TEMPE – A unique partnership means a new chapter for the local wrestling community.
The newly formed Southwest Wrestling Club is collaborating with Arizona State University to launch a mission representing the next evolution of wrestling. The for-profit organization is filling the void left by the Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club and founder Art Martori, who retired in 2024. Sunkist helped produce 72 Olympians and 29 Olympic medalists since its founding in 1976, including Rulon Gardner and Kennedy Blades.
The partnership means the potential for greater Name, Image and Likeness money for ASU wrestlers, while also providing them access to a Regional Training Center.
“We want to be the best team in the country and in the world,” ASU wrestling coach Zeke Jones said. “To do that, you have to have a wrestling club and Regional Training Center supported at the highest level, a club that wants to, not only help produce NCAA champions, but ultimately become World and Olympic champions.”
Southwest Wrestling Club’s co-founder, Ken McElroy, is prepared to take over the legacy Martori built and knows how much Sunkist Wrestling meant to the wrestling community. Martori, an Arizona citrus farmer, initially started the collegiate wrestling program at Phoenix Community College in the 1960s, and later headed up ASU’s wrestling program. Under Martori’s watch, a member of Sunkist Kids was on every USA Olympic or World team from 1976 to 2024.
The elite amateur club shuttered after the 2024 Summer Olympics, creating a noticeable gap for the Valley’s wrestling circles.
“When Sunkist Wrestling stepped away, it left a huge void in our community,” McElroy, told USA Wrestling. “What Art Martori built was legendary, and Southwest Wrestling Club exists to honor and build on that legacy. … We are committed to building something special that elevates wrestling in Arizona and across the Southwest.”
The collaboration goes beyond Arizona State. There are plans to ensure the club’s presence throughout the entire Southwest and even reaching beyond Arizona.
Just one year ago, a challenge for maintaining the wrestling club was financial resources. That will no longer be a problem thanks to the collaboration, allowing young wrestlers access to the best resources and coaching for a proper mentorship.
The program’s expansion has extended outside of Arizona with around 17% of donations coming from outside of the state, according to USA Wrestling.
“We’ll be able to compete financially,” Jones said. “Most importantly, the kids will have what they need to be the best in the country and the best in the world. It’s not a four- or five-year program at Arizona State. You’re a Sun Devil forever.”
David Kiley, Southwest Wrestling Club’s director, said the collaboration with ASU is a game-changer. “You can really feel that energy right now in Arizona,” Kiley said. “I know that maybe the rest of the country, maybe can’t right now, because they’re not living it, but from the culture that Zeke’s creating, you can feel it.”
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