A Shame: The Origins and What It Is Now

Whether fans like to admit it or not, the Pro Wrestling we have today had to come from somewhere.

Professional wrestling, defined as wrestling between two professionals for payment, is a form of both entertainment and fighting.

There is perhaps no sport more widely dispersed or older than wrestling; it has documented history in ancient Babylonian and Egyptian art from 3,000 B.C., literary presence in the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, and has been known and practiced in ancient Chinese and Japanese civilizations.

The Greeks are credited for popularizing it as a competitive, widely-practiced public spectacle of competitive athleticism in the Ancient Olympic Games.

It has therefore been believed that the form of wrestling practiced through the ages, from the ancients onto the nineteenth century, has been what is now called the Greco-Roman wrestling.

The modern style of professional wrestling, popularized by the U.S and Britain during the late nineteenth century, is called the catch-as-catch can style.

Originally thought of as unorthodox and more lax in style, catch wrestling differs from Greco-Roman in its allowed grapples; Greco-Roman strictly prohibits grabbing below the waist, while catch wrestling allows holds above and below the waist, including leg grips.

Both catch wrestling and Greco-Roman were popular, and completely legitimate amateur and professional sports.

But, from the late 1800s onwards, a sub-section of catch wrestling changed slowly into the sport known worldwide as pro-wrestling, recognized as much for its theatrical antics and entertainment as wrestling ability.

However, this change did not become predominant until following the Second World War, and there are still forms of Shoot Wrestling existing in professional wrestling, in the present day.

Some even argue that MMA is the next stage in the cycle of professional wrestling changing back and forth, between a legitimate sport and an athletic form of entertainment.

Other Catch Wrestling (or "Freestyle") and Greco-Roman, however, did not change at all in the sense of competitiveness or legitimacy and remain practiced Olympic Games to this day.

That is where pro wrestling came from, and now it is like a monopoly. In this case, it is Vinnie Mac buying everybody, and now none of the indy companies have any chance.

He is just too damn powerful and greedy. TNA and ROH are the only two in the US that stand any chance of surpassing WWE, but they have a long ways to go, and need a small miracle to do that.

Back in the day of territories and when National Wrestling Alliance reigned supreme, WWE was still a small company.

Now all though the NWA is still around, it is no where as to what it used to be.

TNA and ROH are what WWE was then now (if you get what I am saying).

This madness has to end, and go back 30 years (except on live TV), and let all companies shine. Give the promoters a chance.