Wrestling and Sumo
Competitive Wresling dates back to at least the Original Olympic Games in Athens, Ancient Greece. Another Ancient versions of Wrestling is Sumo (Japan). Modern versions include Olympic (Greco-Roman), WWE (American), Lucha Libre (Mexico), and indeed also Mud Wrestling (England) and Jelly Wrestling (Ireland).
Olympic Wrestling (Greco-Roman)
Olympic Wrestling is the version which dates back to Ancient Greece and Rome and the original Olympic Games. It is the version in the Modern Olympics also.
Olympic Wrestling (Greco-Roman)
Photo Credit: Dmitry Niko / shutterstock.com (2016) Wrestling mats during World Wrestling Club Cup, December 1, 2016, Kharkov, Ukraine [Internet] Available from: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/wrestling-mats-during-world-club-cup-1863703273 [Accessed and Edited by Enda Mulcahy 1 October 2023]
Irish Amateur Wrestling Association Events:
Irish Open (Years):
Dublin Freestyle Open (Years):
WWE Wrestling (USA)
World Wrestling Entertainment is the Modern American made-for-TV version of wrestling.
WWE Wrestling (USA)
Photo Credit: Christian Bertrand / shutterstock.com (2017) BARCELONA – NOV 4: The wrestler Becky Lynch in action at WWE Live at the Palau Sant Jordi on November 4, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain.
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment Irish Wrestlers 2001-Present
Lucha Libre (Mexico)
Mexican version of WWE Wrestling
Lucha Libre (Mexico)
Picture Credit: A selection of colorful “Lucha Libre” Mexican professional wrestling masks, for sale outside of Arena Mexico, Mexico City By bmszealand / www.shutterstock.com
Triplemania (Bouts):
Sumo (Japan)
John Gunning was the first Irishman to compete in the Sumo World Championships for Ireland
Sumo (Japan)
Sumo World Championships.
Photo Credit: Irene M M / shutterstock.com (2017) Tokyo, Japan- September 14, 2017: Sumo tournament Stock Photo ID: 770625103 [Internet] Available from: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/tokyo-japan-september-14-2017-sumo-770625103 [Accessed and Edited by Enda Mulcahy for 1 October 2023]
Irish International Sumo Wrestlers
John Gunning Irish Sumo Wrestler
Sumo Reference
I have it on the authority of John Gunning that this Reference website is one of the best ever. The German who compiled it went through over 100 years of Japanese Newspapers. It contains the results of every Japanese Sumo bout ever recorded back to early 1900s or before.
Sumo Reference: http://sumodb.sumogames.de/
Mud Wrestling
Professional Mud Wrestling started in Akron, Ohio on 7 January 1938 when Miss Leona Gordon and Miss Mildred Burke competed in the first ever fight. Professional Mud Wrestling, like World Wrestling Entertainment is more for show or spectacle with the contestants not seriously trying to harm, injure or fight each other. [References: 1]1
Mud Wrestling
Photo Contributor: Kimmo Keskinen [Internet] Available from: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/elephant-257262733 [Accessed 17 August 2023]
Mud Bowl
Mud Bowl
- Life Magazine (1938) January 24, 1938, page 23 [Internet] Available from Google Books at: https://books.google.ie/books?id=yEoEAAAAMBAJ&dq=life+magazine+jan+24+1938&pg=PA23&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=life%20magazine%20jan%2024%201938&f=false [Accessed 17 August 2023] ↩︎