Draft
PGF Season 9 Draft Complete: 28 Athletes Locked In Across Four Franchises
Commissioner Brandon McCaghren served as auctioneer as all four franchises filled their seven-man rosters through auction bidding and supplemental selections.
LAS VEGAS — The Professional Grappling Federation completed its Season 9 draft Tuesday evening at The STAGE in Las Vegas, with all four franchises filling their seven-man rosters through a combination of auction bidding and supplemental selections.
Commissioner Brandon McCaghren served as auctioneer for the 12-pick auction portion, where teams worked within a $9,000 remaining salary cap after retaining two athletes each.
Auction Highlights
The Kings made the biggest single investment, paying $5,400 for Dallas qualifier winner Austin Oranday — the highest price of the night. The Twisters countered by securing Gatlinburg qualifier winner Travis Haven for $5,100, the second-highest bid.
The Phenoms spread their cap across three solid pickups: Shawn Melanson ($3,200), Kyle Chambers ($3,000), and Noah McCully ($2,800). The Wolverines took a similar approach, landing Jayden Groner, Sam Schwartzapfel, and Brett Moyer for a combined $8,200.
Two athletes went at the $1,000 minimum: Chuy Magana (Kings) and Jake Straus (Twisters).
Auction Results
| Pick | Athlete | Team | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travis Haven | Twisters | $5,100 |
| 2 | Austin Oranday | Kings | $5,400 |
| 3 | Shawn Melanson | Phenoms | $3,200 |
| 4 | Jayden Groner | Wolverines | $3,000 |
| 5 | Kyle Chambers | Phenoms | $3,000 |
| 6 | Anthony Salisbury | Twisters | $2,700 |
| 7 | Sam Schwartzapfel | Wolverines | $2,200 |
| 8 | Brett Moyer | Wolverines | $3,000 |
| 9 | Chuy Magana | Kings | $1,000 |
| 10 | Jake Straus | Twisters | $1,000 |
| 11 | Jared Fekete | Kings | $2,600 |
| 12 | Noah McCully | Phenoms | $2,800 |
Supplemental Round
Eight athletes who went undrafted in the auction entered the supplemental draft, conducted in snake format. The Phenoms opened by selecting Armin Bruni, followed by JJ Bowers to the Kings, Clayton Wimer to the Wolverines, and Jeo Ortiz to the Twisters.
The second round saw Eric Allen and Derrick Adkins complete the Twisters and Phenoms rosters, while Joshua Squires and CJ Murdock filled out the Wolverines and Kings benches.
Final Rosters
Las Vegas Kings
| Athlete | Acquisition |
|---|---|
| Cam Hurd | Pre-signed |
| Jett Thompson | Pre-signed |
| Austin Oranday | Auction ($5,400) |
| Chuy Magana | Auction ($1,000) |
| Jared Fekete | Auction ($2,600) |
| JJ Bowers | Supplemental |
| CJ Murdock | Supplemental |
Philadelphia Phenoms
| Athlete | Acquisition |
|---|---|
| Derek Rayfield | Pre-signed |
| Andrew Kochel | Pre-signed |
| Shawn Melanson | Auction ($3,200) |
| Kyle Chambers | Auction ($3,000) |
| Noah McCully | Auction ($2,800) |
| Armin Bruni | Supplemental |
| Derrick Adkins | Supplemental |
Alabama Twisters
| Athlete | Acquisition |
|---|---|
| Kevin Beuhring | Pre-signed |
| Elijah Carlton | Pre-signed |
| Travis Haven | Auction ($5,100) |
| Anthony Salisbury | Auction ($2,700) |
| Jake Straus | Auction ($1,000) |
| Jeo Ortiz | Supplemental |
| Eric Allen | Supplemental |
Colorado Wolverines
| Athlete | Acquisition |
|---|---|
| Caleb Crump | Pre-signed |
| Jonathan Wilson | Pre-signed |
| Jayden Groner | Auction ($3,000) |
| Sam Schwartzapfel | Auction ($2,200) |
| Brett Moyer | Auction ($3,000) |
| Clayton Wimer | Supplemental |
| Joshua Squires | Supplemental |
What's Next
Season 9 opens March 4 from Las Vegas, with matches airing every Wednesday through April 1. The top eight individual scorers from the regular season advance to the April 8 playoffs.