World Wrestling Day Date in the current year: May 23, 2024

Wrestling is a combat sport based on grappling techniques such as clinch fighting, takedowns and throws, joint locks and other submission holds, pins, etc. Unlike other combat sports, amateur wrestling does not involve punches, kicks, or the use of weapons.

Wrestling is one of the oldest forms of combat, having originated in prehistoric times. It is mentioned in ancient literary sources such as the Old Testament, the Vedas, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Iliad. In Ancient Greece, wrestling competitions occupied a prominent place in the Olympic Games.

Wrestling was widely practiced throughout medieval and Early Modern Europe by people of different classes, developing into various folk wrestling styles depending on the region. Modern wrestling developed in the 1830s France. The new wrestling style was named Greco-Roman wrestling. Outside France, it became known as classic wrestling or French wrestling.

In 1896, Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the program of the first modern Olympic Games. Five athletes from four nations (Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary) competed. The winner was Carl Schuhmann, a German athlete who also competed in gymnastics and weightlifting. The first European Wrestling Championships were held in 1898, and the first World Wrestling Championships took place in 1904. The latter’s anniversary is now celebrated as World Wrestling Day.

To govern amateur wrestling and oversee the sport at the Olympics, the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (Fédération Internationale des Luttes Associées, FILA; renamed United World Wrestling in 2014) was established in 1912. It oversees the following wrestling styles: Greco-Roman wrestling, men’s and women’s freestyle wrestling, and associated (non-Olympic) styles such as grappling, beach wrestling, amateur pankration, and certain types of traditional wrestling.

However, United Word Wrestling does not regulate collegiate wrestling, which is practiced mainly by men in American colleges and universities. It is a distinctly American type of wrestling that developed in the United States during the 19th century and differs in a number of ways from Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling.

Amateur wrestling should not be confused with professional wrestling. While amateur wrestling is a competitive sport, professional wrestling is a type of sports entertainment. The progress and outcome of professional wrestling matches are planned in advance, and pro wrestles are performers who don’t necessarily have an amateur wrestling background.

World Wrestling Day was established in 2014 by amateur wrestlers in order to promote the sport of amateur wrestling across the world. It is marked by wrestling competitions, workshops, and other events designed to popularize wrestling among a wide international audience.