British Wrestling is bringing a new kind of wrestling to Cleethorpes beach on July 25 — and there won’t be a ring in sight!
The organisation will host the UK’s first Beach Wrestling competition in the Lincolnshire town on Saturday, with competitors battling on the sand rather than inside a traditional wrestling ring or on an amateur wrestling mat. Unlike the over-the-top pageantry that has been seen at Butlins and Blackpool for decades, this will be a form of amateur wrestling where the winner could go on to represent their country at the Olympic Games.
The competition may be unfamiliar to fans of professional wrestling, but the crossover between the two worlds is well established. Kurt Angle famously won an Olympic gold medal in freestyle wrestling before becoming one of the biggest stars in professional wrestling — and he did it with a broken neck!
Lawrence Dutton, who is the Development Manager – Competitions for British Wrestling, spoke to Features of Wrestling about competitors qualifying via United World Wrestling. Dutton explained that while British Wrestling’s established disciplines have Olympic qualification pathways, Beach Wrestling is not currently part of the Games. However, the discipline is beginning to gain greater recognition.
“So basically, you qualify through British Wrestling events to go towards the Olympics, and that’s in all disciplines. Beach wrestling isn’t in the Olympics yet. It’s just been introduced to the youth games this year, so the next stage will be after the youth games. They’re hoping for Sydney in 2032.”
British Wrestling Looking To Find Next Olympic Stars
Matches last up to three minutes, although bouts can end earlier depending on the action. A wrestler can win by taking their opponent down or forcing them outside the designated competition area, bringing the match to an end. A takedown is recognised when any body part other than the hand touches the sand.
With Beach Wrestling potentially being considered for a future Olympic Games, there is a possibility that some of the athletes competing at Cleethorpes could eventually compete on the Olympic stage. With competitors set to have multiple matches throughout the day, Dutton explained what the experience will be like for those taking part:
“It’s the weigh in first. Once you’ve weighed in, got rehydrated, then our matches will be starting at 11 a.m. So with beach wrestling, there are only three minute rounds. When you get into freestyle, it’s four minutes for children, five minutes for adults. So they’re a bit longer rounds. These are only three minutes, and normally they don’t even last three minutes because it’s a quick turnaround. So for wrestlers to get a bit more out of the competition, it’s a round robin format, so they get plenty of matches.”
Dutton also noted that entrants don’t need to have previous experience in wrestling, as those with a background in jiu-jitsu and MMA could also have a strong showing.
The event will take place during the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, although wrestling will not feature on the programme. WWE star Joe Hendry previously competed in amateur wrestling at the Commonwealth Games. Dutton stated that British Wrestling were not told why the sport had been removed, but believed that it would return in 2030. He also highlighted Darragh Love, Danoush Jowkar, Marshall Everett-Jones and Naoise McManus as four names that fans should look out for in future competitions.
Although the concept is relatively new in the UK, Beach Wrestling has a long history in other parts of the world. According to Dutton, beach wrestling is particularly popular in Senegal, where he said it is regarded as a national sport. Dutton also pointed to countries such as the United States and Russia as potential forces in the discipline because of their strong amateur wrestling traditions.
The Cleethorpes competition will be free to attend and will give spectators an opportunity to witness the first beach wrestling event in the UK. As the first event in what is planned to become a wider series, there are also plans to host trials in the north and south of England.
When asked about British amateurs potentially making the move to professional wrestling, Dutton admitted that their size could be a limiting factor. However, he pointed to former UFC fighter Muhammad Mokaev as an example of the opportunities available to elite combat sports athletes outside of their primary discipline. Dutton suggested that some competitors could potentially make a one-off appearance in an exhibition match — similar to Floyd Mayweather’s WrestleMania bout in 2008.
Dutton closed the interview by expressing his delight that the event is set to take place on a sunny Saturday in Cleethorpes, while also discussing the growth of amateur wrestling in the country:
“I’m happy the weather’s been nice to us. We’ve had a good build-up to it. We’ve had a few people sign up who weren’t members, so that’s really encouraging. Our membership base is always growing.”
With British Wrestling having grown from 30 clubs before the pandemic to 80 today, the Cleethorpes event could be the beginning of something much bigger — and potentially the first step towards discovering Britain’s next generation of Olympic wrestlers.
