Wrestling Facts

Wrestling is a sport in which a practitioner attempts to defeat an opponent without the use of striking.

Absent winning a match by points, a wrestler can win at any time during a match by "pinning" the opponent, which is turning him completely to his back.

According to the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA), the governing body of international amateur wrestling, the four main forms of amateur competitive wrestling practiced internationally today are Greco-Roman wrestling, Freestyle wrestling, Judo wrestling and Sambo wrestling.

Wrestling is a major sport in the United States and Canada and most nations in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

On the collegiate level, several universities are known for regularly having competitive wrestling teams, including Iowa State, Lehigh University, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Iowa, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the University of Oklahoma, University of Minnesota, and others.

Wrestling is an Olympic sport.

Wrestling has gained tremendous respect among martial arts practitioners, especially with the advent of mixed martial arts competition.

Sumo wrestling is a competition contact sport where two wrestlers or rikishi face off in a circular area. The sport is of Japanese origin and is surrounded by ceremony and ritual.