{"id":1780356,"date":"2026-02-19T17:29:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T14:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1780356"},"modified":"2026-02-19T17:29:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T14:29:00","slug":"could-singles-wrestling-be-an-alternative-to-dating-apps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1780356","title":{"rendered":"Could singles wrestling be an alternative to dating apps?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-0-3000-2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438063.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/life-culture\/article\/69689\/1\/singles-wrestling-alternative-to-dating-apps-hinge-brooklyn-grownkid\" data-article-id=\"69689\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.33\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Grownkids \" class=\"img\" height=\"2252\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1400\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438063.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Misha Tkachevsky<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-02-19T17:29:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"19 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"19\">19,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - life-culture\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\">Life &amp; Culture<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/feature\">Feature<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\">Life &amp; Culture<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/feature\">Feature<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Could singles wrestling be an alternative to <span class=\"nowrap\">dating apps?<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>During a wrestling speed dating event in Brooklyn, hosted by community-focused group Grownkid, hundreds of 18 to 24-year-olds arrived for a chance to battle it out <span class=\"nowrap\">for love<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-19T17:29:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"19 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"19\">19,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-19T17:29:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"19 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"19\">19,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/isabelbekele\">Isabel Bekele<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-13-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Grownkids Brooklyn Wrestling<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/gallery\/36711\/0\/grownkids-brooklyn-wrestling\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Grownkids \" class=\"img\" height=\"1501\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-2252-1501\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438058.jpg\" width=\"2252\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/gallery\/36711\/1\/grownkids-brooklyn-wrestling\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Grownkids \" class=\"img\" height=\"1501\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-2252-1501\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438061.jpg\" width=\"2252\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/gallery\/36711\/2\/grownkids-brooklyn-wrestling\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Grownkids \" class=\"img\" height=\"1501\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-2252-1501\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438059.jpg\" width=\"2252\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/gallery\/36711\/3\/grownkids-brooklyn-wrestling\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Grownkids \" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-3000-2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438064.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/gallery\/36711\/4\/grownkids-brooklyn-wrestling\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Grownkids \" class=\"img\" height=\"1501\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-2252-1501\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438053.jpg\" width=\"2252\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/gallery\/36711\/5\/grownkids-brooklyn-wrestling\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Grownkids \" class=\"img\" height=\"1501\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-2252-1501\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438055.jpg\" width=\"2252\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 13 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>On Valentine\u2019s evening in Greenpoint, hordes of young people shuffle into a converted loft space to enjoy their Saturday night. Under the hot pink club lights, they do all the things associated with a typical Brooklyn outing. They gossip with their friends. They drink margaritas, if of age. They arrive in baggy pants and graphic T-shirts, most of which become heavy with dampness as the venue fills out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But if one squints hard enough \u2013 which, given the room\u2019s dimness, is necessary \u2013 it becomes clear that this was anything but a typical outing. The focal point of the room is not a dance floor, but three rows of rubber mats, each sectioned off by rope. Event organisers in pink T-shirts scurry about, placing headgear and high-waisted briefs around the makeshift arena. This is not a bar crawl, or rave, or ticketed DJ set. It is Grownkid\u2019s Wrestling Speed Dating night, and attendees came ready to tussle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cMeeting on an app? BORING. Grabbing dinner? BORING. Wrestling as your first date? IDEAL,\u201d read the description for the night\u2019s event. \u201cThe best way to know if someone is worth a second date is to see how they feel on top of you, under you, and then get a good whiff of their scent.\u201d Even for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/grownk1d\/?hl=en\"><span>Grownkid<\/span><\/a><span>, the New York and Los Angeles-based social club that\u2019s become known for its slightly ironic, extremely Gen-Z-coded events, this speed dating event was out there. The rules of the night, though, are quite straightforward. Those with a wrestling ticket are guaranteed at least one round of wrestling with a partner of their choice. In order to find that partner, the wrestler has to approach that person and ask them to join them on the mat. However the pair\u2019s relationship evolves beyond the mat \u2013 a friendship, a relationship or something in between \u2013 is up to them.