Our History
Since 1991, the Philadelphia Spartans have provided freestyle wrestling practice and instruction for the city's LGBTQ community and anyone else looking to continue with the sport into adulthood.
A Rich Legacy
The Philadelphia Spartans were established in the City of Brotherly Love in 1991. We have a long history of participation in matches, tournaments, and international competitions since our founding.
Members have competed locally and regionally at qualifiers and tournaments sponsored by Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Association (MAWA), an AAU organization. We have also participated in a number of USAW sanctioned events and tournaments. Several of our members also test their skills at other clubs in the region. While our brother clubs are located in New York City and Washington DC, we have also traveled as far as Las Vegas!
Spartan Wrestling Club of Philadelphia was a Charter Member and Founding Member of both Team Philadelphia and Wrestlers Without Borders (now Wrestling Without Borders). The club has been an American Athletic Union member and currently holds a charter from USAWrestling.
Team Philadelphia was created to organize and support participants at the Gay Games. Since our stunning debut at Gay Games IV in New York (1994), we have competed and medaled in Amsterdam (1998), Sydney (2002), Chicago (2006), Cologne (2010), Cleveland (2014), Paris (2018) and Guadalajara (2023). Most recently, the Spartans competed in GGXII in Valencia (2026) and earned gold and silver medals!
WWB has recognized several outstanding wrestlers and leaders by inducting them into the Don Jung Hall of Merit. These include Kevin Martin and Rick Van Tassell (Inaugural Class 2008), Michael LoFurno and Dennis Spillman (2009), and Gus Scheerbaum (2018).
Member Chris Lorefice came to Philadelphia more recently from Southern California Wrestling Club. He has been the driving force behind the annual Sin City Classic in Las Vegas, in addition to the Gay Games wrestling competition for several years.
The Spartan founders — Dennis Spillman, Rick Van Tassell, and John Necci — set out to create a welcoming environment in which more experienced wrestlers share their skills with newcomers.
You can be part of our history as we continue to wrestle locally, nationally, and internationally!