First WrestleFest

This was a weekend where I was able to completely disconnect from my personal life, my usual daily routine, my main job, and all the other activities I normally do in my city. I traveled back to New York, but this time for a trip fully dedicated to my alter ego: Nick Lean. A wrestling trip.

Before arriving in New York, I made a strategic stop in Mexico City to meet with some wrestlers and build some experience beforehand. I’ll go into detail about that in another blog post. Let’s just say Mexico was also a way to calm the nerves before my first WrestleFest.

The first thing I did after landing in New York — once I grabbed something to eat and regained some energy — was participate in a Rumble battle hosted by SirDark. I chose my signature Nick Lean gear, selected in advance, because for this trip each confirmed match already had its corresponding gear planned.

I walked to the door of the room filled with nerves. A mix of meeting new people, speaking entirely in English, the fear of not performing well, and facing wrestlers I truly admire.

I entered the room with a shy “hello” and scanned the space. I remember seeing SirDark, Sean Cruz, and some familiar faces whose names suddenly blanked out in my mind. SirDark, who I had coordinated with beforehand and who helped me organize everything, greeted me warmly and respectfully, immediately lowering my anxiety.

Whenever I meet a wrestler — whether for competitive purposes or content — I try to observe what they do to see if we’re compatible. And I must say, as many of us have seen SirDark’s character — strong, aggressive, intense — his human quality was admirable. I couldn’t be more grateful for that first introduction to the community, because from that moment on, I had an amazing time.

I’ll always remember what he told me after our private match:
“You’ve got this.”

Out of everything that happened there, what stands out most is the sense of teamwork — coordinating beforehand, waiting for your turn, making sure everything was aligned, and then stepping in to give it your all. To make it look good, to create a strong visual experience, but most importantly, to enjoy it. I don’t think there’s a better welcome than a big multi-wrestler encounter.

During my first moments at the rumble and the early parties, I felt overwhelmed by faces, bodies, names, and conversations. People I had spoken to and coordinated with for weeks suddenly felt confusing. I wasn’t always sure if they were the same ones who had messaged me.

I have to admit that for some time now I’ve struggled with remembering names, especially when I don’t associate them with a real-life face. So the first few days were a bit confusing — but that didn’t stop me from enjoying them.

This was especially true at the Kick-Off Party, where the low lighting didn’t help — combined with my mild but undeniable nearsightedness and astigmatism.

At one point, while I was leaving my things in the hallway, someone started calling my name — Nick. I had that awkward feeling of not knowing who it was. He even spoke to me in Spanish and was very kind. It wasn’t until later, when I saw him under better lighting, that I was able to lock his face into my memory and realize he was one of the people who interacts with me the most on Instagram. That honestly moved me.

Davethebearhugger — thank you. Maybe we didn’t get to wrestle, but thank you for your company.

Someone I really enjoyed meeting was Versus (MF) Cyrus. He was incredibly kind and introduced me to one of the hottest wrestlers there: Mickey Knoxx. I shared great moments with both of them.

By the end of Friday, my roommate arrived from Ohio. EmilioJobber turned out to be one of the most pleasant surprises of the trip. He’s joyful, social, respectful — and he truly made my stay brighter.

Saturday was a day I initially thought wouldn’t go well. One of my four scheduled matches had already been canceled due to Baba’s absence, and other plans didn’t fully come together.

But I started the day alongside Emilio — the unexpected roommate I didn’t know I needed. He brought such positive energy. By the end of the trip, I thanked him deeply for being part of it.

Emilio, you were incredible. I had such a great time — thanks to you and maybe my ability to manifest good things… even Sunday’s snow.

And speaking of manifesting good things — thank you to everyone who helped me get a ticket at the very last moment. Ethan, who alerted me about an opportunity, and Ricotewrestler. I can’t express how grateful I was. I promise to always secure my own ticket early next time — because what you gave me became one of the most powerful moments of the festival.

That day, which felt lost at first, turned into something unforgettable. I watched an amazing show. I spoke with people who follow me and told me what they enjoy about my videos and what they’d like to see next.

And honestly — I’m not a celebrity. My goal, beyond earning some additional income, is to connect with people who share the same wrestling passions and fantasies. That connection means everything to me.

I love feedback. I love when people approach me and talk to me. I’m deeply grateful.

Seeing one of the wrestlers I’ve watched for years, The Z Man, was surreal. And witnessing a future opponent celebrate becoming WrestleFest NYC 2026 champion closed that night perfectly.

I had to leave earlier than I wanted, but I was overwhelmed with happiness. My emotions were so intense they brought me to tears. I stayed in my room for a while to calm down before going out for a walk with my now-friend Emilio.

Sunday was reserved exclusively for matches and filming. But it was the third day of wrestling — and things happen. I was tired, but deeply happy. For the first time in almost two years, I slept peacefully without anxiety waking me up before 8 a.m. It felt like a factory reset. I can only attribute that to how fulfilled I felt after Saturday.

Some wrestlers had to cancel due to timing or injuries. I sincerely hope everyone recovers well. No one should come to a wrestling festival and leave hurt. Let’s take care of our opponents.

That day I had the pleasure of wrestling friends like Lean_Machine and new opponents like Ricotewrestler and the new champion, BobbyCarter.

Monday was calmer. I went to the open mats for a bit and had some of my most anticipated matches:

JeffJcao — incredible to wrestle.
The one and only Alexxwrestler — I applied my favorite hold, the suspended surfboard (I honestly want to use it on everyone), and he returned the favor with his signature reverse headlock.
And Lobo Gris, WrestleTheWolf, who sealed our match with a powerful bite from those massive fangs.

I said goodbye to Emilio as he headed back to Ohio and spent one final evening with the remaining crew.

Now I’m boarding my flight back to Lima, where I welcome anyone interested in any kind of wrestling experience.

For those considering attending:

Coordinate in advance, but wait until the official schedule is more solid before locking everything in.
If you’re a content creator, look for time outside the official events to film private matches.
Take advantage of open mats to wrestle more freely with those who aren’t focused on recording.

Personally, I loved participating — even briefly — in the open mats. I feel we truly measure ourselves there. Being watched by others also awakens my competitive side.

If you see me, come say hi. I’m always happy to meet new people. It’s much easier for me to remember a face in person than from a photo.

Let’s wrestle — in open mats or privately — because there’s nothing more intimate than getting to know each other through a match. And I never forget who I’ve wrestled.

I don’t know what else to say, except that I had an incredible time.

Thank you to everyone who participated, to the organizers — and until next time.