Wrestling is one of the oldest sports known to man. It has been traced back to 15,000 year old cave paintings, and throughout the ages it has been perfected into the wrestling forms we watch and bet on online today. Wrestling has branched out into several different forms throughout the years, some more spectacular than others, but all of which providing excellent opportunities for online betting. In this article we are going to have a look at some of the most popular forms of wrestling in the world. We will also reveal some unexpected wildcards; sports that may be very popular in some areas of the world, but more or less unknown in others. If you are a fan of wrestling and online betting, these are the sports to check out! Click here in order to find out more about odds and betting on wrestling and other sports on the internet. Keep reading to find out more about wrestling types around the world.

Traditional wrestling

Traditional wrestling is the kind that we see in the summer Olympics. This type of wrestling was perfected in the ancient Roman olympics, and was invented all the way back in ancient Babylon and Egypt. This is the modern version of one of the oldest sports known to man. It may not be as dramatic and extreme as some of the other versions of the sport, but do not underestimate the incredible skill and strength of these world class athletes.

American style professional wrestling

Professional wrestling, also known as American style wrestling or entertainment wrestling is the form we all know and love. It includes everything from WWE and Ring of Honor to Impact Wrestling. American wrestling is the original home of athletes such as Hulk Hogan, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnsson, The Undertaker, Steve Austin, John Cena and many more. Punching, kicking, grappling and throwing; in this dramatic type of wrestling anything can, and will happen!

Kabaddi – Incredibly popular in the Indian subcontinent

Indian Kabaddi wrestling is a very popular sport with the subcontinent and its neighbouring countries. Two teams of seven face off, with the goal of tackling and wrestling the enemy “raider” to the ground before he/she can get into the opposing team’s side of the field. The sport has millions of fans in Asia and goes by many different names. Kabaddi is the most commonly used one, and the sport has the biggest following in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Lucha Libre – Mexican pro wrestling

The Mexican version of the american style pro wrestling. Lucha Libre is known especially for its dramatical flare, highflying grappling and throws, and the extraordinary masks. The Mexican luchadores have in many ways influenced, and been influenced by american pro wrestling, and sometimes crossovers occur. One of the most famous examples being the tag-team Los Guerreros, or “the warriors” known from WWE.

Beach wrestling

This is a rather new form of entertainment wrestling. Hailing from the United States, beach wrestling is a standing contact sport on sand. The competitors, men or women, commonly wear either beach attire or spandex clothing. The scoring rules are similar to Sumo, including takedowns and out-of-bounds.

Sumo wrestling

The iconic Japanese Sumo wrestling is not the most popular outside of Japan. It is however a very underestimated form of entertainment for wrestling fans. The massive wrestlers can weigh up towards 150kg or 330 lbs. They use grappling, takedowns and the most severe bitch-slaps known to man in order to take on their opponents.