Josh fight

The Josh fight was a popular Internet meme, mock fight, and charity fundraiser at Air Park in Lincoln, Nebraska, on April 24, 2021. A second edition of the event took place at Bowling Lake Park in Lincoln on May 21, 2022.[1][2]

Date
  • April 24, 2021 (2021-04-24) (first event)
  • May 21, 2022 (2022-05-21)
Venue
  • Air Park, Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S. (2021)
  • Bowling Lake Park, Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S. (2022)
Coordinates40°49′20″N 96°47′54″W / 40.8223286°N 96.79820002°W / 40.8223286; -96.79820002Coordinates: 40°49′20″N 96°47′54″W / 40.8223286°N 96.79820002°W / 40.8223286; -96.79820002
Organized byJosh Swain
Participants
  • 900+ (2021)
  • 200+ (2022)

The event was first thought of by a civil engineering student named Josh Swain from Tucson, Arizona, on April 24, 2020, because he was bored during COVID-19 lockdowns.[3] It became popular after a screenshot of a Facebook Messenger group chat with many users named Josh Swain spread widely on the Internet.

Swain told people in the chat to meet at a set of coordinates one year later and fight for the right to use the name "Josh". Although the event was meant as a joke, nearly a thousand people came on the day of the event.[4] Three "fights" took place, one game of rock paper scissors for those named Josh Swain, a second with pool noodles for all attendees named Josh, and a third and final all-in battle for anyone with a pool noodle who wanted to join.[5][6]

A local five-year-old boy named Josh Vinson Jr., dubbed "Little Josh", who had been treated at the CH&MC for seizures when he was two years old, won the event. He was given a paper crown from Burger King and a replica AEW World Championship belt.[7][8][9] Winson's Jr.'s father, Josh Vinson Sr., said afterward that his son "had the time of his life".[10]

The gathering was lighthearted and there was no actual violence involved. The Wall Street Journal said the event became a "global news phenomenon",[10] while a technology writer for The Guardian called it "perhaps the ultimate response to an online doppelgänger".[11]

References

  1. Swain, Josh. Josh Fight 2022 | thejoshfight.com. Josh Fight 2022 (May 22, 2022). Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  2. Jessie | [jjessirose]. IMPORTANT: The Josh Swain fight location has CHANGED. Here are more updates! #joshswain #joshfight #joshswainbattle t.co/s7XP0eeymC (in en) (April 22, 2021). Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  3. Paybarah, Azi (April 26, 2021). "Josh Is the Name, and They Will Fight You for It" (in en-US). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/26/us/josh-fight-nebraska.html. Retrieved September 22, 2025. 
  4. "Hundreds show up in Nebraska for fight over name Josh". Associated Press. April 24, 2021. https://apnews.com/article/health-nebraska-coronavirus-08b5af38117fd7146cd06e900cb2af3b. Retrieved September 22, 2025. 
  5. Hammack, Zach (April 22, 2021). "Calling all Josh Swains: The battle for your name is taking place right here in Lincoln" (in en). Lincoln Journal Star. https://journalstar.com/news/local/calling-all-josh-swains-the-battle-for-your-name-is-taking-place-right-here-in/article_1cb44f9f-1050-59b9-8e7e-40d09fec270a.html. Retrieved September 22, 2025. 
  6. Saxena, Akanksha. Ultimate 'Josh' Fight: Hundreds of men named 'Josh' come to Nebraska to fight over their name (in en). www.timesnownews.com (April 25, 2021). Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  7. Best, Paul (April 24, 2021). "Nebraska Josh fight: Horde of dudes named Josh fight for right to name". Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/us/nebraska-josh-fight-horde-of-dudes-named-josh-fight-for-right-to-name. Retrieved September 22, 2025. 
  8. Seline, Libby (April 24, 2021). "'Little Josh' dubbed winner of the Battle of the Joshes; community also benefits from event". Lincoln Journal-Star. https://journalstar.com/news/local/little-josh-dubbed-winner-of-the-battle-of-the-joshes-community-also-benefits-from-event/article_5b0db3e8-e96b-5025-9dd5-222aae3b99c5.html. Retrieved September 22, 2025. 
  9. Nambiar, Prerna. Who won the Josh fight? Here's what happened at the event! (in en-GB). HITC (April 25, 2021). Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Gay, Jason (April 26, 2021). "The Day People Named Josh Fought in Nebraska" (in en-US). The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660 . https://www.wsj.com/articles/josh-battle-fight-josh-swain-joshfight-nebraska-little-josh-11619437432. Retrieved September 22, 2025. 
  11. Hepworth, Shelley. My inbox is piling up with spam again and my email doppelgänger is to blame (in en). the Guardian (February 25, 2022). Retrieved September 22, 2025.