Mixed wrestling has been around for years, though many may not know it. It is a type of professional wrestling where men and women are allowed to compete against one another. Mixed wrestling goes against the global convention that men are physically superior to women and, therefore, cannot compete against each other.
They say what a man can do, a woman can do better. Over the years, women have been challenged to put their money where their mouths are. Wrestling, which used to be an exclusively male sport, has been introduced to women. Now, we have mixed wrestling between the two genders for the entertainment of wrestling fans.
To know more about mixed wrestling, read this article.
What is mixed wrestling?
According to Urban Dictionary, mixed wrestling is a form of wrestling which is sometimes faked where women (and teenagers recently) dressed in bikinis and skimpy outfits wrestle men. Also known as intergender wrestling, it was introduced to prove that women are stronger than men in wrestling, especially since it is scientifically proven that women have stronger hips and legs. In some cases, female wrestlers are allowed to violate the rules to sexually assault a male wrestler by groping his penis to make him submit.
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However, mixed wrestling should not be mistaken for mixed-tag team matches. For mixed-tag team matches, men and women are allowed to be in one team against another mixed team. However, each gender is not allowed to attack the other gender. If a tag is made, the other team should make sure the genders in the ring are the same.
History of mixed wrestling
For centuries, men and women avoided wrestling against one another because it was deemed unfair to the women. However, mixed wrestling began in the late 1970s/early 1980s when comedian Andy Kaufman participated in several filmed staged matches of him wrestling with women and proclaiming himself the “World Intergender Wrestling Champion”. He would often issue an open challenge to any female challenger who could defeat him. This also began his famous crossover feud against wrestling legend, Jerry “The King” Lawler.
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In 1977, legendary American female professional boxer, Cathy Davis, sued the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) for denying her a boxing license because she was a woman. The case was decided in her favour later that year. The NYSAC filed an appeal of the ruling but later dropped it.
In 1996, professional wrestling was exposed as being scripted after The MSG “Curtain Call” incident. Surprisingly, mixed wrestling became more common and accepted by the fans. The upsurge of interest in the sport led to major North American promotions, such as Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling. Chyna, a well-built ex-bodybuilder, has been regarded as the most successful female wrestler in mixed wrestling. She was a three-time Intercontinental Champion, a championship traditionally only contested by men, and was briefly the #1 contender for the WWF Attitude Era world championship.
Mixed wrestling has also been met with controversy as it has been criticised for thinning the line between sporting events and erotic entertainment. There are also allegations about male wrestlers’ physical violence against helpless women. For instance, a viral 2011 intergender match video in Japan showed Kenny Omega wrestling with a nine-year-old girl named Haruka. Many condemned the act, even though it showed the girl being allowed to have the upper hand and there was also a time limit. Omega reportedly received death threats.
These controversies led wrestling promotion companies like WWE to permit mixed wrestling matches on a part-time basis due to PG rating. Mixed wrestling matches continue to thrive today, especially in the United States of America, United Kingdom and Japan.
How to partake in mixed wrestling
To partake in mixed wrestling, you have to consider wrestling as a sport. There are different options to choose where to train. There are school programmes, youth feeder training and programmes, private wrestling clubs, mixed martial arts gyms and home gyms.
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