Santino Rodriguez Captures Beast of the East Title

This season, Santino Rodriguez finally reached the top of one of the toughest tournaments in the country, putting together a complete run to claim the Beast of the East title — a milestone that had eluded him in past trips.

Rodriguez worked through a deep bracket with 16-1 technical fall over Arthur Konshak, decisions over Sawyer Jones (1-0), Riley Shaffer (6-0), Chase Hetrick (7-4), Nate Moore (6-2) and a solid victory in the finals over Jackson Angelo (5-2). Not many early blow outs, no easy matches, just steady control and consistency across every round.

For Rodriguez, the win carried more meaning than just the result.

“Besides being one of the hardest tournaments in the country to place in, let alone win, it means a little something more,” he said. “Every year I’ve been to the Beast in the past I’ve struggled with injuries that led to failure and reaching short of my goal. So this one feels a little special.”

Those injuries shaped much of his high school career. Multiple shoulder surgeries limited his ability to train and compete during the offseason, forcing him to spend more time rehabbing than preparing. This year marked the first time he entered the season with a full, uninterrupted offseason.

That difference showed, especially when things didn’t go perfectly in the finals.

“The match didn’t go as planned, but I found a way to win,” Rodriguez said.
“I got in on the same shot two or three times and didn’t finish. I knew that shot was there the whole time, and I knew the more attempts I took I would score and sure enough I did.”

Staying committed, trusting his preparation, and adjusting without panic — reflected the biggest change in his mindset. “The biggest thing for me right now is my confidence,” he said. “This year has been the only offseason I got to train and go to tournaments that would help me prepare for the season. That’s been the biggest game changer.”

For Rodriguez, the Beast of the East title wasn’t about proving anything new, it was about finally having the opportunity to show what he’s capable of when healthy and prepared.

After years of coming up short for reasons beyond his control, Santino Rodriguez didn’t just place at the Beast this time. He won it.