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instagram-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-instagram\" data-script-depends=\"instagram-embeds\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Grownkid was created by Gael Aitor and Kayla Suarez, friends and co-founders whose original endeavour was the coming-of-age podcast, <\/span><em><span>Teenager Therapy<\/span><\/em><span>. Grownkid\u2019s genesis was also in the podcast space, but it\u2019s since evolved beyond the audio realm. The group hosts events on both coasts, all with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/grownkid.com\/about-us\"><span>the goal<\/span><\/a><span> of \u201cmaking young adulthood less lonely through community and play\u201d. Their events are as diverse as they are meme-able. Last August, they hosted a \u201cfight your evil situationship boxing rave\u201d to promote, in Aitor\u2019s words, \u201chealthy conflict and less ghosting\u201d. In June, they hosted an \u201care you bisexual?\u201d house party.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Grownkid\u2019s events aren\u2019t all dating-based, either; wholesome gatherings where people practised tai-chi in the park and played a massive game of tag have also been success stories. \u201cI think we\u2019re missing playfulness. People are so rigid with the rules that they put themselves under, rules that no one told them to follow, besides the internet,\u201d Aitor tells me as we wait for attendees to arrive. \u201cIf you want to be a hopeless romantic and go scream at your situationship that you love them and go back to them over and over again, go ahead and do it. You\u2019re 22, you\u2019re 21. You have all the time in the world to follow your feelings, you don\u2019t need to think so logistically about what is and isn\u2019t allowed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>\u201cI think we\u2019re missing playfulness. People are so rigid with the rules that they put themselves under, rules that no one told them to follow, besides the internet\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The spirit of playfulness is alive and well at the event. For all the discourse around young people\u2019s supposed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/GenZ\/comments\/1fmurex\/why_is_our_generation_so_jaded_even_though_alot\/\">jadedness<\/a>, participants embrace the night with complete earnestness. Wrestlers\u2019 motivations for signing up vary. Twenty-two-year-old Basil Charton, for example, is new to New York, having moved after six months of living with both of their exes. They were drawn to the idea of using physical touch to forge connections, as well as the prospect of meeting new people. From the looks of things, it works \u2013 I find them chatting with Vaute X Dreamer, a 21-year-old they meet during the event. \u201cPeople nowadays put up a lot more barriers when it comes to social interaction,\u201d says Dreamer. \u201cIn pretty much any space you go to, people are on their guard and trying to protect their sense of self. Something like this exists to help break out of that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span>Dating app fatigue is another motivation for attendees, such as Molly Price, a 21-year-old film student I meet while her best friend flirts elsewhere. Price tells me she\u2019s never been asked out in public, aside from one occurrence with a mutual friend. This is not uncommon; 2025 research from <a href=\"https:\/\/relevantmagazine.com\/life5\/relationships\/45-percent-of-guys-18-25-have-never-asked-a-girl-out-in-person\/\">DatePsychology<\/a> found that 45 per cent of men aged 18 to 25 have never asked a woman out in person. \u201cI\u2019m hoping to meet some cool people, maybe a hookup,\u201d Price tells me. \u201cBest case scenario, I find a long-term relationship. Worst case scenario, I leave early.\u201d Fellow wrestler Joshua Guillen is also anti-dating apps but pro-wrestling. <\/span><span>\u201cThis is the closest thing you can get to Hinge in real life,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"088b3ebc-dd3e-4f83-a9e5-b3f601191b73\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1921\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438065.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.75\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"DSCF9624_resized\" class=\"img\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438065.jpg\" width=\"1921\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Misha Tkachevsky<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>When it comes to the night\u2019s main attraction \u2013 the matches themselves \u2013 attendees are just as unguarded. People tackle, body slam and overpower their partners with a surprising amount of vigour and glee, making it hard to remember that those on the mat were strangers barely half an hour earlier. There\u2019s a healthy dose of good-natured bloodthirst, too; during the matches, the crowd \u2013 whether cheering for a friend or simply leaning into the bit \u2013 roars with the passion of a packed sports stadium.<\/p>\n<p><span>After one round, I catch up with participants Francesco Cremonini and Lorenzo Mendiola, who tell me that, while waiting for their match, they\u2019d already covered most of the conversation topics that usually fill a first date. \u201cAdrenaline kind of hits you when the timer goes off,\u201d says Mendiola. Though they only met that night, the two plan on hanging out again in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The same was true for wrestlers Celestia Altaline and Dylan Mahotska. \u201cI didn\u2019t think I would go down that easy,\u201d Mahotska says. Altaline, who signed up for the night after getting a text from their ex, is more than thrilled with how their match turned out, though they wish it were longer. When asked if there was any chemistry on the mat, they don\u2019t hesitate: \u201cOh, hell yeah.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. 