Sports

KSAT Explains

SAN ANTONIO – A mall, a backyard or a business park are just some of the places you’ll find it: a growing passion for professional wrestling in San Antonio, both among pros and fans. “The wrestling scene in San Antonio — that heartbeat is bumping so loud, so hard, so fast. It’s alive and well,” […]

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2 weeks ago

April 19, 2025

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SAN ANTONIO
– A mall, a backyard or a business park are just some of the places you’ll find it: a growing passion for professional wrestling in San Antonio, both among pros and fans.

“The wrestling scene in San Antonio — that heartbeat is bumping so loud, so hard, so fast. It’s alive and well,” David Campos, Jr., who is also known as the wrestler StudStache, said.

The Yard

Campos runs The Yard, a wrestling venue in the backyard of his family’s home on McCauley Street.

While “backyard wrestling” often carries an amateur connotation, that is not the case here.

“There’s almost something you actually cannot replicate at the top with the biggest TV companies,” said Alexx Arsenal, pro wrestler. “It’s, just, it’s sweaty, gritty, angry, and it’s in your face.”

Arsenal, who moved to San Antonio for its professional wrestling scene, is one of several wrestlers on the independent circuit who perform at The Yard.

Kalientitaa is another.

“San Antonio has such a strong and passionate fan base, and they hate me here,” Kalientitaa said with a smile. “But I know they love me. OK, they love to hate me.”

StudStache and his team, including his father who is aptly known as PapaStache, put on shows and run their own wrestling promotion called United210.

On weekdays, Campos is a special education teacher at the Harlandale Alternative Center.

He began wrestling in late 2018, years after serving as a combat medic in Iraq.

“I came back to total darkness,” Campos said. “Wrestling has given me my life back.”

“There’s David Campos the person, which, you know, he’s been through everything and the strength he has in him is almost nonexistent,” said Campos. “But then there’s StudStache the wrestler (to) where I could channel everything into that guy and just become so animated, become so alive. And that keeps me going, and I actually feed off that guy.”

Once a month on Fridays, hundreds of people pack The Yard for matches.

Campos said he has food truck operators competing for a place to park and serve the crowd. Security personnel are present, as well.

“I hope to go on and do bigger and better things, but this will, I think, always be one of the most special places I ever got to wrestle,” said Alexx Arsenal.

Dogg Pound Dojo

Some wrestlers on the independent circuit hope to move on to bigger and better things are learning from pros who’ve been there, such as Jazz the Female Fighting Phenom and Redd Dogg Rodney Mack.

The couple runs Dogg Pound Dojo out of a business park in the 9700 block of Culebra Road.

“I’m 54 years old, and I’ve been wrestling about 45 years,” said Mack, who still enters the ring today.

Jazz now produces shows for NWA, but she and Mack have wrestled for some of the biggest promotions in the sport.

“I’ve wrestled in ECW, WWF, WWE, TNA, AEW,” said Jazz. “For Wrestlemania 18, I went in as the WWF Women’s Champion, and I retained my title.”

That made her the first Black woman to do so.

Both Mack and Jazz are training the next generation of pros at Dogg Pound Dojo, from those who want to wrestle in the ring, to working in production or even on “glam teams.”

“They come through us for polishing,” said Mack. “Guys who do have that potential and talent but just haven’t been polished for TV, for pay-per-views.”

“That’s our main goal right now, just to help this younger talent to reach their goals, you know, because it’s possible,” said Jazz.

“If I made it, anybody can make it,” Mack said.

Two of their students are Santiago Medina, who’s known as Loverboy, and Nathaniel Grayson, known as The King of Darkness.

“This city is probably one of the hottest spots for wrestling for sure,” said Loverboy.

Several wrestlers KSAT spoke to compare pro wrestling in San Antonio to ice cream. There are a variety of flavors.

“There’s lucha. There’s just old school hardcore wrestling, like ourselves, and, you know, something for everyone,” said Mack.

“San Antonio is a very vast wrestling scene,” said the King of Darkness.

The Wrestling Shop

That vastness also spreads into Rolling Oaks Mall.

