Wrestling Event Sparks Conservation about Diversity

Dropkicks, bodyslams, moonsaults, colorful outfits, excited fans, and a necessary message converged during the Diversity in Spots event, held Wednesday, April 26, at the Maverick Activity Center. The event featured an afternoon of entertainment with live wrestling but also opened the door to discussing the need for greater diversity in sports.   

Before the start of the wrestling matches, former professional wrestler and ring announcer Aaron Machbitz shared with the audience how professional wrestling can be one of the most inclusive sports in the world. 

"If we have these conversations (about diversity) here in this space, then it can domino out to create these larger conversations that are much needed and very necessary," Aaron said. "This event encourages you to have these conversations to think about diversity, inclusion, and how professional wrestling can be used as a vehicle of change." 

Throughout the event, students got the chance to watch three live wrestling matches. These matches showed students that sports can unite people, strengthen communities and build lifelong friendships. 

As each match unfolded, the audience connected with the action before their eyes in and around the wrestling ring. Each time the wrestlers did a body slam, a DDT, or made a jump from the ropes, cheers from fans resonated throughout the gym. 

These cheers later boiled into a fever pitch. Phrases like "Oh no, he didn't" or "Wow" could be heard from the audience as they jumped from the seats with their hands waving in the air in surprise at what they were witnessing. 

Chris Loper, a communications major, stated that excitement could be seen as the drama unfolded in the ring. He noted that he is drawn to wrestling because of the excitement it brings to the audience. 

"I got into wrestling by watching it on television, with events like Monday Night Raw or SmackDown every Friday night," Chris said. "Every time you hear a slam in the ring, it's a dramatic moment. This is amazing." 

Chris stated that while the matches were great, the event's message was powerful one that sports need to be a place for everyone. He noted that much more work is still necessary to have more inclusion and better minority representation in sports. 

In between matches, several UTA athletes shared their history with racism they experienced in their athletic career. 

Morgan Westbrook, a UTA softball player, spoke to students about the discrimination she faced while looking at other universities' athletic programs. 

Morgan recalled the pride she felt when stepping onto the competition field against one of these other universities as a maverick and winning the game as a freshman.  

She added that diversity in sports still needs to be sought after so that future athletes won't face the same discrimination she faced on or off the field. 

Students also had the chance to explore a mobile exhibit from the UTA Libraries Special Collections Department called “Mavericks in Motion.” The exhibit highlighted the history of UTA sports and athletes, with photos and memorabilia on display. 

The Diversity in Sports event saw people from across the university not only enjoy the action inside the wrestling ring, but also take to heart meaningful lessons from the athletes who shared their stories. Not your typical wrestling event.