship. He has two younger brothers, 7-year-old Jacquin and 5-year-old Jordan.

Marty Martinelli of Union City is another up-and-coming wrestler.

“We have 75 kids who are registered here through Hoboken Recreation and another 25 who wrestle year-round,” Marsh said.

There are adult wrestling sessions, but those hearty souls do it for fun. There are also jiu jitsu classes and Muay Thai lessons for all ages and skill levels.

And there are classes for the mixed martial arts (MMA), which is now the rage everywhere, both in spectator and participation.

“Frankie Edgar [one of the top-ranked MMA fighters in the UFC] comes here sporadically,” Marsh said. “Rafael Natal [who has had 12 fights in the UFC] trains at the Edge regularly. So does Damian Maia from Brazil. Rashad Evans has popped in.”

Join the Club

“The adult programs are big,” Marsh said. “We have 12 different people who attend different classes at high levels. But the main focus to me is the kids. Fifty percent of our students are kids under 10.”

James Davis attends Hoboken High School, which doesn’t have a wrestling team.

“I’m thinking about starting a petition to get wrestling in Hoboken,” he said. “I want to see if we can get enough signatures to get it done.”

“Wrestling is my favorite sport now,” he continued. “I think about it every day. I get training from guys who train the best in the world.”

Said Esposito, “It’s pretty crazy how fast it’s grown. When I first started, did I think this was possible? No. We have coaches, who put their heart and soul into it, and we have great parents.”

Two of the parents are talk show host Kelly Ripa and her husband Mark Consuelos. Their sons are in the program.

“The kids are like sponges,” Esposito said. “They soak everything in. It’s definitely rewarding, but we’re trying to achieve more. If I can provide a place for kids, a place to keep them safe and off the streets, then I’m doing my job. If they become good wrestlers? Well, that’s just icing on the cake.”—07030

To learn more about Edge Wrestling and its programs for kids and adults, visit edgehoboken.com