U.S. Army Fight Team
Two rising stars from the Pittsburgh region have earned one of the highest honors in competitive martial arts: selection to the U.S. Army Fight Team. Fourteen-year-old Gabby Viola and 15-year-old Xander Eddy have been chosen to represent the United States at elite international martial arts and combative sports events as sponsored athletes for the 2025 season.
The U.S. Army Fight Team is part of a national initiative designed to showcase physical excellence, discipline, and resilience through high-level athletic competition. Serving both as a recruitment platform and a symbol of the Army’s commitment to strength and confidence, the Fight Team brings together standout civilian and military athletes from across the country.
For Viola and Eddy, the news arrived in unforgettable fashion. On Christmas morning, both athletes learned they had officially been selected to join the Army’s prestigious squad.
“I woke up to a U.S. Army flag as my first present,” said Viola. “I am blessed to carry that flag into battle.”
Eddy shared a similar sense of pride, adding, “The first thing I did was update my Instagram bio to say, ‘BE ALL YOU CAN BE.’ I’m going to make the most of this opportunity.”
Lifelong training partners who have worked side by side since early childhood, Viola and Eddy signed contracts to represent the U.S. Army Fight Team on a global competition tour throughout 2025.
Their upcoming schedule includes some of the most respected events in combat sports, including the ICO World Championships in Wales, the Mexican Open, the WKC World Championships in Canada, and the WAKO Pan American Championships in the Dominican Republic.
According to Sensei Bill Viola Jr., Gabby’s father and the longtime instructor for both athletes, the opportunity represents a major step toward the Olympic pathway. “This puts them closer to an Olympic dream,” he said. Both athletes are USA Kickboxing national champions competing under the IOC-recognized World Association of Kickboxing Organizations framework.
Viola and Eddy first gained widespread national attention in 2024 after earning medals at the WAKO Junior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. They followed that performance with gold medals at the WKC World Championships in Albufeira, Portugal.
“They’ve spent their entire lives committed to martial arts,” Viola Jr. said. “The U.S. Army saw that dedication and rewarded it with the chance to represent something bigger than themselves.”
Selection to the Fight Team goes far beyond competitive accolades. Founder Wesley Lawrence, a retired U.S. Army soldier and martial artist with more than four decades of experience, emphasized character as a core factor.
“The U.S. Army Fight Team represents sportsmanship, combat readiness, and the warrior ethos,” Lawrence said. “Gabby and Xander are outstanding students, leaders in their community, and role models for younger athletes. That’s what ‘Army Strong’ looks like. We’re proud to welcome them.”
The U.S. Army Fight Team consists of approximately 25 civilian and military athletes nationwide, all competing at national and international levels. The team’s 2025 debut will take place at the WAKO National Championships, hosted by the Kumite Classic during the Arnold Schwarzenegger Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio—widely regarded as the largest fitness expo in the world. The event also serves as the official Team USA trials for the Junior Pan American Championships and Senior World Championships in Abu Dhabi.
Both athletes train at the Allegheny Shotokan Viola Karate Dojo, a Pittsburgh-area institution that has produced generations of champions since 1969. As Viola and Eddy prepare to take the international stage in 2025, their journey stands as a powerful example of dedication, discipline, and the life-changing impact of martial arts.