“Expect the unexpected, and be prepared to be entertained,” said Oscar Samarron, owner and promoter of The Wrestling Shop Trademark and Collectibles.

On the second floor of the mall, across from Hot Topic, the shop is full of wall-to-wall wrestling memorabilia with a wrestling ring smack dab in the middle.

It’s a place to shop and watch wrestling matches among aspiring pros, like Redd Davis and King Cobra.

“With one strike, that’s all it takes for me to beat someone,” King Cobra said. “No matter the size, no matter anything (sic).”

Redd Davis, whose character name is a nod to his grandfathers, said his ultimate goal is to wrestle for WWE.

“I want to prove people wrong that anything you told me I couldn’t do at a younger age, here I am,” Davis said.

“This is the independent. This is the indies,” Samarron said. “This (is) where it all starts.”

Creating The Wrestling Shop has been one of Samarron’s lifelong dreams. He fell in love with professional wrestling at a young age, like many of the promoters and performers KSAT met.

“There’s just something about it,” Samarron said. “It’s the stories, just that (sic) larger-than-life characters.”

The Hybrid School of Wrestling

Refining the characters of aspiring pros is what Casey Blackrose is all about.

“That’s my character. I’m the Modern Day Back Breaker,” he said.

Blackrose is a graduate of the Hybrid School of Wrestling, where he is now a trainer himself as he pursues his own professional wrestling career.

“I take pride in being probably the No. 1 guy here,” Blackrose said.

Meanwhile, Hybrid is largely considered the No. 1 wrestling school in San Antonio.

“We have champions all over Texas, all over (the) United States,” said Blackrose. “We work with the top promotions in San Antonio.”

River City Wrestling, known as RCW, is the top promoter in town.

“I’ve been running it for 23 years,” said Brandon Oliver, founder and creator of RCW.

Oliver said he has poured decades into his passion project that he does in addition to a full-time career.

Oliver’s love for professional wrestling dates back to his childhood.

“I would write out, you know, three-hour, pay-per-view shows with my action figures, and portray it all out,” Oliver said.

The vibe, if you will, among local wrestling promotions has changed, according to Oliver.

“Ten years ago, the promotions did not work together at all in San Antonio. I mean, it was all-out war, basically,” Oliver said. “There’s more camaraderie than there was in the past.”

RCW has worked with big names that have gone on to sign with bigger promotions.

The Von Erich brothers are among them.

Yes, those Von Erichs of generational pro wrestling fame.

The family was featured in the 2023 film The Iron Claw.

Ross and Marshall Von Erich, son of Kevin Von Erich, have both worked with RCW.

“You know, dad always spoke so highly of San Antonio,” said Ross.

“Because it’s families. It’s huge families,” said Marshall. “They bring their kids, their mom, their dad. It’s a family event. And that’s what Von Erichs are all about. We’re about the families, and so, once we experienced ourselves, it was like, ‘OK, there’s something different here.’”

>>FULL INTERVIEW: The Von Erich brothers discuss their professional wrestling background, family lineage and more

When Ross and Marshall Von Erich aren’t traveling for shows working with the AEW promotion, they sometimes pop in for training at Hybrid.

Both are carving their own path in the professional wrestling world as they carry the legacy of their family name with them.

“We kind of feel like it’s probably the last form of Shakespeare in a way. Just because it’s live, and there’s one take,” said Ross. “You’re the actor and the stunt double.”

Today, the Von Erich family resides in Boerne.

“I feel like pro wrestling is becoming cool again,” said Marshall. “We really do. We feel like that.”

More KSAT Explains coverage:

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Long Beach Poly Beach Volleyball Wins CIF-SS Championship in Comeback Fashion Against Canyon – The562.org

The562’s coverage of high school volleyball in 2025 is brought to you by the MLP’s Bay Area Breakers. The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly is sponsored by Bryson Financial. The Long Beach Poly beach volleyball team may find itself down — but never out. It wasn’t the first time the Jackrabbits had trailed during their playoff […]

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7 minutes ago

May 4, 2025

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The562’s coverage of high school volleyball in 2025 is brought to you by the MLP’s Bay Area Breakers.

