Off the ropes: Nursing home residents thrilled to host annual wrestling entertainment

One California nursing home is saying goodbye to soap opera reruns and hello to choke holds, body slams and leotards, as its residents cheer ringside at a pro wrestling entertainment set up just outside their facility.

“Where else would you see a ring set up, and people beating themselves senseless,” asked Jake Singh, Woodland Skilled Nursing Home’s activities director. “People will be driving down the street, and they’ll slow down. Some have even pulled over and [watched] the show.”

This is the third year that Woodland’s 91 residents have enjoyed this “off-the-wall” entertainment. At one point, pairs of sweaty, costumed behemoths filled the ring, with “partners” simultaneously lowering the boom on each other, much to the delight of the senior citizens with front row seats.

One of the community’s biggest wrestling enthusiasts, and the oldest resident, is 99-year-old Margaret Osborne, who says her wrestling bliss began in the 1960s. 

“This is a joy. It’s my favorite,” Osborne said during a local news broadcast. “I love these guys.”

Since joining Woodland Hills in 2021, Singh has set out to top the previous year’s amusement to ensure he’s providing residents with lifelong memories. 

“We had a falconry presentation yesterday, and we have a pirate coming in next month,” he explained.

Even if wrestling isn’t a community’s top choice, Singh says, it’s important to try new things and find the entertainment that most resonates with today’s residents.

“Always think outside the box. The demographics have changed,” he said. “It’s not just bingo and card games anymore. You have to give [residents] something that’s going to wow them.”