The Ultimate Fantasy Wrestling Challenge will coincide with the NCAA Division I Wrestling ChampionshipsParticipation in fantasy sports competitions is booming in just about every athletic activity, from football to basketball, golf to NASCAR. Fans of the oldest and greatest sport aren't stuck on the sidelines, as fantasy wrestling is now generating greater levels of interest and participation, according to wrestling journalist Matt Krumrie's feature this month at USA Wrestling.
Now wrestling fans can get in on the action -- and help grow the sport they love -- by participating in the Ultimate Fantasy Wrestling Challenge, a unique, live-auction fantasy wrestling event to coincide with the 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
The events include a live auction event as well as a 2017 Fantasy Wrestling National Championship bracket contest.
Proceeds from these events will go to USA Wrestling and the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA).
The live auction event takes place at Ballpark Village, 601 Clark Street, in downtown St. Louis on Wednesday, March 15, the evening before the three-day wrestling championships. Doors open at 5:00 p.m.; the event starts at 6:30 p.m.
Each live auction attendee will receive a "participation package" of swag, including subscriptions to various wrestling websites and publications, memberships, and wearables, with a total value of $500 according to event sponsors. The team winning first prize will claim a championship trophy, NWCA membership, and four tickets to future premium wrestling championship events in St. Louis.
In addition, there will be the 2017 Fantasy Wrestling National Championship that allows wrestling fans to get involved in a mega-fantasy wrestling bracket event. For $20 per entry, each participant chooses ten wrestlers per entry, one from each weight class. Each entry must stay within a $1,000 salary cap. (Salary cap costs are based on average rankings from several top- ranking websites.) Wrestler scoring follows tournament scoring rules.
"Fantasy wrestling is a fun way to compete with your friends to show who knows more about wrestling," David Mirikitani, creator of Ultimate Fantasy Wrestling Challenge, told Krumrie. "It's a fun way to brag to friends about knowing more than them. But really, anything like this that can drive interest in wrestling is beneficial to the sport."
Jonny Ruggiano, public relations director for the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, told Krumrie that fantasy leagues are not only fun, but also offer fans a chance to engage with favorite wrestlers and teams. And, when it comes to promoting wrestling, the more engagement, the more life-long fans the sport will have.
"What I love about fantasy wrestling leagues is that it enables both the obsessed fan and the casual fan to learn more about the sport," said Ruggiano. "I also love the fact that in fantasy leagues, friends can get together and enjoy talking about their speculations. In a sport like wrestling, there is not much predictability, so fantasy leagues open up a lot of room for excitement for the fans."
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