Wrestling heads outside for 'Clash on Clinton' in Oaklyn

Dechlin Moody isn’t afraid to think outside the box when it comes to wrestling.

And his latest idea is literally taking the sport outside.

The first Clash on Clinton will be wrestled in the parking lot across the street from Tonewood Brewery off Clinton Ave. in Oaklyn on Sunday, May 19.

The tournament, which will be run on two mats and have middle and high school divisions, has wrestlers from four communities - Collingswood, Audubon, Haddon Township and Gloucester – with more possible. Organizers are predicting about 100 wrestlers, all of whom should get two to three bouts.

"We'll match 'em up in weights and spit out as many matches as we can," Moody said.

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The event, which will begin at 11 a.m. and run until approximately 4 p.m., is free for competitors and for all fans. There will be a DJ providing music during the tournament. Moody said the Collingswood Wrestling Booster Club is covering all expenses.

“Fans can come out with a lawn chair, watch some wrestling and listen to some good music. It’s going to be a blast,” the Collingswood High School head coach said. “We want to put a good spin on wrestling with this event. Maybe a kid, who knows nothing about the sport, will see this and want to come out and wrestle.”

Don’t expect any adults to take the mat for a bout. However, that doesn’t mean no one's asked.

“A couple of guys reached out and asked if they could wrestle, but we don’t need anyone having a heart attack out there,” Moody said with a laugh.

After Collingswood High hosted a dual meet on the school’s tennis courts during the pandemic season of 2021, Moody was looking to take the sport outside again.

After tossing around ideas of holding the event under the lights that cross over Haddon Avenue in Collingswood or directly on Clinton Avenue in Oaklyn, Moody settled for the off-the-street asphalt location. He got the approval and support from the Oaklyn Civic Association and its leader, Maureen Hillen.

“This will get the ball rolling,” Moody said.

Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: 'Clash on Clinton' brings outdoor wrestling to Oaklyn