The question I’m asked most frequently in meet and greets is: how did you get started?

To this, I respond that I had the best trainers in Pittsburgh humanly possible. At the age of 17, Brandon K took me under his wing, not only to teach me the business of professional wrestling, but how to be a kick-ass, kind, and selfless human being.

There’s no way I would be as successful as I am today without the Stronghold Academy teaching me how to carry myself inside and outside of the ring.

Professional wrestling is so much greater than what happens between the ropes. Between the fundamentals, character work, promos, psychology, and untold rules, there is so much depth to this business that many on the outside do not see.

Brandon is incredibly well-rounded in every area and emphasizes the importance of all the moving parts. Throughout my time training at The Stronghold, I had so much experience poured into every category of this industry that I was prepared for anything thrown my way.

Brandon’s structure to classes and attention to detail creates a true breeding ground for success. Tough love is the nature of this game, and I believe it is necessary for growth and long-term success.

If you were to ask me for one word to describe Brandon, it would be SELFLESS. He puts every student’s needs and goals above his own, constantly. I have watched him sacrifice so much of his time, energy, and money to make young and up-and-coming talent’s dreams possible, including my own.

I have never witnessed a coach with so much patience and passion for what they do.

To this day, I still carry the values I learned at The Stronghold, and I actively pass that knowledge on to other wrestlers. I still have a move checklist given to me by Brandon in one of my first weeks of training that I reference when helping new talent learn the basics of pro wrestling, and I still use a handful of drills he taught me to sharpen my own craft.

There is no one I would trust more with my career, nor anyone I would recommend higher. If I had a child who wanted to wrestle, I would send them to Brandon without hesitation.

Pittsburgh is lucky to have The Stronghold.