osakarob's blog

One of the greatest urban marketing campaigns of all time is probably "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas". So it's with some trepidation of violating that edict that I'll share some thoughts on my recent visit to the Sin City Classic.

Held each January, the Classic positions itself as "the largest annual LGBTQ+ sporting event in the world...with more than 10,000 athletes...in fabulous Las Vegas for a weekend of competition, social events and fun."

Wrestling & Grappling are among the two dozen sports - which also include team sports like volleyball, softball, basketball, dodgeball, etc. The event is held at the historic Flamingo hotel in the middle of the Strip. (But some team sports which require specialized venues are held 'off-strip' in various neighborhoods of Las Vegas.)

The Friday registration party, held in a very large ballroom, felt like a loud circus where athletes registered, mingled, and learned about other competitors and sports. Music played and it felt a lot like a gay pride celebration without the drugs or cruising. Just a lot of joy and positive vibes. It was incredibly refreshing to be around so many LGBT practitioners.

The wrestling and grappling tournaments were held in a smaller ballroom at the Flamingo. The freestyle wrestling competition was all day Saturday and the grappling competition (submission or bjj style) was held on Sunday. I missed the freestyle wrestling clinic on Friday because I was still at work, but I heard several people say they appreciated the friendly welcome it provided. I did, however, attend the grappling clinic on Sunday morning. I found everyone to be quite kind, approachable, and friendly. There were also several social events for the wrestlers as well as presentation of awards for the winners.

The approximately 100 guys who competed impressed me with their level of expertise. It was clear that many had spent time on High School or college teams. I was told that many of the wrestling competitors hailed from clubs around the country including Philadelphia, Washington D.C., NYC, Austin, Denver, LA and San Diego - all unified through a partnership with USA Wrestling, the standard bearer for the sport and the keeper of rules, regulations, and such.

These aren't the 'weekend warriors' that we see on MF. These guys are training each week at their local clubs - keenly focused on improving skills.

Ages seemed to vary. I felt the average age was probably early 30s - with 90% of competitors appearing to be under 40. Perhaps the oldest competitor was late 40s? (Many veteran wrestlers served as volunteers though and maybe they regularly do more slow rolls with their local clubs).

Although I certainly did recognize some competitors who also had profiles here on MF, it was clear that the Sin City classic provided the participants with the pure legitimacy of genuine structured competition. There were trained referees, timekeepers, coaches and even a volunteer 'medic' on hand for injuries.

Here on MF, I sometimes hear serious practitioners of BJJ, grappling or wrestling bemoan the overwhelming kink focus of this site. I do believe we live in a world where there is a space for everyone at all levels of interest in wrestling.

But you certainly see a difference in the marketing between Sin City Classic and an event like NYC Wrestlefest - the latter being really over-the-top compared to the subdued and almost genteel word-of-mouth advertising of the former.

I sensed a genuine fraternity of practitioners in Vegas who are happy to train weekly with their clubs but gather once a year to go head-to-head against other wrestlers in a formalized competitive environment. And that gave it a certain gravitas worthy of respect.

Several wrestlers I talked to acknowledged a space for kink-based wrestling in their own lives but they greatly appreciated that there were also venues for gay men to seek legitimate wrestling training. (I'm told that Wrestling/Grappling at the Classic goes back at least a decade).

Although I'm not likely to ever elevate to a level where I could compete as these guys do, I was energized after seeing their matches. I returned to my local BJJ class with a different kind of goal: perhaps to join the grappling day at the 2026 Sin City Classic.

At the very least, being a spectator for the weekend helped me greatly appreciate the niche that these guys have carved out for legitimate competitive wrestling among LGBT folks. That made me happy - and a bit wistful - at how far "the community" has come in the last two generations or so.