Gladiator/Gladiatrix Combat Wrestling Booked for Greater Williamsburg Sports and Events Center

Allowing gun, knife and ammo shows is also being considered

Nov 19, 2025

The Greater Williamsburg Sports and Event Center is expected to be completed in August next year. An event called the Gladiator/Gladiatrix Combat Series has signed a three-year deal with the facility starting in 2027. Organizers expect 2 thousand athletes and 8-10 thousand fans and supporters to attend each tournament. (George Arbogust, Williamsburg Independent)

Members of the governing board of the Historic Recreation Facilities Authority (HTRFA) recently received multiple updates about the Greater Williamsburg Sports and Events Center (GWSEC), including presentations about sales and marketing efforts, administration and construction. The HTRFA, a partnership between Williamsburg, James City County and York County, is responsible for building and managing the $80 million facility.

While addressing the HTRFA Board, several representatives of Kemper Sports, the company hired to manage the facility’s operations, discussed both confirmed and prospective bookings. Perhaps the most intriguing event may be the Gladiator/Gladiatrix Combat Series, which recently signed a three-year deal to bring the event to Williamsburg starting in 2027. Event creators Critical Sports and Entertainment indicated in a statement that they expect 2,000 athletes and thousands of more fans and supporters to attend the event, totaling as many as 10,000 or more visitors each year.

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On a website promoting the combat series, event organizers state that the “Gladiator/Gladiatrix Series is the newest premier wrestling experience bringing together folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman warriors from across the nation. This is more than a tournament – it’s a quest for glory. The road to victory begins in May 2026 with three thrilling regional qualifiers. Wrestlers will clash for a spot in the National Championship, where the best of the best will meet in June 2026 for the ultimate showdown.”

The website states that children in Kindergarten through 12th grade can enter the competitions, which will commence in May next year with regional qualifiers, ultimately culminating in a national championship tournament in June. A particular focus of the event is “giving equal spotlight to female competitors and empowering the next generation through sport and community,” according to the company statement.

Interest from guns and ammo shows

Dana Youst, the Executive Director of HTRFA also presented a report to the board detailing progress across many aspects of the organization, including governance, stakeholder outreach, partner coordination, financial oversight, and setting long-term priorities.

Youst also stated that GWSEC has drawn interest from guns, knives and ammo shows. She stated that she is currently working on a policy with the organization’s legal counsel related to booking these types of events. “We’ve had requests for different shows and possible raffles and giveaways and we currently as HTRFA do not have a policy” to address these issues. She indicated that the guidelines would likely go through several rounds of review before implementation.

There are multiple options for guns, knives and ammo shows in our region. For example, a company called SGK, which touts itself as one of the largest promoters of these events in the region, will host 5 events in 2026 at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton along with 5 events at the Virginia Beach Convention Center.

Construction update

A representative of construction management company MBP, which was hired to oversee the project, also provided the Board with updates on the facility’s progress. In the presentation, MBP stated that the project is currently 11 working days ahead of schedule, with final completion expected on August 4, 2026. The construction manager also reported that 75% of the total building is complete, site work is 55% complete and construction of sports courts are 60% completed.