Outside an unassuming Gainesville plant shop, a sign read “NO LUBE INSIDE. PLEASE WASH OFF BEFORE ENTERING.”
Gainesville Books to Prisoners hosted its third lube wrestling event Saturday night at Serpentine Plants and Provisions, drawing over 130 spectators and about 30 contestants. The event served as a fundraiser for the volunteer-based nonprofit, which ships books to incarcerated people across the state.
Gainesville resident and competitor Harvest Edwards, 25, came ready with clown makeup on. He said he heard about the event from a friend and decided to compete after watching his friend wrestle.
“I’ve always wanted to do something wrestling-adjacent, just for fun,” he said. “And watching them do it was insane and incredibly thrilling.”
After stepping into an inflatable pool filled with lube, Edwards went face-to-face with competitor Mutt the Clown. As the two slipped and slid, lube flew everywhere, splashing viewers nearby.
The contestants stopped wrestling to make out mid-match for the crowd, which hooted and hollered in response. Shortly after, a wardrobe malfunction had the crowd roaring again.
“You know it’s a good match when the titties fall out,” the emcee said.
Edwards was eventually defeated. Still, he said he appreciates events like these, which allow him to connect with people he might not have otherwise approached, he said.
“It’s very intimate in a way, and I feel like that opens you up way more to wanting to talk to those people, because they saw you in a very intimate setting,” he said.
The event featured dozens of unique matchups, and many of the wrestlers made statements through clothing. One competitor wore a “Make America Gay Again” shirt. Another, who wrestled in only underwear, motioned to the crowd during a match, prompting an audience member to bring them a metal chair to pretend to whack their opponent with.
In addition to entertainment, the event also helped fundraise for a local cause. Alex Goldman, 29, is a volunteer with the donation-based organization Gainesville Books to Prisoners.
“We send several hundred books per month to people incarcerated throughout the state in all types of facilities, like from jails, detention centers, prisons, federal prisons,” he said.
Goldman said the event helps the organization attract new volunteers and raise money for its main expense: postage. While books are donated and packages are wrapped in recycled grocery bags, postage can cost about $8 a package, he said.
In collaboration with Florida Abolitionist Gathering, Florida Prisoner Solidarity, Glizzies 4 Gaza and Serpentine Plants and Provisions, Gainesville Books to Prisoners expected to raise over $1,500 from the event, Goldman said. The organization also hoped to attract a supportive, queer and body-inclusive crowd, he said.
“Obviously, it’s a very laid-up expression of sexuality and silliness,” he said. “And the only way that people feel comfortable doing that kind of thing is if we create a safe container for it.”]
One competitor came for the chaos and ended up staying for the cause. Panagiotis Ziakos, a 21-year-old Ocala resident, said he was looking for a fun way to celebrate when his friend suggested lube wrestling. He wrestled in high school and thought the event would be a fun throwback, he said.
Unlike other competitors, who came dressed in bathing suits and shorts, he showed up to his match in sweatpants and a hoodie. It wasn’t until he removed his clothes that the audience could see his bright red wrestling singlet underneath.
Although Ziakos didn’t take home the ribbon and prize — a brand-new bottle of lube — he said he really appreciated the experience and enjoyed the friendly atmosphere, even though the lube made a big mess.
“It’s still seeping out of my singlet,” he said.
Before the event, Ziakos said he didn’t realize it was for a charity so close to his heart. He said his family sends books every month to his cousin who is incarcerated, which can become a big bill.
“I got family who’s been incarcerated, and I guarantee they would have loved to be able to be recipients of these programs,” he said.
Jayden Cáceres is a contributing writer for The Alligator.