The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly is sponsored by Bryson Financial.

The Long Beach Poly beach volleyball team may find itself down — but never out.

It wasn’t the first time the Jackrabbits had trailed during their playoff run, and Saturday’s CIF-SS Division 3 championship at Long Beach City College was no different. Poly fell behind 2-1 against Canyon and even faced set point in the decisive match — with the entire season on the line.

The Jackrabbits eventually battled back to win it 3-2, claiming the program’s first-ever beach volleyball championship.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way. 3-2. Just tight and neck-to-neck like that,” said Poly Court 1 starter Aleeya Salima. “That’s just Poly.”

“It was a battle from beginning to end,” head coach Litara Keil said. “I don’t think there was ever a break for relief and I think this whole playoff series it’s been like that where we’re down and we have to come back and the girls have come back on top every single time.”

It all came down to Poly’s Simone Millsap and Alyssa Luna on Court 4, playing in the final match still underway with the overall score tied 2-2. The pair were locked in a tight third set against Canyon’s Hannah Hoang and Erin Ly, even trailing 14-15 while facing match point.The Jackrabbits fought back to earn a match point of their own, and sealed the championship with a Millsap ace.

Remarkably, it was the second time in as many matches that Millsap and Luna had been the last team standing. Just days earlier in the semifinals, they found themselves in the same high-pressure situation — delivering the deciding point to send them to Saturday’s championship.

“It feels amazing,” said Millsap. “The last few points in the semifinals and this game I was just visualizing my teammates running in and how amazing it would feel to win. So I felt that if I could channel that energy into my serve, we were gonna win.”

“When you have your people cheering you on it is easy to feel motivated and secure,” added Luna.

Luna was moved up from junior varsity this season and has made her impact felt during Poly’s championship run. She’s had the luxury of placing alongside one of the Jackrabbits’ senior captains in Millsap.

“They’re the most sane team out of all five courts,” said Keil of the duo. “Their energy is sane and calm the whole time. That just shows a lot from Simone and her maturity, and Alyssa being a JV puller that got pulled up is insane. She’s just so calm and her demeanor in those pressure moments helped both of them pull through at the end.”

The only other match to go to three sets was on Court 1, where Aleeya Salima and Londyn Foster came back to reverse sweep Canyon’s Ellie Nguyen and Jordyn Roberts.

“I had no doubt,” said Salima. “We just had to trust each other and understand that we have each other’s back in situations like these. What’s done in the dark comes to light and I’m so glad. Win or lose we told each other to play with our hearts and that’s what we did.”

The CIF-SS championship is the 132nd in school history, more than any other school, and the first since the girls’ indoor volleyball championship. Salima played a big role in both of those wins and reflected on adding another championship to her resume.

“It feels awesome, honestly,” she said. “All glory to God. He’s the one behind this and I can’t thank Him enough.”

The Jackrabbits first win of the day came on Court 3 when Lauren Foster and Taimane Poe defeated Remington Glenn and Kedzie Kranz. The pair contributed to what was the quickest match of the day with a dominant sweep.

Canyon found a win on Court 2 from Rylie White and Kendall Vanderplow who took down Giselle Millsap and Dayna Lagafuaina. London Kenyon and Emma Vesa also won for Canyon on Court 5 against Finley Stuart and Vivienne Irwin.

In just the fourth year of the sport, a CIF-SS championship marks a major milestone for Keil and her program. She hopes the beach volleyball culture at Poly will continue to grow.

“It took a while to change the environment and culture of the program,” said Keil. “We were very serious when we stepped in to take over and it wasn’t reciprocated. So I hope winning CIF changes that and makes a statement that we’re serious and we’re here to work and make a change.”

