From Martin Floreani, FloWrestling Founder and CEO
- Late Thursday night, I was made aware that the founder of Reno Tournament of Champions, Ross Aguiar had died in a tragic car accident.
And although our meetings and conversations were less frequent these days, Ross had a profound effect on me in my early days.
I've known Ross Aguiar for almost as long as FloWrestling has been in existence. A big, burly man, while his stature was imposing, his gregarious nature was comforting and inviting. Ross was just so damn classy and graceful.
When I started Flo, Ross invited me out to cover the Reno Tournament of Champions, which Ross founded and which, upon inception, became a keystone wrestling event. During those early days I asked tournaments to help pay for my trip. He agreed. When I got there he treated me like an all star. At the end of the tournament he gave me a check for a five hundred dollars more than my travel. When I asked him about it, he deflected and let me know that I earned it. I was in between shooting and commentating matches for the college division and he was off.
There was something about the interaction that stuck with me. It wasn’t only that he paid me more, but it was his manner of delivery that really stuck with me. There was something so graceful and classy in it; the extra money wasn't positioned as a handout and he left me little room to resist. I could tell this was a really good man.
At the time that extra money meant the world to me. It didn’t feel like a donation so much as he wanted to pay me because he thought I deserved it. Hell, I was operating on a shoe string budget, so a donation would have been fine. But Ross wanted me to know that I earned it. It was a dignifying gesture that also made me think that I what I was doing was in fact valuable. And that was more important than the money.
When I was given the news that Ross died, a wave of somber nostalgia washed over me. I wouldn’t see Ross more than once over the last several years, but I suddenly missed him and wished I spent more time with him.
Ross, if you made this big of imprint on me in the short time we spent together, I can’t imagine what your close friends and family are going through right now. My heart felt condolences go out to them.
We will miss you. You were awesome.
Aguiar Recalls TOC History
- Late Thursday night, I was made aware that the founder of Reno Tournament of Champions, Ross Aguiar had died in a tragic car accident.
And although our meetings and conversations were less frequent these days, Ross had a profound effect on me in my early days.
I've known Ross Aguiar for almost as long as FloWrestling has been in existence. A big, burly man, while his stature was imposing, his gregarious nature was comforting and inviting. Ross was just so damn classy and graceful.
When I started Flo, Ross invited me out to cover the Reno Tournament of Champions, which Ross founded and which, upon inception, became a keystone wrestling event. During those early days I asked tournaments to help pay for my trip. He agreed. When I got there he treated me like an all star. At the end of the tournament he gave me a check for a five hundred dollars more than my travel. When I asked him about it, he deflected and let me know that I earned it. I was in between shooting and commentating matches for the college division and he was off.
There was something about the interaction that stuck with me. It wasn’t only that he paid me more, but it was his manner of delivery that really stuck with me. There was something so graceful and classy in it; the extra money wasn't positioned as a handout and he left me little room to resist. I could tell this was a really good man.
At the time that extra money meant the world to me. It didn’t feel like a donation so much as he wanted to pay me because he thought I deserved it. Hell, I was operating on a shoe string budget, so a donation would have been fine. But Ross wanted me to know that I earned it. It was a dignifying gesture that also made me think that I what I was doing was in fact valuable. And that was more important than the money.
When I was given the news that Ross died, a wave of somber nostalgia washed over me. I wouldn’t see Ross more than once over the last several years, but I suddenly missed him and wished I spent more time with him.
Ross, if you made this big of imprint on me in the short time we spent together, I can’t imagine what your close friends and family are going through right now. My heart felt condolences go out to them.
We will miss you. You were awesome.
Aguiar Recalls TOC History