No one really knew what to expect for Gay Games VII after prersumptive host Montreal decided to withdraw from contract negotiations late in 2003 and announced shortly thereafter it would establish a rival event. The Federation of Gay Games contacted the other bidders and, after Chicago and Los Angeles both expressed continued interest in hosting, held a second site selection vote, with Chicago being chosen in March 2004.

That meant a scramble for Chicago organizers, faced with the task of putting together the event in a two-year turnaround, rather than four years, and for the first time in the more than two decvades of Gay Games history facing a rival in the battle for athlete registrations. Fortunately a very positive working relationship was quickly established between Chicago Gay Games and WWB, relying on the invaluable tournament work book created the previous quadrennial by Peter Verey.

In a battle of San Franciscans, Calvin Malone works for backpoints in a win over Sam Stewart in the men's open 82-kg gold medal match. Photo by Jay of Jay W Photo

Notable connections were also established with Chicagoans Steve Roth, who served as WWB liaison throughout the planning stages; and Josh Watkins, who founded Chicago Wrestling Club to serve as host club for the wrestling tournament. Establishment of a club in Chicago, in the heart of a wealth of American wrestling talent, had been a prime objective for WWB once Chicago was picked; the establishment of Cyclone Wrestling Club, later renamed Chicago Wrestling Club, provided an outlet for LGBT-centric wrestling for the first time in decades. CWC, with a large influx of local Russian talent, was able to put in dominating performances at the USA Nationals in Las Vegas.

WWB was also fortunate that Chicago organizers selected Rob Smitherman as sports coordinator for wrestling. Smitherman, a tall, lanky basketball player, was impressed by the can-do attitude of the wrestlers, especially when community volunteers failed to show up in the 100-degree weather of tournament day. Wrestlers immediately stepped up to take on the tasks and the day was saved.

With an assist from WWB, Chicago was able to arrange for the technique clinic to be presented by Northewestern Coach Tim Cyziewski, who was in the process of turning the Wildcats into an NCAA powerhouse. One hundred wrestlers competed and more than 100 bouts were contested in the heat wave at Northwestern University in the same facility used for the prestigious Midland Tournament. Donna Rose, who had last wrestled as a young man in the Canadian Olympic trials years before undergoing sex reassignment surgery, became the first trasngender woman to compete in a FILA sanctioned tournament. (Four years later, she would compete in the USA Women's Nationals in Cleveland, earning a berth in the U.S. national World Team Trials, then a year later won the women's national beach wrestling championship.)

Canada's Peter Verye gets Southern Cal's Steve Ford in a headlock in the veteran men's 68-kig class, seconds before Ford reverses him and scores the pin. Photo by Jay of Jay W Photo

Gay Games VII offered the event's first 50-and-over age group competition, which proved an immeasurable success. A new drug-testing procedure was introduced, in which entrants passed a visual exam.

Perhaps the most compelling storyline of the day occurred in the men's masters 82 kilogram class, the most closely fought division. Four wrestlers ended up with identical 4-1 records, with gold medalist Keith Boykin of Metro WC eking out the title despite an opening round loss in which no points were scored in the three regulation periods, and no offensive points in the three overtimes.

First class officiating, led by Gerry Tillman and Al Williams, kept things running smoothly in the blistering heat and held injuries to a minimum. And Chicago Gay Games contracted with an amazing array of professional photographers, resulting in the best photographic record of any Gay Games wrestling tournament to date.