Day 1
Austin, TX WPH Press, 4/25/25
The Race 4 Eight tour hit Austin for the first time for the 2025 R48LTE Pete Tyson Classic, featuring 177 players competing in the Pete Tyson pro and amateur brackets, making the Tyson one of the largest 4-Wall draws in the U.S. in the decade.
The ninety-sixth event in the history of the Race 4 Eight tour featured five of the Race 4 Eight’s top eight players, including R48 #1 and 2024 Race 4 Eight Player of the Year Martin Mulkerrins, who will be aiming for his fourteenth career Race 4 Eight title and fifth title of this season in Austin.
Joining Mulkerrins in Austin was the tour’s all-time leader in match wins and current R48 #5 David Fink, five-time Race 4 Eight champion and Austin resident Danos Cordova making his first pro start in Austin on his adopted home court at Gregory Gym, R48 #7 and one of the tour’s most popular stars Ivan Burgos, and two-handed offensive powerhouse and R48 #8 Sam Esser.
Race 4 Eight #NextGen stars Mark Doyle (R48 #9), Max Langmack (R48 #14), Jab Bike (R48 #15), Taylor Schmitt (R48 #21), and Diarmuid Mulkerrins (R48 #22) would all be aiming for their first Race titles in Austin.
The WPH had a chance to catch up with R48 #1 Martin Mulkerrins before the start of the Tyson. Martin discussed the Tyson draw, his potential opponents at the Tyson, and his season thus far.
R48LTE Pete Tyson Classic Round of 16 (Saturday) (Event will not be filmed)
Mulkerrins vs. D. Schmidt
Fink vs. Gardea
Danos vs. H. Smith
Burgos vs. Lopez
Esser vs. Colyer
Bike vs. T. Schmitt
Langmack vs. D. Mulkerrins
Doyle vs. Bernhard
The 2025 R48LTE Pete Tyson Classic will not be Filmed or Streamed
Follow all of the brackets from the 2025 R48LTE Pete Tyson Classic HERE
2025 R48LTE Pete Tyson Classic press release HERE
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Race 4 Eight pro player bios HERE
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2024/25 Race 4 Eight schedule HERE
WPH RACE 4 EIGHT: The World Players of Handball’s 2024/25 Race 4 Eight XIV Powered by ESPN features nine Race 4 Eight stops from California to Mexico, all culminating with The Player’s Championship. Similar to NASCAR’s Nextel Cup and the FedEx PGA Playoffs, players earn points in the Race 4 Eight’s regular season stops to qualify for the season-ending Player’s Championship and bonus prizes.
For more information on the WPH Race 4 Eight title sponsor opportunity, please contact World Players of Handball Executive Director David Vincent at dave.vincent@wphlive.tv or World Players of Handball Development Director David Fink at david.fink@wphlive.tv. For more information on the World Players of Handball, please visit wphlive.tv
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer