92-451: The Bholu Brothers were Pakistani wrestlers of Kashmiri origin. They were prominent members of The Great Gama wrestling family, a lineage with a history dating back to 1850. This family has been influential in the sport for several generations, predating the independence of Pakistan . Among the notable members of this family are Bholu Pahalwan , Azam Pahalwan, Aslam Pahalwan , Akram Pahalwan , and Goga Pahalwan. The Bholu Brothers were
184-535: A career spanning more than 52 years, he is considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. After the partition of India , Gama migrated to Pakistan, where he died in the city of Lahore on 23 May 1960. The prominent members of Great Gama Family includes, The Great Jahara Pehlwan , Nasir Bholu , Sohail Pehalwan, Abid Pehalwan, Kalsoom Nawaz, Bilal Yasin (Ex-Federal Minister), Ibraz Butt (Youth Parliamentarian, Secretary of Information) & Moazzam Zubair (Son of Jahara The Great) Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt
276-512: A challenge bout. During a match in Chittagong against Big Bill Verna of Australia, Akram dislocated his left shoulder and was hospitalized. Despite this injury, the match ended in a draw. After his shoulder healed, Akram resumed wrestling and agreed to face the giant King Kong of Hungary. In this bout, Akram defeated King Kong (Emile Czaja) in three rounds. The new threat to the Bholu Brothers in
368-780: A challenge to the rest of those who laid claim to the World Champion's Title, including Japanese Judo champion Taro Miyake , George Hackenschmidt of Russia and Frank Gotch of the United States – each declined his invitation to enter the ring to face him. At one point, to face some type of competition, Gama offered to fight twenty English wrestlers, one after another. He announced that he would defeat all of them or pay out prize money, but still no one would take up his challenge. Shortly after his return from England, Gama faced Raheem Bakhsh Sultani Wala in Allahabad . This bout eventually ended
460-549: A competitor can partake in. For example, some junior varsity and freshman competitors are not allowed in tournament competition due to the amount of mat time a wrestler would accrue in a short time period. Women's college wrestling in the U.S. uses freestyle wrestling rules in the NCAA and standard collegiate rules in the NCWA . There are currently several organizations which oversee collegiate wrestling competition: Divisions I, II, and III of
552-503: A culture or geographic region of the world that UWW does not administer rules for. Examples of the many styles of folk wrestling, include Cornish wrestling , backhold wrestling (from Europe), Cumberland Wrestling and Catch-as-catch-can (from England), kurash from Uzbekistan, gushteengiri from Tajikistan, khuresh from Siberia, Lotta Campidanese from Italy, naban from Myanmar, pehlwani from India, penjang gulat from Indonesia, schwingen from Switzerland, tigel from Ethiopia, kene of
644-569: A few matches to wrestlers like Sam Betts. In professional Tag team wrestling, he teamed with Akram Pehalwan and Majid Ackra. Hassu (real name Hussain Bakhsh) was the second eldest son of Imam Bux, and perhaps the earlier member of the Bholu brothers. His real name was Hussain Bakhsh. He was a part of the Bholu Brothers team of wrestling, but his name was never heard publicly, since he gave up wrestling earlier. As
736-632: A result, he is not well known among the wrestling fans like his brothers. Wrestler Wrestling is a martial art and combat sport that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves different grappling-type techniques, such as clinch fighting , throws and takedowns , joint locks , pins , and other grappling holds . Many different wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts , combat sports , and military systems . Wrestling comes in different competitive forms,
828-513: A type of hand-stitched lederhosen called a kispetler , which are traditionally made of water buffalo hide, and most recently have been made of calfskin. Unlike Olympic wrestling, oil wrestling matches may be won by achieving an effective hold of the kisbet . Thus, the pehlivan aims to control his opponent by putting his arm through the latter's kisbet . To win by this move is called paça kazık . Originally, matches had no set duration and could go on for one or two days, until one man
920-617: A very clever but lighter wrestler. But this proved Afzal's turning point and Afzal was pinned in 15 minutes. In Nepal, Akram defeated the Kabul champion, Sardar Khan. Then in a challenge fight, he trounced Pyara Singh of Indian Punjab. Some of his memorable victories are over Haji Afzal, King Kong, Aussie, Clyde Kennedy, Hardam Singh, Gurnam Singh, Hari Ram, Emile Koroshenko, Tony Kontellis , Con Papalazarou, Baron Von Heczey, Bloorma, Sam Betts and George Gordianko. He drew matches against Shaikh Wadi Ayoub, Bert Assirati and Big Bill Verna. Akram lost some of
1012-546: A visit to India, the Prince of Wales presented Gama with a silver mace . Gama did not have any opponents until 1927, when it was announced that Gama and Zbyszko would face each other again. They met in Patiala in January 1928. Entering the bout, Zbyszko "showed a strong build of body and muscle" and Gama, it was reported "looked much thinner than usual". However, he managed to overpower