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src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-758-1999-1330\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437648.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Winter Olympics 2026: The breakout stars from Milano Cortina <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69605\/1\/impossible-to-find-love-in-the-club-dating-apps-nightclub-valentines-day\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"3895\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-1-1200-798\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436900.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Why do we think we can\u2019t find love in the club?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69645\/1\/wuthering-heights-novel-difficult-reading-emerald-fennell-tiktok\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Wuthering Heights, 2025 (Film Still)\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/137-43-1018-677\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437348.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">No, Gen-Z aren\u2019t too dumb to read Wuthering Heights<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69640\/1\/romance-booming-our-culture-less-romantic-ever-wuthering-heights-valentines-day\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-1082-720\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1380\/3\/1383697.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Romance is booming. But is our culture less romantic than ever?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-13-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Grownkids Brooklyn Wrestling<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/gallery\/36711\/0\/grownkids-brooklyn-wrestling\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Grownkids \" class=\"img\" height=\"1501\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-2252-1501\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438058.jpg\" width=\"2252\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/gallery\/36711\/1\/grownkids-brooklyn-wrestling\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Grownkids \" class=\"img\" height=\"1501\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-2252-1501\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438061.jpg\" width=\"2252\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/gallery\/36711\/2\/grownkids-brooklyn-wrestling\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Grownkids \" class=\"img\" height=\"1501\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-2252-1501\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438059.jpg\" width=\"2252\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/gallery\/36711\/3\/grownkids-brooklyn-wrestling\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Grownkids \" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-3000-2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438064.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/gallery\/36711\/4\/grownkids-brooklyn-wrestling\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Grownkids \" class=\"img\" height=\"1501\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-2252-1501\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438053.jpg\" width=\"2252\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/gallery\/36711\/5\/grownkids-brooklyn-wrestling\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Grownkids \" class=\"img\" height=\"1501\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-2252-1501\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438055.jpg\" width=\"2252\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 13 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>On Valentine\u2019s evening in Greenpoint, hordes of young people shuffle into a converted loft space to enjoy their Saturday night. Under the hot pink club lights, they do all the things associated with a typical Brooklyn outing. They gossip with their friends. They drink margaritas, if of age. They arrive in baggy pants and graphic T-shirts, most of which become heavy with dampness as the venue fills out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But if one squints hard enough \u2013 which, given the room\u2019s dimness, is necessary \u2013 it becomes clear that this was anything but a typical outing. The focal point of the room is not a dance floor, but three rows of rubber mats, each sectioned off by rope. Event organisers in pink T-shirts scurry about, placing headgear and high-waisted briefs around the makeshift arena. This is not a bar crawl, or rave, or ticketed DJ set. It is Grownkid\u2019s Wrestling Speed Dating night, and attendees came ready to tussle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cMeeting on an app? BORING. Grabbing dinner? BORING. Wrestling as your first date? IDEAL,\u201d read the description for the night\u2019s event. \u201cThe best way to know if someone is worth a second date is to see how they feel on top of you, under you, and then get a good whiff of their scent.\u201d Even for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/grownk1d\/?hl=en\"><span>Grownkid<\/span><\/a><span>, the New York and Los Angeles-based social club that\u2019s become known for its slightly ironic, extremely Gen-Z-coded events, this speed dating event was out there. The rules of the night, though, are quite straightforward. Those with a wrestling ticket are guaranteed at least one round of wrestling with a partner of their choice. In order to find that partner, the wrestler has to approach that person and ask them to join them on the mat. However the pair\u2019s relationship evolves beyond the mat \u2013 a friendship, a relationship or something in between \u2013 is up to them.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instagram-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-instagram\" data-script-depends=\"instagram-embeds\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Grownkid was created by Gael Aitor and Kayla Suarez, friends and co-founders whose original endeavour was the coming-of-age podcast, <\/span><em><span>Teenager Therapy<\/span><\/em><span>. Grownkid\u2019s genesis was also in the podcast space, but it\u2019s since evolved beyond the audio realm. The group hosts events on both coasts, all with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/grownkid.com\/about-us\"><span>the goal<\/span><\/a><span> of \u201cmaking young adulthood less lonely through community and play\u201d. Their events are as diverse as they are meme-able. Last August, they hosted a \u201cfight your evil situationship boxing rave\u201d to promote, in Aitor\u2019s words, \u201chealthy conflict and less ghosting\u201d. In June, they hosted an \u201care you bisexual?