Full Match Results:

Court 1: Aleeya Salima/Londyn Foster (Poly) def. Ellie Nguyen/Jordyn Roberts (Canyon) 13-21, 21-17, 15-11

Court 2: Rylie White/Kendall Vanderplow (Canyon) def. Giselle Millsap/Dayna Lagafuaina (Poly) 21-11, 21-13

Court 3: Lauren Foster/Taimane Poe (Poly) def. Remington Glenn/Kedzie Kranz (Canyon) 21-12, 21-11

Court 4: Simone Millsap/Alyssa Luna (Poly) def. Hannah Hoang/Erin Ly (Canyon) 23-21, 16-21, 17-15

Court 5: London Kenyon/Emma Vesa (Canyon) def. Finley Stuart/Vivienne Irwin (Poly) 21-17, 21-18

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Track and Field Records Eight Top Five Finishes at Vanderbilt

Story Links The Lindenwood track and field team concluded its outdoor regular season this weekend at the Music City Challenge in Nashville, Tenn. The Lions earned 11 top-eight finishes at the two-day event, had five top 10 Lindenwood all-time marks and had one school record. The lone Lion to record a first-place […]

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May 4, 2025

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The Lindenwood track and field team concluded its outdoor regular season this weekend at the Music City Challenge in Nashville, Tenn. The Lions earned 11 top-eight finishes at the two-day event, had five top 10 Lindenwood all-time marks and had one school record.

The lone Lion to record a first-place finish was Kendall Klewer who earned the top spot in the javelin throw at 43.45 meters, which was the best mark out of 20 student-athletes.

Sa’Nijah Houston continues her impressive season, setting a new school record in the 400 meter with a time of 53.71. That mark beat her previous best of 53.79 and it currently leads the Ohio Valley Conference. She also earned fifth-place in the 200 with a time of 23.99.

Two other Lions earned top-three finishes as Kimberly Lugg took third in discuss with a throw of 46.11m and Drew Billups earned third in hammer at 43.10m. Lugg also grabbed fourth in the shot put, recording one at 12.81m

The team of Kristen Hendricks, Houston, Jyrah Powell, and Chanell Honeywell all set a PR and entered the LU top 10 list with a time of 46.81 in the 4X100

PRs

Kinsey Dueker Javelin 36.98m

Kinsey Dueker LJ 5.40m

Kendall Klewer Javelin 43.45m

Chanel Honeywell 200 24.18

Jyrah Powell 200 25.61

Abby Anderson 5000 19:33.51

Jenna Ramadan 5000 19:55.79

Women’s 4×100 Hendricks, Houston, Powell, Honeywell 46.41

Sa’Nijah Houston 400 53.71

Drew Billups Hammer 43.10m

Angel Evangelista 400h 1:09.68

Nyah Hope 800 2:25.35

Season Bests:

Ashantae Brown 400h 1:06.70

Kim Lugg Shotput 12.81m

LU Top 10s : (5)

1st Sa’Nijah Houston 400 53.71

3rd Kendall Klewer Javelin 43.45m

4th 4×100 Hendricks, Houston, Powell, Honeywell 46.41

6th Chanel Honeywell 200 24.18

9th Kinsey Dueker Javelin 36.98m

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Women’s Track and Field Top 20 at New England DIII Championships

Story Links NEW LONDON, CT. – Competing with a field of 50 collegiate track and field teams, the Wesleyan women’s track and field team placed 17th overall at the New England Division III Outdoor Championships on Friday and Saturday, earning seven Top 10 placements as they were led by Alexandra Simon ’27 […]

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May 4, 2025

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NEW LONDON, CT. – Competing with a field of 50 collegiate track and field teams, the Wesleyan women’s track and field team placed 17^th overall at the New England Division III Outdoor Championships on Friday and Saturday, earning seven Top 10 placements as they were led by Alexandra Simon ’27 at the United State Coast Guard Academy.

Simon, who has been the lone competitor for the Cardinals in the 3000m steeplechase, led the team with a runner-up finish in the event, crossing the finish line with a final time of 11:21.43.

Running the 5000m distance race, Alexandra Weingard ’28 ran a final 17:49.12, earning a fifth-place finish for the team. Placing seventh n the 800m, Jordan Walter ’25 closed her weekend with a 2:16.56. Another seventh-place final went to Margaret Stevens ’27 in the 1500m. Stevens ran a 4:46.29 while teammate Virginia Lessner ’28 finished just two spots behind in ninth at 4:52.70. Rose Halford ’27 was the Cardinals’ long-distance contender, running the 10,000m in 38:53.21 for ninth place.