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#17328846423141104-482: Is a world heritage martial art which was introduced to the Ancient Olympic Games in 648 BC. Modern amateur pankration is a form of mixed martial arts (MMA) that incorporates techniques from multiple systems. Matches are fought with both grappling and striking techniques. Alysh is a Turkic term for a Central Asian folk wrestling style which involves the wearing of jackets, trousers and thick belts. Throughout
1196-537: Is also treated more as a sport than the entertainment style of wrestling common in North America . As with British/European wrestling, there are fewer and less contrived storylines and angles and there is a similar atmosphere of realistic sporting competition. Much of this direction can be attributed to the influence of two European catch wrestlers/coaches Karl Gotch and Billy Robinson whose matches in Japan early in
1288-454: Is divided into two styles: no-gi and gi. In no-gi (GNG), athletes wear shorts and a compression shirt called a rashguard. In gi grappling (GWG), athletes wear a kimono or gi . The goal of the sport is to take down and control the opponent on the ground and potentially win a submission using chokes and joint locks. Pankration (PK), from the Greek words pan and kratos and meaning "all of power",
1380-428: Is often concluded in a raised ring; akin to boxing. Although advertised as contests , bouts are actually exhibitions with winners generally pre-determined to increase entertainment value. Legitimate wrestling skill remained a valuable bargaining chip in the wrestling industry until the late 20th century however, with occasional shoot matches (often to settle some backstage personal or business dispute) taking place in
1472-430: Is recognized by UNESCO as among the world's longest-running forms of sport. The best wrestlers earn the title of pahlevan (hero). It is similar to freestyle wrestling, however wrestlers wear pants which extend from the waist to below the knees and a belt. They are allowed to use or grab pants or belt as a grip, use legs, waist, clinch, leg trips and lift or throw, with the goal being to touch their opponent's shoulders to
1564-820: Is retrospectively considered a precursor to mixed martial arts . Mexican professional wrestling, also known as lucha libre , is a style of wrestling using special holds. Most performers, known as luchadores (singular luchador ), begin their careers wearing masks, but most will lose their masks during their careers. Traditionally a match involves the best of three rounds, with no time limit. Each luchador uses his own special wrestling style or "estilo de lucha" consisting of aerial attack moves, strikes and complex submission holds. Popular luchadores in Mexico and Puerto Rico are El Santo , Blue Demon , Mil Máscaras , Perro Aguayo , Carlos Colón , Konnan , L. A. Park and Místico . Several wrestlers who performed in Mexico also had success in
1656-537: Is the oldest continuously running, sanctioned sporting competition in the world. In recent years this style of wrestling has also become popular in other countries. Collegiate wrestling (also known as folkstyle wrestling) is the commonly used name of wrestling practiced at the college and university level in the United States . This style, with modifications , is also practiced at the high school and middle school levels, and also for younger participants. The term
1748-476: Is used to distinguish the style from other styles of wrestling used in other parts of the world, and from those of the Olympic Games : Greco-Roman wrestling , and freestyle wrestling . Some high schools in the U.S. have developed junior varsity and freshman teams alongside varsity teams. Junior varsity and freshman wrestling teams restrict competitors not only by weight, but also by age and the amount of wrestling
1840-640: The Book of Genesis , the Patriarch Jacob is said to have wrestled with God or an angel. The Iliad , in which Homer recounts the Trojan War of the 13th or 12th century BC, also contains mentions of wrestling. Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata contain references to martial arts including wrestling. The Yellow Emperor fought the rebel Chi You using Shuai Jiao at the Battle of Zhoulu . This early style of combat
1932-588: The Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520 through to the modern era with regular events since 1928. Oil wrestling ( Turkish : yağlı güreş ), also called grease wrestling, is the Turkish national sport. It is so called because the wrestlers douse themselves with olive oil. It is related to Uzbek kurash , Tuvan khuresh and Tatar and Bashkir көрәш ( köräş ). The wrestlers, known as pehlivanlar meaning "champion" wear
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#17328846423142024-479: The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Wrestling has produced significantly more UFC champions than any other martial art. Wrestlers such as Dan Severn , Don Frye , Mark Coleman , Randy Couture , Mark Kerr , Kazushi Sakuraba , Pat Miletich , and Dan Henderson won many of the early UFC tournaments along with other accolades. Ken Shamrock won the first UFC Superfight Championship and
2116-700: The "Gama Transport Service". Gama was given land and monthly pension by the government and supported his medical expenses until his death. He died in Lahore , Pakistan on 23 May 1960 after a period of illness. Kulsoom Nawaz , politician and wife of Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif , was the granddaughter of Gama. Gama fought and won over five thousand matches. Bruce Lee was an avid follower of Gama's training routine. Lee read articles about Gama and how he employed his exercises to build his legendary strength for wrestling, and Lee quickly incorporated them into his own routine. The training routines Lee used included "
2208-691: The 1940s before the sport grew more theatrical. Wrestlers from the period were known as hookers or shooters due to their legitimate skills – a dwindling number have remained in the business until modern times. Popular wrestlers from this era include Martin "Farmer" Burns , Frank Gotch , Tom Jenkins , Charles Cutler , Joe Stecher , Earl Caddock , Stanislaus Zbyszko , Ed "Strangler" Lewis , Ad Santel , John Pesek , Jim Londos , Ray Steele , Dick Shikat , and transitional figure Lou Thesz . Sometimes referred as "American-style" professional wrestling, companies such as WWE , AEW , Impact Wrestling and ROH run touring professional wrestling events throughout
2300-492: The 1970s inspired considerable interest in the more purist grappling element of professional wrestling. Popular Japanese wrestlers include Rikidozan , Giant Baba , Antonio Inoki , Mitsuharu Misawa , Kenta Kobashi , Shinya Hashimoto and Keiji Mutoh . Shoot style wrestling evolved from traditional puroresu in an attempt to create a combat -based style. Shoot style featured a mix of amateur and catch wrestling , kickboxing and submission grappling . Shoot style wrestling
2392-530: The 1980s/1990s and early satellite sports channels during the same period as well as extensive home video releases in 1980s Germany/Austria) – but later declined and was supplanted both on television and in wider culture by imported American wrestling. Some promoters in the UK (and to a lesser extent France and Germany ) still produce live shows in this style but face stiff competition from more American-styled rivals. Japanese professional wrestling, also known as puroresu ,
2484-764: The Commonwealth title in 1953. He became known throughout the world when he defeated the Empire Champion, Bert Assirati , in 1954. Aslam wrestled in Asia, the Far East, East Africa , Europe, South America and Middle East and defeated some famous names including George Gordienko , Sheik Ali , Roy Heffernan and King Kong Czaya . He also defeated big names in Indian wrestling, such as Arjun Singh, Tiger Joginder Singh , Tarlok Singh, and Paul Vachon . According to Paul Butcher Vachon, all
2576-851: The Cornish Wrestling Association is affiliated to the British Wrestling Association which is linked to the UWW. The International Federation of Celtic Wrestling (FILC) organises international competitions between wrestlers from these styles. Folk styles have been international in nature. For example, there have been regular Cornish wrestling tournaments and matches in the US, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, England and Cornwall, with irregular tournaments and matches in Japan, Canada and Mexico. There have also been Inter-Celtic tournaments between Cornwall and Brittany dating back to
2668-649: The East, and were well-recognized within the Asian community as distinguished figures in the sport. The brothers were trained by Gama Pahalwan , who was known as the Great Gama in the Indian Subcontinent , and remained major figureheads in the wrestling scene within the region after independence in 1947. Soon afterward, Bholu Pahalwan acquired the title of Rustam-e-Pakistan in 1949. His younger brother Aslam Pahalwan earned
2760-478: The Gama wrestling family to be used for training. It was once an akhara or a traditional training hall where deshi kushti was practiced. The wrestling matches were known as dangal , and were fought on a mud pit. The Government of Pakistan, until Ayub Khan 's regime, regularly provided a special grant to Bholu Pahalwan's family as recognition for their services to the sport. Before 1958, every city, town, and village in
2852-551: The John Bull Belt. Within a minute, Zbyszko was taken down and remained in that position for the remaining 2 hours and 35 minutes of the match. There were a few brief moments when Zbyszko would get up, but he just ended back down in his previous position. Through this defensive strategy of hugging the mat in order to nullify Great Gama's greatest strengths, Zbyszko wrestled the Indian legend to a draw after nearly three hours of grappling, though Zbyszko's lack of tenacity angered many of
Bholu Brothers - Misplaced Pages Continue
2944-811: The NCAA, the NAIA , the NJCAA , and the NCWA. NCAA Division I wrestling is considered the most prestigious and challenging level of competition. A school chooses which athletic organization to join, although it may compete against teams from other levels and organizations during regular-season competition. The collegiate season starts in October or November and culminates with the National Championship tournament held in March. Professional wrestling
3036-471: The Nagas from India, shuai jiao from China, and ssireum from Korea. Folk wrestling styles are not recognized as international styles of wrestling by UWW . Celtic wrestling styles (e.g., Cornish wrestling , Scottish Backhold , Cumberland Wrestling , Gouren and Collar-and-elbow ) are a subset of folk wrestling and have their own regulatory bodies and some are affiliated to other organisations. For example,
3128-467: The Olympic Games, for both men and women. This style allows the use of the wrestler's or his opponent's legs in offense and defense. Freestyle wrestling has its origins in catch-as-catch-can wrestling and awards points on the basis of throw amplitude, exposure of an opponent's back to the mat and opponent passivity. A freestyle wrestler may instantly win a match by holding both of an opponent's scapula to
3220-531: The Pakistani wrestling championship for almost 20 years. His final days were difficult; he had five sons and four daughters and all the sons died young. When his youngest son Jalaluddin died in 1945 at the age of just thirteen, Gama was heartbroken and lost the power of speech for some days. He migrated to Pakistan at partition and tried his hand at different unsuccessful ventures including a bus service in Karachi called
3312-477: The Rustam-e-Punjab title in 1951. Azam was declared Rustam-e-Hind in 1953. Goga was better known as the resident Champion. They were among the people who came to Lahore from Amritsar after independence in 1947. The Bholu Brothers are also mentioned in current discussions about wrestling. Bholu Pahalwan , real name Manzoor Hussain (1922–1985) was a famous Pakistani wrestler, and the very first champion of
3404-463: The Soviet Union, while not allowing chokeholds . I personally think that the very best skill for MMA is wrestling, I think that's the number one base to come from because those guys just flat out dictate where the fight takes place [standing or on the ground]." "There is no better base for entering into mixed martial arts than the highly successful competitor as a wrestler. The competitive wrestlers,
3496-455: The Soviet armed forces. Its influences are varied, with techniques borrowed from sports ranging from the two international wrestling styles of Greco-Roman and freestyle to judo, jujitsu, European styles of folk wrestling , and even fencing . The rules for sport sambo are similar to those in competitive judo, with a variety of leg locks and defense holds from the various national wrestling styles in
3588-622: The United States, including Eddie Guerrero , Rey Mysterio (Jr.) , and Dos Caras Jr./Alberto Del Rio . In France in the 19th century, early professional wrestling shows in the Greco-Roman style were often performed at the circus by the resident strongmen . This style later spread to circuses in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia where it was a staple part of circuses in the Soviet era, where it
3680-813: The West, including Karl Pojello , George Zbisko, Zbisko-II, Emil Koroshenko, Baron Von Heckzey, and Jeji Goldstein. He won the Rustam-e-Pakistan title in April 1949 by defeating the No. 1 Pakistani wrestler, Younus Gujranwalia of Punjab. The Governor General of Pakistan, Khwaja Nazimuddin , awarded him the Championship Mace. In 1962, the Pakistani President, Muhammad Ayub Khan , gave him the Pride of Performance Award. In 1964, he
3772-606: The Western wrestlers but could not gain instant entry, because of his lower height. In London, Gama issued a challenge that he could throw any three wrestlers of any weight class in thirty minutes. This announcement however was seen as a bluff by the wrestlers and their wrestling promoter R. B. Benjamin. For a long time, no one came forward to accept the challenge. To break the ice, Gama presented another challenge to specific heavy weight wrestlers. He challenged Stanislaus Zbyszko and Frank Gotch , that he would either beat them or pay them
Bholu Brothers - Misplaced Pages Continue
3864-551: The cat stretch ", and "the squat" (known as "baithak", and also known as the "deep-knee bend."). Today, a doughnut-shaped exercise disc called Hasli weighing 100 kg, used by him for squats and pushups, is housed at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) Museum at Patiala, India . On 22 May 2022, search engine Google commemorated Gama with a Doodle on his 144th birth anniversary. Google commented: "Gama’s legacy continues to inspire modern day fighters. Even Bruce Lee
3956-426: The contest the wrestlers must retain their hold on each other's belt. For this reason it is also referred to as ' belt wrestling alysh' or 'alysh belt wrestling' (BWUWW). The origin of pahlavani wrestling goes back to ancient Persia and is said to have been practiced by mythological Iranian heroes. It combines martial arts, calisthenics , strength training , and music, and was originally used to train warriors.. It
4048-474: The country had its akhara. The sustained participation of wrestlers maintained the sport's vitality, and Bholu's legacy gained increased recognition. During the period when wrestling was prominent in Pakistan, stadiums across the country consistently attracted large audiences. Spectators also frequently gathered on the streets to watch the competitions. During this era, the Bholu Brothers were particularly popular in
4140-439: The current rules allowing wrestlers to score points via takedowns, pushing their opponent out of bounds, or bringing the opponent down to their back. In addition to the annual World Beach Wrestling Championships , beach wrestling has been contested at Youth Olympic Games , Asian Games , Down Under Games, Mediterranean Games and at the 2019 World Beach Games . Folk wrestling describes a traditional form of wrestling unique to
4232-511: The early days of the business and still occurring well into the 1930s and 1940s and the threat to use legitimate skill to have one's way in the ring still potent decades later. The roots of professional wrestling lay in the catch-as-catch-can contests of the late 19th century. Whereas the Europeans favored the more controlled and classical Greco-Roman style, the Americans from the 1880s preferred
4324-563: The early years of the North American colonies and would later serve as a popular activity at country fairs, holiday celebrations, and in military exercises. The first organized national wrestling tournament in the United States took place in New York City in 1888. Wrestling has also been an event at every modern Olympic Games since the 1904 games in St. Louis, Missouri ; Greco-Roman wrestling
4416-442: The fans in attendance. Nevertheless, Zbyszko still became one of the few wrestlers to ever meet the Great Gama without going down in defeat; The two men were set to face each other again on 17 September 1910. On that date, Zbyszko failed to show up and Gama was announced the winner by default. He was awarded the prize and the John Bull Belt. Receiving this belt entitled Gama to be called Rustam-e-Zaman or World Champion but not
4508-513: The fights but his overall performance was good. He suffered defeat at the hands of Kala Pahalwan "the Lion of Punjab" during the 1950s, Big Bill Verna and the 3 times world Judo champion Anton Geesink in South America in 1968. Akram remained active in professional wrestling until he lost an important match of his career against Antonio Inoki in 1976. Goga Pehalwan (real name Moazzam) (born in 1937)
4600-417: The first King of Pancrase Openweight Championship in Japan. Other notable MMA fighters with foundations in various forms of wrestling include: The Great Gama Mid 20th Century 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt (22 May 1878 – 23 May 1960), commonly known by the title Rustam-e-Hind and by the ring name The Great Gama ,
4692-719: The former easily and won the bout inside a minute, winning the Indian version of the lineal World Wrestling Championship . Following the bout, Zbyszko praised him, calling him a "tiger". At forty-eight years old he was now known as the "great wrestler" of India. After the partition of India in 1947, Gama moved to Pakistan . During the Hindu–Muslim riots that broke out at the time of partition, Gama saved hundreds of Hindus from Muslim mob in Lahore . Although Gama did not retire until 1952, he failed to find any other opponents. Some other sources say he wrestled until 1955. After his retirement, he trained his nephew Bholu Pahalwan, who held
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#17328846423144784-496: The highly successful amateur wrestlers have such tremendous mental toughness. If you can just get through the room, the wrestling room practices at like really high level universities, NCAA division one teams; those guys are savages. The stuff they go through, just the overtraining, just the mental toughness that you have to develop. The rapid rise in the popularity of mixed martial arts (MMA) has increased interest in wrestling due to its effectiveness against other martial arts since
4876-590: The infancy of MMA, and several wrestling techniques have been specifically adapted for MMA, leading to many martial arts gyms holding MMA wrestling classes. It is considered one of the primary disciplines in MMA along with Brazilian jiu-jitsu , boxing , kickboxing / muay Thai , and judo . Shoot wrestling , a relative of catch and freestyle wrestling, is the foundation of Shooto , a combat sport and pioneer MMA organization founded in 1985. Pancrase , another influential MMA organization based on shoot wrestling, also predates
4968-522: The late Old English term wræstlunge . Wrestling represents one of the oldest forms of combat sport. The origins of wrestling go back around 15,000 to 17,000 years ago through cave drawings in France. Babylonian and Egyptian reliefs show wrestlers using various holds known in the present-day sport. Literary references to wrestling occur as early as the Old Testament and the ancient Indian Vedas . In
5060-434: The legs). Points are allotted on the basis of throw amplitude, exposure of an opponent's back to the mat and opponent passivity. A Greco-Roman wrestler may instantly win a match by holding both of an opponent's scapula to the mat (known as a "fall"). A well known Greco-Roman wrestler is Alexander Karelin from Russia . Freestyle wrestling (FS, WW) is an international discipline and one of two wrestling disciplines featured in
5152-543: The lineal champion of the world as he hadn't defeated Zbyszko in the ring. During this tour, Gama defeated some of the most respected grapplers in the world, "Doc" Benjamin Roller of the United States, Maurice Deriaz of Switzerland, Johann Lemm (the European Champion) of Switzerland, and Jesse Peterson (World Champion) from Sweden. In the match against Roller, Gama threw "Doc" 13 times in the 15-minute match. Gama now issued
5244-491: The long struggle between the two pillars of Indian wrestling of that time in favour of Gama and he won the title of Rustam-e-Hind or the lineal Champion of India. Later in his life when asked about who was his strongest opponent, Gama replied, "Raheem Bakhsh Sultani Wala". After beating Raheem Bakhsh Sultani Wala, Gama faced Pandit Biddu, who was one of the best wrestlers in India of that time (1916), and beat him. In 1922, during
5336-406: The mat (known as a "fall"). This form of wrestling is similar to American scholastic and collegiate wrestling with freestyle wrestling having a greater emphasis on throw amplitude. Collegiate women's wrestling uses two rulesets, freestyle in the NCAA and standard collegiate in the NCWA . Submission Wrestling incorporates techniques and holds from a variety of wrestling disciplines. Grappling
5428-603: The mat. UWW, then known as FILA, codified the form of beach wrestling in 2004. Beach wrestling (BW) is standing wrestling done by wrestlers, male or female, inside a sand-filled circle measuring 7 meters (23 ft) in diameter. The style originally mirrored the rules used before the use of wrestling mats, and beach wrestling has been regarded as the oldest version of international competitive wrestling. The wrestlers wear swimsuits rather than special wrestling uniforms. Wrestlers may also wear spandex or athletic shorts. The international rules have been modified in 2015 by UWW, with
5520-438: The match. However, Kala Pahalwan did not offer a rematch and instead had his students compete against Akram. In 1954, Akram went to Bombay, where he had a series of matches without a loss. After returning to Pakistan, Akram challenged all local competitors. The champion of Multan, Zamman Khan, contested his claim, and Akram emerged victorious. In 1958, Akram and his brothers toured Malaya, where he defeated their idol, Hari Ram, in
5612-558: The matches that he had with the Bholu Brothers were shoots. Azam Pehalwan Rustam-e-Hind was the Champion of Lahore and the Far East. He was a conventional wrestler, a Pahalwan who later adopted the freestyle professional wrestling . Azam (alias Raja) was born in 1925, in Amritsar, India. He was an introverted and religious person. He faced many grapplers in Pakistan, India, Kuwait, Muscat, Bahrain, Qatar, Kenya, Uganda, and South America. Azam
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#17328846423145704-525: The matches which, for the most part, had the atmosphere of real wrestling competition. In many countries this form of professional wrestling achieved mainstream popularity – particularly in the United Kingdom and France where in both countries from the 1950s to the late 1980s, national television coverage made household names of its stars (it was also regularly screened on Welsh language television in Wales in
5796-612: The men and youths who had enjoyed victories in wrestling, boxing , pankration and other athletic contests. During the Middle Ages from the fifth to fifteenth century , wrestling remained popular and enjoyed the patronage of many royal families, including those of England , France , and Japan . Early British settlers in America brought a strong wrestling tradition with them. The settlers also found wrestling to be popular among Native Americans . Amateur wrestling flourished throughout
5888-424: The more wide-open style of wrestling that later became known as freestyle . When the best American catch wrestlers discovered they could earn money with their skills, the professional counterpart was born. Initially, the contests were similar to amateur matches, except there were no time limits, and submission and choke holds were allowed. Amateur wrestling coexisted with its professional counterpart until around
5980-570: The most popular being professional wrestling , which is a form of athletic theatre. Others include Greco-Roman , freestyle , judo , sambo , folkstyle , catch , shoot , luta livre , submission , sumo , pehlwani , shuai jiao , and more. Wrestling first appeared in the ancient Olympic Games as an event during the 18th Olympiad in 708 BC. There are a wide range of styles with varying rules, with both traditional historic and modern styles. The term "wrestling" in Modern English originated from
6072-577: The newly independent Pakistan. He was the eldest son of Imam Baksh Pahalwan - Rustam-i-Hind (Champion Wrestler of India). He was born in 1922 in Amritsar, India. He represented the Gama Wrestling Family. He started his career in British India . He fought his first wrestling match in March 1939 at Minto Park (now called Iqbal Park ), Lahore against Ahmad Bakhsh. He defeated Mangal Singh and Tarraka before 1947. Bholu also defeated wrestlers from
6164-406: The offensive. Despite severe bleeding from his nose and ears, he managed to deal a great deal of damage to Raheem Bakhsh. By 1910, Gama had defeated all the prominent Indian wrestlers who faced him except the champion, Raheem Bakhsh Sultani Wala. At this time, he focused his attention on the rest of the world. Accompanied by his younger brother Imam Bakhsh , Gama sailed to England to compete with
6256-523: The opponent in order to throw or choke them. Judo also allows some chokes and joint locks, although they are typically banned for children. Judo is a popular sport in Japan as well as in France, Russia, and eastern Europe. Sambo is a martial art that originated in the Soviet Union (specifically Russia ) in the 20th century. It is an acronym for "self-defence without weapons" in Russian and had its origins in
6348-472: The person of Bhola Gadi, the champion of Lahore, defeated the Bholu brothers, Azam alias Raja, in May 1962 in the historical cities championship tournament. Akram then wrestled Bhola Gadi at Iqbal Park, Lahore in a challenge match. After a furious struggle between the pair, Akram lifted Bhola Gadi high and slammed him on the mat for the initial three counts. The next opponent Akram faced was the highly reputed Haji Afzal,
