Hundreds show up in Nebraska for fight over the name Josh

Associated Press

Updated: Apr 25, 2021 / 11:12 AM CDT

Lincoln native four-year-old Joshua Vinson Jr., top right, is lifted into the air after being declared the ultimate Josh after the Josh fight took place in an open green space at Air Park on Saturday, April 24, 2021, in Lincoln, Neb.. What started as a mid-pandemic joke took on life Saturday, as a mixed bag of individuals sharing only their name came to battle it out. The winner was to be declared the rightful owner of the name. (Kenneth Ferriera/Lincoln Journal Star via AP)

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A fight over the name of Josh drew a crowd from around the country to a Nebraska park Saturday for a heated pool noodle brawl.

It all started a year ago when pandemic boredom set in and Josh Swain, a 22-year-old college student from Tucson, Arizona, messaged others who shared his name on social media and challenged them to a duel.

Hundreds showed up at Air Park in Lincoln, a location chosen at random, to participate in the silliness.

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The festivities started with a “grueling and righteous battle of Rock, Paper, Scissors” between Josh Swain from Arizona and another Josh Swain from Omaha. The Arizona student won that competition, allowing him to claim the title of the true Josh Swain.

The pool noodle competition that followed was open to anyone with the first name of Josh. The victor of that competition was a 5-year-old, who was coronated with a Burger King crown.

Swain, the organizer, said he is a little surprised about how the whole thing blew up: “I did not expect people to be as adamant about this as they are right now.”

Lincoln native four-year-old Joshua Vinson Jr. is crowned the ultimate Josh on Saturday, April 24, 2021, in Lincoln, Neb. What started as a mid-pandemic joke took on life Saturday, as a mixed bag of individuals sharing only their name came to battle it out. The winner was to be declared the rightful owner of the name. (Kenneth Ferriera/Lincoln Journal Star via AP)
Josh Swain, left, the originator of the joke, takes on another Josh as they decide the rightful owner of the name Josh via a game of rock, paper, scissors in an open green space in Air Park on Saturday, April 24, 2021, in Lincoln, Neb. What started as a mid-pandemic joke took on life Saturday, as a mixed bag of individuals sharing only their name came to battle it out. The winner was to be declared the rightful owner of the name. (Kenneth Ferriera/Lincoln Journal Star via AP)
Joshs gathered to battle it out to find out who is the rightful owner of the name Josh via a pool noodle battle royale in an open green space in Air Park on Saturday, April 24, 2021, in Lincoln, Neb. What started as a mid-pandemic joke took on life Saturday, as a mixed bag of individuals sharing only their name came to battle it out. The winner was to be declared the rightful owner of the name. (Kenneth Ferriera/Lincoln Journal Star via AP)
Joshs gathered to battle it out to find out who is the rightful owner of the name Josh via a pool noodle battle royale in an open green space in Air Park on Saturday, April 24, 2021, in Lincoln, Neb. What started as a mid-pandemic joke took on life Saturday, as a mixed bag of individuals sharing only their name came to battle it out. The winner was to be declared the rightful owner of the name. (Kenneth Ferriera/Lincoln Journal Star via AP)
Multiple people with the name Josh duked it out with pool noodle out to find out who is the rightful owner of the name Josh via a battle royale in an open green space in Air Park on Saturday, April 24, 2021, in Lincoln, Neb. What started as a mid-pandemic joke took on life Saturday, as a mixed bag of individuals sharing only their name came to battle it out. The winner was to be declared the rightful owner of the name. (Kenneth Ferriera/Lincoln Journal Star via AP)
Multiple people with the name Josh duked it out with pool noodle out to find out who is the rightful owner of the name Josh via a battle royale in an open green space in Air Park on Saturday, April 24, 2021, in Lincoln, Neb. What started as a mid-pandemic joke took on life Saturday, as a mixed bag of individuals sharing only their name came to battle it out. The winner was to be declared the rightful owner of the name. (Kenneth Ferriera/Lincoln Journal Star via AP)
Spectators not named Josh record the battle from the safety of the sidelines as the Joshs battled in an open green space in Air Park on Saturday, April 24, 2021, in Lincoln, Neb. What started as a mid-pandemic joke took on life Saturday, as a mixed bag of individuals sharing only their name came to battle it out. The winner was to be declared the rightful owner of the name. (Kenneth Ferriera/Lincoln Journal Star via AP)
Josh Swain, left, declares Lincoln native four-year-old Joshua Vinson Jr., right, the ultimate Josh after the Josh fight took place in an open green space at Air Park on Saturday, April 24, 2021, in Lincoln, Neb. What started as a mid-pandemic joke took on life Saturday, as a mixed bag of individuals sharing only their name came to battle it out. The winner was to be declared the rightful owner of the name. (Kenneth Ferriera/Lincoln Journal Star via AP)
Lincoln native four-year-old Joshua Vinson Jr. is crowned the ultimate Josh on Saturday, April 24, 2021, in Lincoln, Nebraska. What started as a mid-pandemic joke took on life Saturday, as a mixed bag of individuals sharing only their name came to battle it out. The winner was to be declared the rightful owner of the name (Kenneth Ferriera/Lincoln Journal Star via AP)
Lincoln native four-year-old Joshua Vinson Jr., top right, is lifted into the air after being declared the ultimate Josh after the Josh fight took place in an open green space at Air Park on Saturday, April 24, 2021, in Lincoln, Neb.. What started as a mid-pandemic joke took on life Saturday, as a mixed bag of individuals sharing only their name came to battle it out. The winner was to be declared the rightful owner of the name. (Kenneth Ferriera/Lincoln Journal Star via AP)