Note: Be sure to catch up on our Reps Pro 6 preview before reading further.
Reps Ahead Pro 6 went down in Miami Beach last week under the bright TYR Wodapalooza lights.
Both the men’s and women’s lineups featured veterans and newcomers battling it out, highlighted by a last-minute swap that saw Haley Adams take Emma Lawson’s place to face Alex Gazan. The two were rookies in the Reps Ahead format, giving fans a chance to see them compete in a different light.
As with every Showcase, there were some surprising results and nailbiting action, but as competition founder Phil Thomas would say, “That’s Reps Ahead.”
The Sequence
Here’s the sequence all of the athletes had to contend with at Reps Ahead Pro 6.
“Moe”
- 7 Cal Echo Bike
- 40-foot handstand walk (8 reps)
- 8 Sandbag to shoulder (150/100 pounds)
- 2:30 work / 1:00 rest, 4 rounds or 8 reps ahead
Results
Men’s Undercard – Khan Porter vs. Riley Humrighouse
Riley Humrighouse came in as the underdog, going up against the 2024 Affiliate Cup champion team member, Khan Porter.
- The match was fierce, and Humrighouse did not back down. The two-time undefeated Reps Ahead competitor relied on his experience to try and top Porter.
In the press conference before the event, Porter revealed his strategy to come out on top and deliver a first-round knockout.
- “I’m either going to beat the pants off of Riley in the first round, or I’m going to lose spectacularly in the second,” Porter said.
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It looked like he might achieve that when he revved up the Echo bike to start the bout.
The universe seemed to be on his side when after giving his request for his walk-out song, a bird dropped an unexpected delivery on his classy black shirt during the press conference. (This is considered a sign of good luck – look it up.)
- However, that did not turn out to be the case.
Humrighouse had the advantage of knowing Porter’s plan, but he still needed the fitness to stay close. He hung on, and the pendulum swung away from Porter in the second round. Despite keeping it close, Porter was clearly hitting a wall.
- Riley Humrighouse (3-0) defeated Khan Porter (0-1) by six reps after four full rounds.
Women’s Undercard – Lena Richter vs. Jessi Smith
While new to Reps Ahead, Lena Richter and Jessi Smith are seasoned team athletes with impressive resumes.
In the first round, the women stayed rep for rep with one another, moving from the Echo bike to the handstand walk to the sandbag cleans.
- After the first minute, Smith jumped ahead of Richter on the handstand walk, gaining two reps to close out round one.
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In round two, Richter increased her pace to try to catch Smith, but Smith put the pedal down to best Richter, ending on the sandbag cleans.
“I saw this workout. I don’t love the Echo bike as a machine, but I love sandbag cleans, and I love handstand walking, so two out of three is pretty good,” Smith said in a post-match interview.
- Jessi Smith (1-0) defeated Lena Richter (0-1) at 2:20 in round two.
Women’s Main Event – Alex Gazan vs. Haley Adams
Alex Gazan and Haley Adams came out full-send at the start of the match. Both of the women wanted a knockout as quickly as possible and didn’t want to stretch the match into four rounds.
- From the beginning, Gazan went touch and go on the sandbag cleans while Adams moved through the eight reps as singles.
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Gazan built a four-rep lead in the first round, half the reps needed for victory.
As round two started, the aggressive pace continued. While Adams went touch-and-go on the sandbag cleans at that point, it was just too late as Gazan jumped the eight reps ahead to secure victory.
- Alex Gazan (1-0) defeated Haley Adams (0-1) at 1:02 in round two.
Men’s Main Event – Jayson Hopper vs. Dallin Pepper
In the final match of the night, Jayson Hopper and Dallin Pepper took the stage.
The two came into the competition with a 1-0 Reps Ahead record, having both defeated James Sprague.
- While friends (and roommates for the weekend), the two are staunch competitors who hate nothing more than losing, especially to each other.
Hopper is known for eyeing his opponents during competition, whether to gather intel or intimidate (or maybe both). He kept an eye on Pepper throughout round one and gained a one-rep lead.
- His speed on the sandbag cleans and quick transitions was the difference in round two, and the lead grew to four reps going into the second one-minute rest period.
The breathing and body language of both athletes had noticeably changed. As the rounds progressed, the pace slowed, and the fatigue set in. They are two of the best in the world on the Echo bike, but Hopper’s slightly quicker transitions and efficiency on the sandbag turned out to be the difference between the two evenly matched competitors. He delivered the knockout on the handstand walk.
- Jayson Hopper (2-0) defeated Dallin Pepper (1-1) at 1:39 in round three.
The Bottom Line
Jayson Hopper improved his Reps Ahead record to 2-0 and now has defeated two of the three men from the 2024 Games podium (Hopper finished fourth).
- Brent Fikowski is the next on the list, but it may take some serious convincing to come out of retirement.
The winners of the main events took home a $4,000 payout, and the undercards earned $750.
Reps Ahead looks to expand its reach overseas, with the next stop in Germany later this year. Stay tuned for more details.
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Featured image: Scott Freymond