6440-436: The prize money and go home. The first professional wrestler to take his challenge was the American Benjamin Roller . In the bout, Gama pinned Roller in 1 minute 40 seconds the first time, and in 9 minutes 10 seconds the other. On the second day, he defeated 12 wrestlers and thus gained entry to the official tournament. He was pitted against world champion Stanislaus Zbyszko and the bout was set for 10 September 1910. Zbyszko
6532-470: The sons of Imam Baksh Pahalwan , also known as Rustam-e-Hind, and the nephews of the renowned Gama Pehlwan. The family's involvement in wrestling included the ownership and operation of several wrestling gyms. The Great Bholu's Gym, known as Dar-ul-Sehat, was located in a building in the City of Karachi . It was a muddy wrestling arena within a courtyard surrounded by wooden benches. Pakistan's first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan , allotted this building to
6624-666: The sport frequently in their works, most notably Plato , Socrates , Aristotle , Xenophon , Epictetus , Seneca , Plutarch , and Marcus Aurelius . Dicaearchus wrote that Plato wrestled at the Isthmian games . Many of Plato's dialogues are set in wrestling schools . Ancient Greek lyric poet Pindar wrote victory odes, grouped into four books named after the Olympian , Pythian , Isthmian , and Nemean Games – Panhellenic festivals held respectively at Olympia , Delphi , Corinth , and Nemea . These odes were composed to honor
6716-485: The world. Matches are highly theatrical, with dramatic stories such as feuds between the athletes developed and performed as part of build-up and promotion for matches. Before its increase in popularity in the mid-1980s, professional wrestling in the United States was organised as a cartel of regional monopolies, known as "territories." Wrestling in some of these areas (particularly the Southern and Midwestern United States )
6808-642: Was a pehlwani wrestler and strongman in British India and later, Pakistan . In the early 20th century, he was an undefeated wrestling champion of British India. He was born in the Kashmiri Butt caste in Jabbowal village ( Amritsar District ) in the Punjab Province of British India in 1878, and was awarded a version of the World Heavyweight Championship on 15 October 1910. Undefeated in
6900-504: Was able to establish superiority, but in 1975 the duration was capped at 40 minutes for the başpehlivan and 30 minutes for the pehlivan category. If no winner is determined, another 15 minutes—10 minutes for the pehlivan category—of wrestling ensues, wherein scores are kept to determine the victor. The annual Kırkpınar tournament, held in Edirne in Turkish Thrace since 1362,
6992-707: Was also a Pakistani wrestler. The 1937, Amritsar-born Pakistani champion was trained by the Great Gama of India for 15 years. He was lightly built and displayed a fighting style with quick reflexes. Some of his favourite manoeuvres were reverse flying kicks and leg breakers. Goga feuded with a number of famous wrestlers including Tiger Jogindar, Gunpat Andolkar, Eric Taylor, Earl Maynard , Killer Karl Kox , Zebra Kid, Wanik Buckley, Louis Kovacs, Kid Zemboa, Billy Robinson , Klondyke Bill, Dick Murdoch , Dusty Rhodes , Sam Betts, Haruka Eigen , Tarlok Singh and Harbans Singh. His local opponents included Haji Afzal, Boonta Singh, Siddique Nukehwala, Sohni and Garnam Singh. However, Goga lost
7084-683: Was born on 22 May, 1878 in Jabbowal , a village in the Amritsar District of the Punjab Province of British India (now in the Kapurthala district of Punjab, India ) into a Kashmiri muslim family of traditional wrestlers. Gama had two wives: one in Punjab and the other in Baroda, Gujarat . After the death of his father (Muhammad Aziz Baksh) when he was six, Gama was put under the care of his maternal grandfather Nun Pahalwan. Following his death, Gama
7176-640: Was contested at the first modern Olympics in 1896 , but not at the 1900 games . The international governing body for the sport, United World Wrestling (UWW), was established in 1912 in Antwerp , Belgium as the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA). The first annual NCAA Wrestling Championships were held in 1928 in Ames, Iowa . USA Wrestling , located in Colorado Springs, Colorado ,
7268-737: Was declared Rustam-e-Zaman (world champion) by the All Pakistan Wrestling Association, conditionally. In May 1967, he defeated the Anglo-French Champion, Henri Pierlot (Les Thornton) for the World title in London , England. In September 1967, Bholu was declared the Rustam-e-Zaman (world champion) by the All Pakistan Wrestling Association for the second time. Pakistani champion Aslam Pahalwan (also known as Achcha) (1927–1989)
7360-603: Was established as the national governing body of U.S. amateur wrestling in 1983. Some of the earliest references to wrestling can be found in wrestling mythology . Wrestling disciplines, as defined by UWW, are broken down into two categories: international wrestling disciplines and folk wrestling disciplines. Three are Olympic disciplines: Greco-Roman wrestling , men's freestyle wrestling and women's freestyle wrestling. UWW also sanctions associated styles: grappling , amateur pankration, belt wrestling alysh , pahlavani wrestling , beach wrestling , and African wrestling. Sambo