Walter, Elanora Smith ’27, Stella Loezos ’27, and Genevieve Minard ’28 combined for a 9:33.94 final time in the 4x800m relay, placing fifth.

The Cardinals look ahead to the Open New England Championships on Friday, May 9, and Saturday, May 10.

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Arquette, No. 7 Oregon State take series opener from Hawaii

HONOLULU — As the baseball gods willed, the local player of Oregon State present led off Friday night’s contest at Les Murakami Stadium by smacking a ball right at the local player of Oregon State past. Aiva Arquette’s leadoff effort for No. 7 OSU got through Hawaii shortstop (and former Beaver) Jordan Donahue, setting the […]

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May 4, 2025

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Aiva Arquette’s leadoff effort for No. 7 OSU got through Hawaii shortstop (and former Beaver) Jordan Donahue, setting the tone for an 11-4 Beavers runaway over the Rainbow Warriors in the opener of a four-game nonconference series.

Arquette, a 2022 Saint Louis School graduate from Kailua who played his first two collegiate seasons at Washington, appeared at ease playing the first lifetime game at the Les. In his senior season as a Crusader, the HHSAA tournament was played at Iron Maehara Stadium on Maui. His sophomore and junior prep seasons were wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I loved it, you know?” the 6-foot-5 shortstop and elite MLB Draft prospect said. “I mean, the team loves it. We enjoyed coming back to Hawaii and just competing.”

Arquette, whose younger sister Adrianna plays for the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team, had this series circled from the moment he heard about it during his official visit to Corvallis.

So, apparently, did many others for OSU (33-11). Beaver gear was prominent among patrons at the sold-out Les.

“There’s a lot,” Arquette said of his supporters. “I’m just grateful to have him on my side and just … gladly put on a show for them.”

The HHSAA Hall of Honor inductee went 2-for-5 with a walk, a double and three runs scored.

Before he chose to go to college, he was an 18^th-round pick by Arizona. A monster sophomore season at UW boosted his stock considerably.

Arquette projected as a top-five pick in the draft before this season and his 2025 campaign — .363 hitting, .481 on-base percentage, .726 slugging, 16 home runs — has done nothing to change that.

UH tried out a four-man outfield against him. That was another first.

“It shocked me,” he said.

The venue and the star treatment weren’t the only new experiences. Friday was also his first time this season batting leadoff; Arquette spent the first 43 games of the season batting second.

Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette, left, shadowed Hawaii’s Ben Zeigler-Namoa as Zeigler-Namoa took a lead at second base in the eighth inning Friday. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

With the help of Arquette reaching on an error to begin the game, OSU jumped out to a 6-0 lead through two innings on Itsuki Takemoto (2-5). The two-way player from Japan lasted four with nine runs charged (eight earned). Max Jones was the bright spot out of the bullpen for UH (28-15) with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless work.

Catcher Wilson Weber blew it open for the Beavers with a bases-clearing double in the fourth.

Eric Segura (7-1) got the win for the Beavers in working five innings.

UH did not record an extra-base hit. Takemoto, who remained in the game as the designated hitter once his start was done, was the only ‘Bow to register a multi-hit game.

Sebastian Gonzalez is set to take the mound for UH in Game 2 of the series at 6:35 p.m. Saturday.

“That’s the best word in baseball. Tomorrow,” UH coach Rich Hill told the Spectrum Sports postgame crew.

Saturday and Sunday’s 1:05 p.m. contest are sold out; there are limited seats left for Monday’s series finale.

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.

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Cal Poly Beach Volleyball reaches semifinals at NCAA Championship but falls to #2 TCU

GULF SHORES, Ala. – Cal Poly beach volleyball came up mere points away from advancing to the NCAA National Championship. However, the No. 6 Mustangs fell to No. 2 TCU in the NCAA Championship Semifinals by a score of 3-1. Three of the five matches went to three sets with several games decided by two […]

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May 4, 2025

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Three of the five matches went to three sets with several games decided by two points. TCU picked up wins at the No. 1 and No. 4 spots to go up 2-0. The No. 2 Mustang pair of Izzy Martinez and Logan Walter then won their match to make it 2-1.

