On the first day of their sophomore year of high school, most teenage girls are ready to show off their latest make up or catch up with their friends about summer vacations. Tales of the beach or Taylor Swift concerts echo throughout the hallways.
However, for a youngster that will have her first official pro wrestling bout this Saturday, the echo she heard on her first day of tenth grade was the hallow sound of the collision of the canvas. It was on that day more than two years ago that Sammy Trincia, known to her fellow trainees as “Slammin’ Sammy” stepped into a wrestling ring for the first time at the Stronghold Academy, the training center of Ryse Wrestling, the blue collar league located just south of Pittsburgh in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.
“I started going to Ryse Shows at the Laurel Mall, I live two miles away from there and got to know Brandon K and many of the wrestlers. I loved it,” Sam explained of how she discovered her hometown promotion.
The grappling arts isn’t something new for the youngster, as the genre has been somewhat of a family tradition for as long as she can remember.
“My dad, Aaron, has always been a big fan. He used to watch wrestling with me when I was really small. At three years old, he would wrestle with me on the couch while RAW or Smackdown was on. He took me to my first WWE show when I was five years old,” she said.
Around the same time that Sammy saw the over-the-top spectacle of sports entertainment in person, she began to pursue various martial arts at the age of just eight. For the first five years of her martial arts tenure, Sammy practiced Shotoka Karate, earning a brown belt with two stripes, the rank just under a black belt. At 13, Sam began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, making a name for herself on the grappling competition circuit as a competitor that brought a combination of skill and aggression to the mat.
“I love the contact and the sparring, especially. I have always been a naturally aggressive person and karate allowed me to express that. I learned a lot about work ethic, I had to work hard to improve at kata and weapons routines. I also did karate with the view that it would help me become a wrestler someday. I got the nickname Slammin Sammy for my sparring skills,” she explained.
After two years of learning on the grappling mat, she was ready to began the journey of grappling on the canvas, as she attended a Stronghold tryout that was held for aspiring hopefuls that wanted to pursue a path as a pro wrestler. The pro wrestling dream that started when she was a toddler was about to become a reality for the teenage.
“When Sammy began saying she wanted to become a wrestler at a young age, I figured it would pass just like any kid who says they want to be a baseball player or basketball player. She would tell everyone at school and karate that she was working to be a professional wrestler. She stuck to it, she took a lot of flack for it. She’s worked hard and I’m proud of her for following her dreams,” said Sammy’s mom, Tonya.
Sammy began the tedious process of repeatedly landing on the canvas of a pro wrestling ring.to learn how to do so as safely as possible, a well as learning in-ring techniques. It was a long way away from when she dropped elbows on the couch when she was only a few years old, but she cites The Stronghold’s tight-knit crew of trainers and students as key to her development as a performer. She noted that the environment created at Ryse’s home base at The Uniontown Mall, which houses the training center and the live event arena, allows positive encouragement from everyone to achieve the best results possible.
“I couldn’t imagine training anywhere else. At first training was tough, being the only teenager and the one of the only women, I’m sure I stood out. Learning to wrestle is hard, but I had great teachers and peers. Brandon is awesome, and I love him dearly. Brandon is so patient and really worked with me,” Sammy remarked.
“If every one of my students had Sammy’s heart and work ethic I’d be the most successful trainer of all time. Sammy comes to every single session I have. If the doors are open she’s there. She’s usually first and last in and out of the door. Two years of that discipline. I’m very proud of her journey so far and it’s just getting started,” added Brandon K, the founder of Ryse Wrestling.
Ryse Wrestling, launched in 2016, is very much a family venture. Brandon’s parents, Mr, and Mrs. Clements run the concession stand, while his wife, Kristy works on ticket orders before the doors open for a live event. In a similar fashion, Sammy’s parents were invited to watch her train and have become apart of the fabric of Ryse themselves.
“Brandon let us stay for all the practices until we were comfortable she would be okay. It became apparent early on that she was definitely okay. I knew she was safe surrounded by a second dad and a bunch of big brothers who look out for her. Ryse has been a blessing in her life, and I’m so glad she trains at the Stronghold. She was accepted with open arms from the start,” said Tonya.
“Brandon K is a class act. Coach K has a heart bigger than all of us. Brandon gave Sammy the opportunity to train at 15 when he did not have to. I am a proud father of an indy wrestler, I am proud to be part of Ryse Wrestling,” remarked Sammy’s dad, Aaron.
In preparation for her official debut in pro wrestling, Sammy is often training at the gym or studying film of classic matches when she’s not in the ring practicing her craft at The Stronghold Academy. With names like co-head trainer Dean Radford, matchmaker Chris LeRusso, and longtime veteran, Bigg as just a few of the many that have helped Sammy along the way, she looks to have her first pro match this Saturday at The Uniontown Mall. Her opposition is the longtime pro and very accomplished, Laura Loveless, a grappler that many consider the top women’s wrestler in the organization. It’s undoubtedly a tough challenge, but an opportunity that Sam didn’t want to pass up for the start of her career.
There are a flood of emotions, I’m so excited to see all the hard work pay off. I’m so grateful to Ryse, Brandon K, and Chris LeRusso for this opportunity. I’m nervous, but I’m confident. It will be a challenge, but I am up for it and whatever comes next. I can’t wait introduce everyone to Slammin’ Sammy, aggressive and tough and ready to go,” Sam enthusiastically explained.
As we know, there are no guarantees in professional wrestling. That’s the nature of the genre, there’s no guarantee that when someone laces up their boots for the first time that the path that there are on will lead to fame and fortune. However, one thing is for sure, this Saturday when the music hits and “Slammin'” Sammy Trincia bounds through the curtain, it will be a dream come true for her. From the time she was a toddler and watched the larger-than-life personas beamed through her TV screen, she wanted to be inside the ring ropes, and she will have the chance to do that this weekend. When the bell rings to start the action at the Sears building that was converted into a wrestling arena with its video wall, entrance way, and of course, the squared circle, more than two years of consistent hard work will pay off when Sammy Trincia can call herself a pro wrestler.
Regardless of what Sammy does throughout her journey in the years to come, in many ways, “Slammin'” Sammy is already a success story, as she set her mind to a goal and this Saturday, she will accomplish it.
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Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
E mail [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
