PORTLAND, OR — The historic Multnomah Athletic Club played host once again to elite professional four-wall handball as the World Players of Handball (WPH) Race 4 Eight tour stopped in the Pacific Northwest for the Portland Classic, featured on ESPN.
With four-time defending champion Martin Mulkerrins returning to defend his dominant reign and top seed Ray Ure sidelined while competing in the Chicago Marathon, the door stood wide open for challengers to make their mark on the glass court.
Quarterfinal Fireworks
The action heated up early Saturday morning with thrilling quarterfinal matchups:
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Mulkerrins vs. Langmack: Martin Mulkerrins kicked off his title defense against collegiate star Max Langmack [00:40]. Langmack brought fearless power and highlight-reel diving retrieves [01:17], pushing the champion hard before Mulkerrins closed out a competitive straight-game victory (15-9, 15-11) [01:09].
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Canales Stuns Burgos: Leo Canales faced off with Ivan Burgos in a battle of momentum swings [01:45]. After dropping the opener 11-15 [01:56], Canales answered with an astonishing 15-0 shutout in Game 2 [02:14]. In the decisive tiebreaker, Burgos built a commanding 13-8 lead [02:29], but Canales staged an electrifying seven-point unanswered run—anchored by a clutch 39-foot return-of-serve kill—to steal the tiebreaker 15-13 [02:37].
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Lenning Outlasts Doyle: Sean Lenning energized the Portland gallery against Mark Doyle [03:20]. Doyle mounted late comebacks in both games, but Lenning’s trademark shot-making sealed the 15-13, 15-6 win [03:54].
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Cordova Brotherhood Clash: The final quarterfinal featured an intense battle between brothers Luis “Lucho” Cordova and Daniel Cordova [04:47]. Displaying breathtaking back-to-back dives and pinpoint front-court pressure, Lucho kept his upper hand on the tour, taking down his brother in two games (15-11, 15-9) [04:35].
Semifinal Drama & Tiebreaker Heroics
In the upper bracket semifinal, Mulkerrins continued his clinical form against Leo Canales, taking control early with relentless pace to earn a straight-set bid into the final (15-4, 15-11) [05:46].
The bottom bracket semifinal between Sean Lenning and Lucho Cordova delivered the match of the weekend [06:19]. Cordova dominated game one 15-10 with low kills and explosive dives [06:49]. In game two, facing elimination at 8-10, Lenning caught fire to score seven consecutive points, forcing an 11-point tiebreaker [07:15].
The tiebreaker was filled with high-voltage drama, fierce debates over court calls, and sprawling gets [08:04]. Locked in a tight dogfight, Lenning held his nerve to close out the comeback victory 11-8, securing his 24th career Race 4 Eight final appearance [09:03].
Championship Sunday: Mulkerrins Denies Lenning’s Charge
Championship Sunday set up a clash between two of the game’s finest champions: Lenning entering his 24th final, and Mulkerrins appearing in his 26th [09:18].
Game one was a seesaw duel that saw Lenning battle back to level the score at 11-11 [10:25]. Mulkerrins took a crucial timeout [10:28] and returned to run four straight points for a 15-11 win [10:34].
In Game 2, Mulkerrins built what appeared to be an insurmountable 13-4 lead [10:50]. Refusing to go quietly, Lenning mounted a furious nine-point surge to shock the gallery and tie the match at 13-13 [11:27]. However, Mulkerrins dug deep when it mattered most, steadying the ship with two final kills to secure the 15-11, 15-13 championship victory [11:42].
The win marks Mulkerrins’ fifth consecutive Portland Classic title [11:51] and his 18th career Race 4 Eight tour crown [06:09], putting him within five titles of Killian Carroll’s all-time record of 23 [09:33].
Watch the Action
Watch the full ESPN tournament highlight video: 2026 WPH – Video Highlights from Portland Classic (as seen on ESPN)
Next up on the WPH Race 4 Eight tour: The 2026 Tucson Memorial at the Tucson Racquet and Fitness Club [12:22]. Online registration is now open at r2sports.com [12:27]. Don’t miss any of the live coverage on ESPN+ and wphlive.tv [12:33].