At that point, the 3’s and the 5’s went to a third set with the Mustangs needing to win both. Both pairs battled back-and-forth. However, TCU’s No. 3 pair won in the third set 15-13 to clinch the dual.

2025 was another historic year for the Mustangs as the team made it to the NCAA Championship Semifinals for the second straight year and won 31 matches on the season.

The Mustangs will lose nine total seniors, four of which were starters and includes players who have been All-Americans and All-Big West honorees.

Beach Volleyball Match Results
TCU vs Cal Poly May 03, 2025 at Gulf Shores, AL

Daniela Alvarez/Tania Moreno (TCU) def. Piper Ferch/Erin Inskeep (CP) 27-25, 21-12
Izzy Martinez/Logan Walter (CP) def. Hailey Hamlett/Maria Gonzalez (TCU) 21-15, 17-21, 15-12
Allanis Navas/Sofia Izuzquiza (TCU) def. Quinn Perry/Lindsey Sparks (CP) 21-13, 18-21, 15-13
Ana Vergara/Anhelina Khmil (TCU) def. Ella Connor/Madi Nichols (CP) 25-23, 21-18
Abbey Reinard/Elise Lenahan (CP) vs. Stacy Reeves/Denie Konstantinova (TCU) 14-21, 21-18, 11-13, unfinished

Order of finish: Doubles (1,4,2,3)

Earlier in the day Cal Poly knocked off third-ranked Stanford 3-1

Cal Poly beach volleyball took down the No. 3 seed Stanford 3-1 in the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship Saturday to advance to the Semifinals later on Saturday.

The No. 6 seed Mustangs will take on No. 2 seed TCU in the semifinals at 11:30 a.m. PT. The match will air live on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

Against Stanford, Cal Poly got wins from the No. 1 pair of Erin Inskeep and Piper Ferch, the No. 5 pair of Abbey Reinard and Elise Lenahan, and was clinched by the No. 4 pair of Ella Connor and Madi Nichols.

This is the second straight year Cal Poly has advanced to the NCAA Championship Semifinals.

Beach Volleyball Match Results
Stanford vs Cal Poly May 03, 2025 at Gulf Shores, AL

Piper Ferch/Erin Inskeep (CP) def. Taylor Wilson/Ruby Sorra (STAN) 21-16, 21-15
Brooke Rockwell/Avery Jackson (STAN) def. Izzy Martinez/Logan Walter (CP) 21-14, 21-15
Quinn Perry/Lindsey Sparks (CP) vs. Charlotta Bell/Kelly Belardi (STAN) 10-21, 24-24, unfinished
Ella Connor/Madi Nichols (CP) def. Chloe Hoffman/Logan Tusher (STAN) 21-19, 21-16
Abbey Reinard/Elise Lenahan (CP) def. Daria Gusarova/Emmy Sharp (STAN) 21-17, 21-13

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,5,4)

(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics).

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Long Beach Poly vs. Canyon, CIF Beach Volleyball Championship – The562.org

TODAY: Wilson, Millikan, Poly Open CIF Water Polo Playoffs Tuesday evening at 5 p.m. three Long Beach schools will host opening-round CIF-SS water polo playoff games. Wilson will be at the Belmont, Millikan will be at home, and Poly will host their game at Cabrillo. We will have live updates and coverage from all three […]

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2 hours ago

May 4, 2025

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TODAY: Wilson, Millikan, Poly Open CIF Water Polo Playoffs

Tuesday evening at 5 p.m. three Long Beach schools will host opening-round CIF-SS water polo playoff games. Wilson will be at the Belmont, Millikan will be at home, and Poly will host their game at Cabrillo. We will have live updates and coverage from all three games. Division 3 No. 1 Wilson vs. Malibu @ […]

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