Grappling draws huge crowd to new venue

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Hundreds of spectators were at the 1st Hudson Valley Grappling Invitational at Revel 32.Photo by John Ventosa.

POUGHKEEPSIE – The first Hudson Valley Grappling Invitational was held Saturday night in Poughkeepsie and drew a crowd of a few hundred to Revel 32, a new multi-purpose venue in the city.

The sport of grappling is rooted in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and the event was promoted by John Ventosa and Michael Wacker, the latter of which owns Black Hole Jiu-Jitsu in Wappingers Falls.  Grappling, according to Wacker is “designed to allow a smaller, weaker person to successfully defend themselves against a bigger, stronger, heavier opponent by using technique and leverage.  The objective is to take the fight to the ground, where the size difference isn’t as important and you can minimize the danger of strikes, and then apply joint locks and chokeholds to defeat the opponent.”

On Saturday night several competitors fought, in hopes of drawing large crowds so that more matches can be held in Poughkeepsie.  One of the winning fighters, Jonny Miranda of Poughkeepsie, defeated his opponent in one of the quickest matches of the evening.  “We were all really excited about the invitational and we wanted to put on a good show for the spectators,” said Miranda after his win.

Fighter Jonny Miranda showing off his medal after winning his match.

Co-promoter John Ventosa, an attorney and student of BJJ, said “We’re really happy with the turnout – this is our first step into the promotion arena and so far it’s been a success.”  Ventosa noted than more than 200 tickets had been sold for the event prior to the doors opening and more than 100 were sold at the door on Saturday night.  “It’s a great crowd,” said Ventosa as he surveyed the turnout.

Gina Sullivan, one of the Revel 32 partners was at the show and commented at the end of the night.  “Revel 32 was thrilled to host the 1st annual Hudson Valley Grappling Invitational.  The event showcased the versatility of Revel 32 which is able to host anything from weddings to concerts to a grappling tournament.  It was great to see hundreds of people in the heart of the city truly enjoying themselves… just another sign of the great things happening in the city of Poughkeepsie!”




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