Controversial ‘Little Mania’ wrestling event coming to Columbus

A controversial wrestling circuit is making a stop in Ohio’s Capital City, and not everyone’s excited.

An event known as “Little Mania M****t Wrestling” is making a Central Ohio stop on Oct. 4. The wrestling series pits short statured individuals against one another in WWE-style ring combat.

The event is also headed to multiple other Ohio cities, including Akron, Youngstown and others.

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Many individuals and groups are pushing back against these wrestling tours, claiming they’re derogatory and exploitative.

“Public events and private spaces that host M****t/Micro Wrestling events for the purposes of entertainment are promoting objectification and stereotypes of disabled people, specifically people with dwarfism… The show promotes discrimination and bias against little people and other disabled persons,” the Little People of America advocacy group writes in an informational section on its website.

A 2018 BBC story chronicles several UK shows that were canceled by venues due to the “tone of the production,” with the Restricted Growth Association referring to the events as “freak shows” that trivialize little people.

Despite pushback, the wrestling series has remained prolific. It has 35 events scheduled for the remainder of August, which means several days will include multiple shows.

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