Eduardo never imagined himself on a wrestling mat. Soccer was where he believed his athletic future belonged. Having just moved to Las Vegas, he was quiet, reserved, and unsure of himself. Wrestling wasn’t even on his radar—until a single move he learned in PE class unexpectedly changed the next several years of his life.

Though he started wrestling later than most, Eduardo made the absolute most of his opportunity through relentless dedication. He joined a club and showed up every single day. That first summer wasn’t filled with victories. In fact, success came slowly—but he kept showing up.

Working with Coach Frank, Eduardo embraced his creativity and developed a unique “funk” wrestling style. While that scrambling, risk-taking approach sometimes led to shortcomings, he refused to abandon it. Instead of backing away from the positio ...