Who knew that one bored man in quarantine would create a big event bringing in people from all over the country? Josh Swain certainly didn’t. But first, let’s put some backstory into this.
In 2020, a man named Josh Swain created a group chat on Facebook Messenger with people all sharing the same name as him, challenging them to a battle on who gets to keep their name. He had jokingly sent a set of random coordinates and a date and time to meet, a random place in Nebraska on April 24, 2021.
When he posted it on Twitter, it quickly blew up, making people wait patiently for the infamous Josh Fight, even a year after the original tweet was posted. To defend his honor, the original Josh Swain trekked his way all the way to Nebraska to fight for his name.
While there were a few changes to the original plan, Josh Swain, who organized the event, wrote these details:
- The coordinates had changed to a different field than the original coordinates he sent in the group chat. (turns out private property is not an ideal place for a battle and would reign terror to the residents nearby)
- As intended, it would be on April 24, 2021, at 12 p.m PST
- The Josh Swains in attendance will have an intense rock, paper, scissors match to crown the official “Josh Swain”
- Anyone with the first name Josh shall bring a pool noodle and battle it out with anyone willing to join
- There will be a mask mandate for the event
- Bring nonperishables. There will be a food drive for the Food Bank of Lincoln
- You can donate a fundraiser for the Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Foundation
- There will be an official stream for the event
Finally, on that fateful day, April 24th at Lincoln, Nebraska, the fight began. People from out of state came to participate. After an intense rock, paper, scissors battle, a fierce clash began, everyone with their pool noodle weapons out. If you were touched by a pool noodle, you were out. People of all ages, dressed in either regular or cosplay, fought for their name. It trended all over Twitter, having its own moment and #JoshFight trending.
But only one could be the superior Josh.
A winner had been declared soon, and 4-year-old Josh had overtaken them all, crowned the only “Josh”.
The event ended, but everyone would remember this marvelous moment.
The aforementioned fundraiser is “Help pay legal fees for Josh Swain’s to change their name” fund