12 Photos
Hampton Bays alumnus Joey Panetta works against his opponent. DREW BUDD
Going over the ground rules of the Bald and Fat Wrestling Classic just prior to the start at Hampton Bays Middle School on Saturday. DREW BUDD
Going over the ground rules of the Bald and Fat Wrestling Classic just prior to the start at Hampton Bays Middle School on Saturday. DREW BUDD
Michael Peralta of East Hampton works against his opponent. DREW BUDD
Hampton Bays graduate Joey Panetta works against his opening-round opponent. DREW BUDD
Hampton Bays graduate Joey Panetta works against his opening-round opponent. DREW BUDD
Current Bonac wrestlers cheer on their assistant coach who is competing in a match. DREW BUDD
East Hampton alumnus Michael Peralta won his weight class. DREW BUDD
A pair of wrestlers go at it. DREW BUDD
East Hampton varsity wrestling coach Ethan Mitchell works on his opponent, who he eventually pinned. Mitchell also eventually won his weight class. DREW BUDD
Current Bonac wrestlers are ecstatic when their head coach, Ethan Mitchell, pins his opening-round opponent. DREW BUDD
The third annual Bald and Fat Classic was held at Hampton Bays Middle School on Saturday. DREW BUDD
The Bald and Fat Wrestling Classic returned to Hampton Bays Middle School for its third year on Saturday and had a big, and successful, turnout from former East End wrestlers.
Just over 60 wrestlers convened in Hampton Bays, just below last year’s 65 who participated and slightly down from the 80 that competed in the inaugural event in 2019. But there were a number of familiar names who either won their respective weight classes and division, or placed high at the event, billed as “a fast paced, high energy, nonstop wrestling tournament for real men who’ve passed their prime and have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning.”
Ethan Mitchell, the current varsity head coach of the East Hampton/Pierson/Bridgehampton wrestling team, and a graduate of Westhampton Beach High School, won the “Tommy Toughnuts” 200-pound weight class. His former wrestler, Caleb Peralta, who just graduated last year, won the Toughnuts 140-pound weight class, and his older brother, Michael Peralta, who also wrestled at East Hampton, placed second in the Toughnuts 150-pound division.
As for the hometown wrestlers, former Baymen Juan Ramierz won the Toughnuts 170-pound division and Joey Panetta competed in the same bracket as Michael Peralta. Former Eastport-South Manor wrestler Matt Sganga won the Toughnuts 160-pound division.
Jeff Ciolino of Westhampton Beach, who is now helping run the East End Youth Wrestling Club out of Hamptons Jiu Jitsu in Southampton, placed third in the 160-pound “Dead” division. Cory Dolson, the current varsity wrestling head coach at Shoreham-Wading River, and previously at Mattituck, won that division. Riverhead’s Edwin Perry won the 170-pound “Past My Prime” division.
There were four divisions in this year’s tournament: Tommy Toughnuts (open to 18 years old and older), Past My Prime (25-35 years old), Dead (36-45) and Fully Decomposed (46-80). In year’s past, there has been a women’s “Joan of Arc” division, but no women competed this year. Each division, other than Tommy Toughnuts, wrestles one-minute periods. Toughnuts wrestle the typical two-minute periods. Weight classes are typically 140, 150, 160, 170, 185, 200, 220, 250 and heavyweight, though weight classes can be combined. Should overtime be needed, it’s a one-minute first period followed by a one-minute ultimate ride out.
All proceeds benefit the Hampton Bays wrestling program. For more information on the tournament, go to baldandfatclassic.com.
