San Antonio pro wrestlers Brock Ali and Casey Blackrose got a major publicity boost when they appeared in a recent WWE Monday Night Raw brawl in Milwaukee.
The pair were invited to appear as extra talent on the Sept. 28 card and took a leap of faith, unsure how — or even if — they’d be included.
“We waited all day to be told what we were going to do,” Ali said. “After the security guards got picked, we were picked as fans, still not knowing what we were going to do. They finally told us and we were like ‘Wow, hopefully this goes through,’ and it did! It was a lot of fun.”
But after they arrived at the Fiserv Forum, they found themselves in the center of the action.
Ali and Blackrose were incorporated into a throwdown between the Bloodline faction (Jacob Fatu and the Usos) and the heel stable the 946 (Royce Keys, Bronco Nima and Lucien Price).
Tensions couldn’t have been higher between the rival groups, and their six-way brawl escaped the confines of the ring. After Bloodline’s Jimmy Uso jumped from the barricade, the 946’s Price grabbed him and hurled him into the audience, straight into Ali.
Blackrose, who narrowly avoided being toppled by Uso, opted for a more direct altercation. He confronted Nima and, despite his best efforts, went down after a swift hit to the jaw.
The segment ended shortly after with the two factions taking their feud backstage.
The Alamo City wrestlers’ appearance was brief, but it gave them a chance to perform at one of professional wrestling’s highest-profile events.
Schooled by the best
Like their Greyhound bus journey to last month’s Raw, Blackrose and Ali’s wrestling careers began in San Antonio. Both are graduates of the Hybrid School of Wrestling, where they train under the guidance of head coaches Sho Funaki, a WWE legend, and independent wrestler Chris Marval.
San Antonio-born Blackrose got the wrestling bug early. He attended his first WWE show at the age of 9 and saw legendary El Paso-born wrestler Eddie Guerrero in action three weeks before his untimely death.
“Years later, I attended a [River City Wrestling] show, and that’s when I discovered independent wrestling,” Blackrose said. “I asked RCW promoter Brandon Oliver about joining the business, and he gave me the information for Hybrid, where I’ve trained since 2019. I have also evolved into a coach and help train the next generation of wrestlers, like Brock Ali.”
Months after graduating from Hybrid in 2021, Blackrose faced San Antonio grappler Keith Lee in a dark match at the AT&T Center — now the Frost Bank Center — before a separate WWE Raw. While the match itself was already a huge accomplishment, the moment held more sentimental value for Blackrose.
“Being able to wrestle someone I used to watch at RCW, inside the same arena I got to see Eddie Guerrero in, was a surreal and full-circle moment,” he added.
Ali graduated from Hybrid in 2025, before he’d even finished high school.
“Balancing wrestling and high school is one of the hardest things I’ve had to do,” Ali said.
He credits his wrestling family for supporting him through the process, and even remembers displaying his honor roll certificates on the training facility fridge.
As he wrestled in more shows, Ali began to notice a difference at school. Increasingly, students recognized him as a wrestler before they knew him as a classmate.
‘History and culture of San Antonio’
Ali and Blackrose are back in San Antonio and still carrying the flag for indie wrestling. Indeed, the pair were scheduled to face each other on Sunday, Oct. 11, for the United210 championship.
A South Side staple, United210 is rooted in hard work, tradition, and community. The promotion draws in large crowds and loyal fans while showcasing both local and out-of-state talent, such as Las Vegas-based Michael Jackson tribute wrestler Santana Jackson, who will face San Antonio’s Kalientita at a Nov. 28 show.
Run by independent professional wrestlers StudStache and Rob Love, United210 has created a place for people of different backgrounds to share a common connection. The action-packed shows feature elite talent, but the sense of community may be an even bigger draw.
“One of the things I love most is seeing different generations of fans connect,” Love told the Current. “You’ll see longtime fans welcoming newer fans, sharing stories and memories, and telling them about the wrestlers and moments that helped shape San Antonio wrestling. It’s almost like passing down a family history. I think that’s why wrestling continues to matter here. It’s not just entertainment. It’s part of the culture and history of San Antonio.”
Stache, who’s also a U.S. Army combat medic veteran, makes it clear that the talent at these shows isn’t just in the ring.
“Local wrestlers, promoters, media, vendors and fans put a tremendous amount of work and passion into creating something that belongs to the community,” he said. “It gives local talent a place to tell stories, build characters, take risks and connect directly with the people watching.”
United210 has weathered its share of setbacks, including moments when it would have been easier for Love and Stache to walk away. But Love said that’s not an option.
“Every time we see the fans show up, every time we see a new wrestler get an opportunity, or we see people from different parts of the wrestling community come together, it reminds us why we’re doing this,” he said.
Although Blackrose was unable to attend last week’s United show, his absence was purposeful.
Marking the fourth time in three weeks he’s worked for WWE, those watching Saturday’s WWE Money in the Bank may have seen a familiar face at ringside during both ladder matches.
As more of these opportunities appear, local talent such as Blackrose and Ali continue to prove that San Antonio wrestling is a force to be reckoned with.
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