Wrestling has been a grand and noble tradition; some of its history can be traced back more than 3000 years. In some countries, it became the Sport of Kings.

Today, we have a modern version as controversial as this world has ever seen. The old Greco-Roman style is now being lost by the wayside in more ways than one.

In the old days in Babylonia, the big men who composed the Army had many opportunities to show their prowess and strength. Wrestling had its birthplace way back when men would grapple with one another to see who could be tossed to the hard, stony ground. The winner would come in for his share of acclaim and, often time, would be rewarded by the King himself by being made a favored member of the Royal Guards.

In the tombs of the Pharaohs, who are buried beneath the Pyramids in ancient Egypt, figures and hieroglyphics are found chiseled into huge blocks of stone. They depicted two muscular men in body contact with each other trying to toss the other to the ground. This is the earliest recorded history of man vs. man.

The history of today's wrestling has come down to us from the bygone ages. In the 18th century, its tradition was carried forward by our first President, George Washington. He enjoyed a good scuffle with his men during the times they were not in battle with the British.

Abraham Lincoln was said to be one of the finest wrestlers of his time and kept in shape by splitting wood in his early years in logging camps. He had many a lumberjack match with buddies who he worked with to let off steam and show the camp who was the best.

Teddy Roosevelt, at the turn of the century, was also quite adept in roughing up an opponent. He took keen delight in sparring with his "Roughriders" and showing them why he was the boss.

The sport of Professional Wrestling became very popular in the 20th century. Men were anxious to become active in the sport, as it was a big way for some to make a huge amount of money. The first professional matches were tedious affairs that saw opponents grab each other in very painful arm and leg locks. They would be bound together seemingly for hours on end, but it was a matter of leverage and strength that was the major factor in winning matches.

I have seen matches where a simple wristlock applied to an opponent would turn his hand solid white from no circulation of blood. I have also seen men collapse from a simple bear hug. I have seen bones broken right out of the skin in punishing leg locks.

In the 1920's, men like Gus Sonnenburg and Jumping Joe Savoldi came right off the gridiron and developed into prominent figures in wrestling. Joe was the man who brought a young black baseball player by the name of Houston Harris to the mat wars. You might know him better as Bobo Brazil.

Joe and Gus used some of their tactics from the football field to win matches. Moves like the bruising shoulder blocks, thunderous leg charges, and brute strength brought a visual prowess to the mats. The advent of these moves brought a newfound excitement to the paid end of the wrestling business.

Today's mat men and women have brought that same excitement into a new scenario and age of wrestling. They have, for the better part of reasoning, continued with the basics but have given wrestling a new and different twist.

Many wrestlers have taken characters from various methods and turned that image into moneymakers for them and the promoters that built those personae into record gates at the box office.

To give you a few examples...
William J. Cobb became 750-pound "Happy" Farmer Humphrey from a comic strip...
Edward Farhat became "The Sheik"...
William Miller became "Dr. Big Bill Miller"...
Larry Shreve became "Abdullah the Butcher"...
Jerry Mathews became Dr. Jerry Graham, one of the biggest money draws on the East Coast...
Charles Iwamoto became "Mr. Moto" right after the Second World War and had a tremendous following in the Midwest...
George Wagner became "Gorgeous George" and brought a new image and extravagance to the wrestling business.

These are a few examples of men doing whatever it took to make a payday for them and their families. The modern day wrestler does not have to undergo the extensive training and apprenticeship that earlier pioneers did. He has the cable and satellite viewing audience to cater to. He doesn't have to travel hundreds of miles by car to make a booking. He doesn't have to sleep in the back seat of his car to save a few dollars. All he needs to do is get on a plane, and he is there in a few hours, all rested up to do his thing.

I am not sure that the younger wrestlers today could, in fact, do the 60- or 90-minute draw matches that our parents and grandparents watched in the smoke filled, dimly lit arenas across these great United States. All the punishing moves and holds have been replaced with a lot of showmanship and glitz.

It would be a very terrific match to see a young upstart like Kurt Angle or Brock Lesnar go against Dory Funk Jr. or Lou Thesz in their heyday. I wonder if the younger opponent would be able to captivate an audience and get applause from reversing a hammerlock or a toehold.

What are your thoughts?