\u201d house party.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Grownkid\u2019s events aren\u2019t all dating-based, either; wholesome gatherings where people practised tai-chi in the park and played a massive game of tag have also been success stories. \u201cI think we\u2019re missing playfulness. People are so rigid with the rules that they put themselves under, rules that no one told them to follow, besides the internet,\u201d Aitor tells me as we wait for attendees to arrive. \u201cIf you want to be a hopeless romantic and go scream at your situationship that you love them and go back to them over and over again, go ahead and do it. You\u2019re 22, you\u2019re 21. You have all the time in the world to follow your feelings, you don\u2019t need to think so logistically about what is and isn\u2019t allowed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>\u201cI think we\u2019re missing playfulness. People are so rigid with the rules that they put themselves under, rules that no one told them to follow, besides the internet\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The spirit of playfulness is alive and well at the event. For all the discourse around young people\u2019s supposed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/GenZ\/comments\/1fmurex\/why_is_our_generation_so_jaded_even_though_alot\/\">jadedness<\/a>, participants embrace the night with complete earnestness. Wrestlers\u2019 motivations for signing up vary. Twenty-two-year-old Basil Charton, for example, is new to New York, having moved after six months of living with both of their exes. They were drawn to the idea of using physical touch to forge connections, as well as the prospect of meeting new people. From the looks of things, it works \u2013 I find them chatting with Vaute X Dreamer, a 21-year-old they meet during the event. \u201cPeople nowadays put up a lot more barriers when it comes to social interaction,\u201d says Dreamer. \u201cIn pretty much any space you go to, people are on their guard and trying to protect their sense of self. Something like this exists to help break out of that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span>Dating app fatigue is another motivation for attendees, such as Molly Price, a 21-year-old film student I meet while her best friend flirts elsewhere. Price tells me she\u2019s never been asked out in public, aside from one occurrence with a mutual friend. This is not uncommon; 2025 research from <a href=\"https:\/\/relevantmagazine.com\/life5\/relationships\/45-percent-of-guys-18-25-have-never-asked-a-girl-out-in-person\/\">DatePsychology<\/a> found that 45 per cent of men aged 18 to 25 have never asked a woman out in person. \u201cI\u2019m hoping to meet some cool people, maybe a hookup,\u201d Price tells me. \u201cBest case scenario, I find a long-term relationship. Worst case scenario, I leave early.\u201d Fellow wrestler Joshua Guillen is also anti-dating apps but pro-wrestling. <\/span><span>\u201cThis is the closest thing you can get to Hinge in real life,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"088b3ebc-dd3e-4f83-a9e5-b3f601191b73\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1921\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438065.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.75\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"DSCF9624_resized\" class=\"img\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438065.jpg\" width=\"1921\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Misha Tkachevsky<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>When it comes to the night\u2019s main attraction \u2013 the matches themselves \u2013 attendees are just as unguarded. People tackle, body slam and overpower their partners with a surprising amount of vigour and glee, making it hard to remember that those on the mat were strangers barely half an hour earlier. There\u2019s a healthy dose of good-natured bloodthirst, too; during the matches, the crowd \u2013 whether cheering for a friend or simply leaning into the bit \u2013 roars with the passion of a packed sports stadium.<\/p>\n<p><span>After one round, I catch up with participants Francesco Cremonini and Lorenzo Mendiola, who tell me that, while waiting for their match, they\u2019d already covered most of the conversation topics that usually fill a first date. \u201cAdrenaline kind of hits you when the timer goes off,\u201d says Mendiola. Though they only met that night, the two plan on hanging out again in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The same was true for wrestlers Celestia Altaline and Dylan Mahotska. \u201cI didn\u2019t think I would go down that easy,\u201d Mahotska says. Altaline, who signed up for the night after getting a text from their ex, is more than thrilled with how their match turned out, though they wish it were longer. When asked if there was any chemistry on the mat, they don\u2019t hesitate: \u201cOh, hell yeah.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69689\/1\/singles-wrestling-alternative-to-dating-apps-hinge-brooklyn-grownkid&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-0-3000-2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438063.jpg&#8221;] Photography Misha Tkachevsky February\u00a0 19,\u00a0 2026 Life &amp; Culture \/ Feature Life &amp; Culture \/ Feature Could singles wrestling be an alternative to dating apps? During a wrestling speed dating event in Brooklyn, hosted by community-focused group Grownkid, hundreds of 18 to 24-year-olds arrived for a chance to battle it out for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1780356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1780356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1780356"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1780356\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1780356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1780356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1780356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}