josh fight
Multiple people with the name Josh duked it out with pool noodles to find out who is the rightful owner of the name Josh in Lincoln, Nebraska on April 24, 2021.
Kenneth Ferriera/Lincoln Journal Star via Associated Press
  • Josh Swain, 22, jokingly messaged dozens who share his name, challenging them to a fight.
  • A year later, hundreds of Joshes arrived in Lincoln, Nebraska, to fight for the name with pool noodles.
  • A 4-year-old dubbed "Little Josh" won the event, which also raised money and food for charity.
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What started as an early pandemic joke evolved into a full-fledged spectacle on Saturday as hundreds of people named Josh gathered in Lincoln, Nebraska, to duke it out over their shared name.

An Arizona college student named Josh Swain sent a Facebook message last April to dozens of other people who shared his first and last name.

"You're probably wondering why I've gathered you all here today," the 22-year-old wrote.

"Because we all share the same names…?" another Josh Swain replied.

The original Swain wrote back "precisely," along with a random date, April 24, 2021, and instructions to "meet at these coordinates," which happened to be in Lincoln.

"We fight, whoever wins gets to keep the name, everyone else has to change their name, you have a year to prepare, good luck," Swain wrote.

The message became a meme, with jokes being made about it on social media, but Swain said it was "entirely a joke" and didn't think anything would come of it, the Lincoln Journal Star reported.

That was until a few months ago, when friends brought it up again and Swain decided to go for it. He bought a plane ticket to Lincoln and messaged the other Joshes, most of which did not reply. Still, he posted details about the event on social media.

Just days before the Josh fight, Swain told the Lincoln Journal Star he still wasn't sure if anyone would show up.

But hundreds arrived to the large greenspace at Air Park for the Battle of the Joshes Saturday, equipped with the pool noodles that Swain invited people to bring.

Photos and videos shared by the Lincoln Journal Star and on social media showed the fighters wielding their pool noodles, some decked out in Spider-Man- and Star Wars-themed costumes.

People not named Josh stood on the sidelines to cheer on their fighters with t-shirts and signs of support that read, "I'm with Josh," "Team Josh," and "Go Josh! Beat Josh!"

One sign had a tournament bracket predicting the outcome of the fight, with "Josh" written on every line.

In the end, 4-year-old Lincoln resident Josh Vinson Jr. was deemed the ultimate josh, local ABC journalist Yousef Nasser reported.

Vinson was quickly dubbed "Little Josh" and presented with a Burger King paper crown and a trophy. He was lifted up in the middle of the crowd of Joshes and met with raucous applause.

He attended the fight with his dad, Josh Vinson Sr., who told the reporters at the scene that Little Josh would "remember this for the rest of his life."

josh fight
Josh Swain, who organized the event, declares Lincoln native four-year-old Joshua Vinson Jr., right, the ultimate Josh after the Josh fight.
Kenneth Ferriera/Lincoln Journal Star via Associated Press

The original Josh Swain used the Josh fight to raise money for the Children's Hospital and Medical Center Foundation. He also used the event to host a food drive for the Food Bank of Lincoln.

"Thank you so so much to all the volunteers that helped out and the residents of the great city of Lincoln for being so welcoming and making this event incredible," Swain wrote on Twitter after the event. "Still in disbelief at the moment but amazed at the incredible support."

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