Toby Willis TheMat’s Wrestler of the Week

Willis named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week
John Fuller/TheMat.com

Note: To nominate a wrestler for TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week, send the athlete’s name, accomplishments for the week and career accomplishments to John Fuller at [email protected]

Toby Willis (Ashland City, Tenn.) has been named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for the week of May 3-9.

Each week, TheMat.com will select an Athlete of the Week, based upon performance within wrestling for that week. The selection committee will consider any level of wrestling, from youth programs through the Senior level. The announcement will be made each week on Wednesday.

Willis is a co-founder of RealProWrestling (RPW), a startup wrestling league that has aired for the past seven weeks on Fox Sports Net and PAX. The league’s season finale, championship matches from all seven weight classes, will air this upcoming week.

RealProWrestling has been the first major step in taking the sport of amateur wrestling into the mainstream spotlight in years.

Willis and Matt Case, the other co-founder and a college teammate of Willis’ at Northwestern, began seriously looking into beginning a professional wrestling league in 2001. In 2002, RPW filmed a pilot episode in Los Angeles. Based on that pilot episode, the group was able to buy television air time on Fox Sports Net and PAX, two prominent cable television stations.

The show has aired to rave reviews so far this year, and has garnered national media and fan interest due to a strong public relations campaign.

RPW then filmed the series in a two-day span in 2004. A fire in late December destroyed crucial footage and narrowed the original number of episodes from 14 to 8, but the show has still thrived since it’s first air date.

Willis earned a degree in Computer Technology from Northwestern, where he also wrestled. He was a 1988 Illinois state champion at Morgan Park High School. He and his wife, Brenda, have nine children.

Wrestling Gear

Mat Wizard Hype
Mat Wizard Hype
Asics Dave Schultz Classic
Asics Dave Schultz Classic
JB Elite IV
JB Elite IV
Cael V6.0
Cael V6.0
Adidas Adizero
Adidas Adizero
Nike Hypersweep
Nike Hypersweep

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