What are the Pan-American Wrestling Championships?
The Pan-American Championships are the senior continental championships of wrestling in the Americas, contested in the three Olympic styles. The 2026 edition had ten weight classes in each of Greco-Roman, women’s wrestling and freestyle, run over four days: eight Greco-Roman classes on the first day, the remaining two Greco-Roman and six women’s classes on the second, four women’s and three freestyle classes on the third, and the remaining seven freestyle classes on the last.[1]
United World Wrestling’s General Regulations for Championships and International Competitions, in the November 2025 edition, list “Senior Continental Championships each year” among the continental championships on its calendar, alongside U15, U17, U20 and, on request, U23 continental championships.[8]
Who organizes the Pan-American Wrestling Championships?
The championships are run by United World Wrestling Americas, the continental council of United World Wrestling (UWW) for the Americas, which files its annual reports and General Assembly minutes on UWW’s council page.[9] The council’s reports list the senior Pan-American Championships each year among its activities, with the national federation of the host country as local organiser: its 2024 report credits the Mexican Wrestling Federation with organising the events in Acapulco.[4]
The award of each edition is UWW’s. Under Article 18 of the General Regulations, acceptance of candidatures falls within the competence of the “United World Wrestling Executive Committee”, which considers the candidature files and inspection reports.[8] The rules of the sport, and the entry rules, are UWW’s; the council writes none of its own.
When and where is it held?
The championships are held every year, usually in the first half of the year, in a different country of the Americas. The 2026 edition was held at the Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa, in the United States, from 7 to 10 May 2026, the most recent completed edition on 4 October 2026.[1][2] The 2025 edition was held in Monterrey, Mexico, where the council held its elections on 8 May 2025 “on the sidelines of the 2025 Pan-American Championships”.[3] In 2024 the championships were held in Acapulco, Mexico, together with the Pan-American Olympic qualifier for Paris 2024.[4] The council’s reports give Acapulco, 5–8 May 2022, and Buenos Aires, 4–7 May 2023, for the two editions before that.[5] No host for a 2027 senior edition had been published in the UWW documents retrieved.
| Season | Pool / Format | Host cities |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 styles, 30 weight classes | Coralville, Iowa, United States, Xtream Arena, 7–10 May 2026 |
| 2025 | Senior; council elections held alongside | Monterrey, Mexico, May 2025 |
| 2024 | 3 styles; 22 teams, 239 athletes | Acapulco, Mexico, February 2024 |
| 2023 | Senior | Buenos Aires, Argentina, 4–7 May 2023 |
| 2022 | Senior; Santiago 2023 qualification | Acapulco, Mexico, 5–8 May 2022 |
| 2020 | Senior | Ottawa, Canada, March 2020 |
Senior editions confirmed in UWW and council documents, 2020–2026, newest first. Where a report gives only the month, the month is shown; the 2021 edition could not be confirmed from those documents.[4][5][6]
Since when do the Pan-American Wrestling Championships exist?
The year of the first senior Pan-American Wrestling Championships could not be established from a document UWW or the council publishes. UWW’s council page files a report on the 2012 senior Pan-American championship, and activity reports from 2005 onwards under the council’s earlier name, CPLA, which shows the championships predate the council’s present name.[9]
The minutes of the council’s General Assembly in Ottawa on 11 March 2020 record that “the Senior Pan-American Championship was held here in Ottawa” in the days before the meeting.[6] The hosts of the 2018, 2019 and 2021 senior editions could not be confirmed from a UWW or council document: the council’s annual report for 2018 to 2020 lists meetings in Lima and Buenos Aires in those years without naming a championship, and the 2022 minutes record only an ordinary congress in Guatemala City on 26 May 2021.[7]
How do athletes qualify?
There is no qualifying round. National federations enter their wrestlers, within UWW’s rule that “Each National Federation can enter a maximum of one athlete per weight category unless otherwise stated in the regulation/specific information of the competition”, and athletes must be “of the appropriate age for the competition according to the international rules of the sport in question” and hold a UWW licence book validated for the current year.[8] Entries are published before the event; for 2026 UWW noted that “entries are subject to change 72 hours before the draws of each style.”[1]
The championships have also served as a step towards the Pan American Games. The minutes of the council’s 2022 General Assembly record that medal winners at the 2022 senior championship would qualify directly for the Santiago 2023 Games, with a further phase at the 2023 championship in Buenos Aires.[7] The qualification system for wrestling at the Lima 2027 Pan American Games could not be retrieved.
Why does it matter?
The measurable value is the continental title and the qualification role assigned to particular editions. The 2024 championships in Acapulco were held alongside the Pan-American Olympic qualifier, after which, the council reported, “the continent successfully completed the qualification process for 36 athletes” for Paris 2024.[4] The 2022 championship was a direct qualification event for the 2023 Pan American Games, per the council’s minutes.[7]
A Pan-American title is a continental championship won at a council event. The 2026 edition was carried live on UWW+ and FloWrestling, UWW stated.[1] Ranking points and prize money for the championships were not stated in the documents retrieved.
Who competes?
The championships are open to UWW’s affiliated national federations in the Americas, in men’s freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s wrestling. The 2024 edition in Acapulco drew 22 teams and 239 athletes — 90 in freestyle, 69 in Greco-Roman and 80 in women’s wrestling — with 27 referees, according to the council’s annual report.[4]
The 2026 entry lists included wrestlers from Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States among other nations of the region; UWW’s report on the opening day recorded gold medals for wrestlers from the United States and Cuba in the eight Greco-Roman classes decided.[1][2] Age-group continental championships — U15, U17, U20 and U23 — are held separately under the same regulations.[8]
References
- United World Wrestling — “Pan-American Championships 2026 Entries” (Coralville, 7–10 May 2026). Accessed 2026-10-04.
- United World Wrestling — “U.S. kicks off Pan-American Championships with six Greco golds” (8 May 2026). Accessed 2026-10-04.
- United World Wrestling — “Lee re-elected as President of UWW Pan-American Council” (9 May 2025). Accessed 2026-10-04.
- United World Wrestling Americas — Annual Report 2024. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- United World Wrestling Americas — Annual Report 2021–2022. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- United World Wrestling Americas — General Assembly minutes, Ottawa, 11 March 2020. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- United World Wrestling Americas — General Assembly minutes, Acapulco, 5 May 2022. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- United World Wrestling — General Regulations for Championships and International Competitions (November 2025), Arts. 16, 18, 25–26. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- United World Wrestling — Pan-American council page (reports and minutes). Accessed 2026-10-04.