7452-526: Was first called jiao di (butting with horns). In Ancient Greece wrestling occupied a prominent place in legend, literature, and philosophy. Wrestling competition, brutal in many aspects, served as the focal sport of the ancient Olympic Games . Ancient Romans borrowed heavily from Greek wrestling, but eliminated much of its brutality through implementing different rules. Wrestling is referenced throughout both Ancient Greek and Roman literature. Many philosophers and leaders practiced wrestling and/or referenced
7544-486: Was given status as an international style in 1966 by FILA, UWW's predecessor. Greco-Roman (GR) is an international discipline and one of two wrestling disciplines featured in the Olympic Games. This form of wrestling prioritizes upper body attacks, with an emphasis on explosive "high amplitude" throws. Under the Greco-Roman ruleset, it is forbidden to attack the opponent below the belt in the execution of any action (restricting holds, trips, and active but not passive usage of
7636-716: Was given the name "Double Tiger" in East Africa after his victories there. He defeated Ugandan Champion Idi Amin in Kampala and won against all his opponents in Kenya, including their champion, Mahinder Singh. He also competed in tag team events with his brothers Aslam and Goga. Akram started his wrestling career in his teens and quickly rose to prominence. He was initially a student of Gama and began competing in Lahore. During his early days, he faced Kala Pahalwan, known as "the Lion of Punjab," and lost
7728-475: Was his age as he was much older than Gama, and near the end of his career. The bout continued for hours and eventually ended in a draw. The contest with Raheem was the turning point in Gama's career. After that, he was looked upon as the next contender for the title of Rustam-e-Hind or the Indian Wrestling Championship . In the first bout Gama remained defensive, but in the second bout he went on
7820-479: Was licensed in freestyle wrestling as well as Indian martial arts. Aslam began his career before the independence of Pakistan. He gained fame by beating Kala Pehalwan, "the lion of Punjab". He won the Rustam-e-Punjab title in 1951 by beating a Pakistani wrestler known as Younus Pahalwan (a.k.a. Younus Gujranwalia) of Gujranwala. In 1953, he wrestled in Nairobi and defeated its champion, Mahender Singh. He also acquired
7912-400: Was often advertised as "French wrestling." Ivan Poddubny achieved major stardom in his homeland and beyond during the interwar period . Judo is a style of wrestling which is derived from jujitsu , a Japanese martial art. As a wrestling style, judo is distinctive in that practitioners, called judoka, wear a heavy jacket and trousers, called a gi , along with a belt. The gi is used to grip
8004-447: Was performed in a relatively less theatrical more serious style, which could vary from realistically sporting to darkly violent, depending on local preference. A different style of professional wrestling evolved in the United Kingdom and spread across Western Europe (where it was known as "Catch" in the non-English speaking countries of mainland Europe). Traditionally in this style, there was less use of storylines and angles to promote
8096-809: Was strong and flexible. Whenever thrown on the mat, he always landed on his feet. With a body weight of only 180 pounds, he could tackle super heavyweights like Gora Singh and Baron Von Heckzey. In United Kingdom he defeated the American Champion, Ron Reed. In Suriname, he defeated the wrestling champion and Karate buff, Antel Haiti (Geisingh). He also vanquished well-known wrestlers like Jeji Goldstein, George Penchef, Big Bill Verna, Zebra Kid, Ron Harrison, Bloorma, Tiger Joginder, and Arjun Singh. Akram Pehalwan, also known as Akki, practiced both earthen pit wrestling and boxing-style wrestling. Born around 1930 in Amritsar, Punjab , India, he weighed approximately 250 pounds, and stood 6 feet tall in his prime. In 1953, he
8188-452: Was subsequently taken into training by the Maharaja of Datia . In 1895, at the age of 17, Gama challenged the then Rustam-e-Hind, middle-aged Raheem Bakhsh Sultani Wala, another ethnic Kashmiri wrestler from Gujranwala . At about 7 feet (2.1 m) tall, with a very impressive win–loss record, Raheem was expected to easily defeat the 5-foot-7-inch (1.70 m) Gama. Raheem's only drawback
8280-492: Was taken care of by his uncle Ida, another wrestler, who also began training Gama in wrestling. He was first noticed at the age of ten, in 1888, when he entered a strongman competition held in Jodhpur , which included many gruelling exercises such as squats. The contest was attended by more than four hundred wrestlers and Gama was among the last fifteen and was named the winner by the Maharaja of Jodhpur due to his young age. Gama
8372-439: Was the adopted son of The Great Gama , and played a role in the Pakistani wrestling faction. Famously, Aslam was a comical figure in real life; which contrasted his wrestling persona and attitude within the ring. He weighed more than 300 pounds, and stood 6 ft 4 in height. He was trained in extreme wrestling environments by the so-called "Superman of Indian wrestling" , Hamida Pahalwan . He participated in shoot bouts. He
8464-524: Was then regarded among the premier wrestlers in the world; and he would then take on the mammoth challenge of India's feared Great Gama, an undefeated champion who had been unsuccessful in his attempts to lure Frank Gotch into a match. And so, on 10 September 1910, Zbyszko faced the Great Gama in the finals of the John Bull World Championships in London. The match was worth £250 in prize money and
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