On one side, wrestling in the United States is picking up viewership and on the other, it is riding the wave of “wokeness“. With the NCAA season going on in full swing, the wrestling fandom is all cheers for the greatness going down on the mats. However, with the growth has come scrutiny. Especially over the recent trans-inclusion decision from USA wrestling, which has got them dancing on thin ice. So what exactly is happening?

A controversy has been brewing in Iowa, as a decision has come to light earlier today. The decision? To allow trans-women to compete in the girls’ division at the 2025 Kids Folkstyle Championships. While on the one hand, it seems like a step towards inclusivity. On the other, names like Coach TJ Sebolt, who’s a 4x High School State Champion, are disturbed by the decision. And Sebolt is not icing his words!

As the headlines hit the masses, Coach Sebolt took to X and wrote, “What are we doing @USAWrestling?!” Interestingly, this is not just Coach Sebolt’s reaction, but the collective sentiment of the wrestling community at large. So, how exactly did this decision come about? The Iowa USA Wrestling Board sought legal counsel to ensure compliance. Legal counsel advised them of a loophole in Iowa’s law on transgender athletes in interscholastic sports.

The loophole? Iowa’s law on transgender athletes in interscholastic sports does not apply to the Iowa USA Wrestling Kids Folkstyle Championships, since the event is not interscholastic in nature. Currently, the Board follows USA Wrestling’s Transgender Guidelines, which state that individuals transitioning from male to female before puberty are recognized as girls. The board has promised to revisit the participation policies after the event. However, netizens believe the damage may already be done and could possibly have larger implications.

While the inclusion decision is called “Woke,” netizens are angry about it!

Walking the tightrope of inclusion and the sanctity of a sport like wrestling is a hard one to navigate. However, when TJ Sebolt spoke, the wrestling world listened. In fact, The Wrestling Room’s Pat Mineo went on to tweet the same and shared the same rage as Sebolt. He went on to write, “Absolutely unacceptable stuff here, especially in a sport like wrestling. 🤔 @USAWrestling has made some questionable decisions and policies lately, ones that do not advance the sport. Coach Sebolt is correct, what are we doing?” Interestingly, Mineo is not the sole voice in this battle of rage!

It was not long ago that USA Wrestling made some questionable financial decisions regarding NCAA wrestlers. And now this! One fan couldn’t hold back and went on to write, “Another reason to call for new leadership at USA Wrestling.” The fandom feels like these decisions could impact the sanctity of a sport that has fought too hard to finally be in the limelight. In fact, it has been harder for women’s wrestling!

As another fan rightly puts it, “It’s been cool to watch girls wrestling take off on its own… The girls deserve all the character building and hard work pays off lessons that come with successes and failures on the mat. We all had the opportunity, and they should as well.” The netizen is not alone in feeling that inclusion could mean fewer opportunities for women. So why the consensus on this?

Historically speaking, until the late 1980s, women’s wrestling was not in light. Women’s wrestling in fact got its global start only in 1987 at the World Championships in Norway, where interestingly the USA did not participate. It was only in 1989, in Switzerland, that USA Wrestling sent its first Women’s World Team. So it is no wonder that another fan went on to bluntly write, “USA Wrestling is WOKE and destroyed. It needs to start over and rebuild—it’s a joke!” While the rage is in full blow, others are suggesting a boycott!

Another netizen went on to write, “I wouldn’t put it past USA women wrestlers to not compete against that man. Wrestling isn’t the sport to try woke shit in.” Will the boycott materialize? That is an answer that only time will give. The inclusion versus tradition debate is far from over. As USA wrestling continues its battle of identity in a world that demands evolution, the questions remains. Is it a step ahead or is it a fall from grace for the sport?