Wrestling is a Pre-medieval contact sport going back to around 1100 A. D , and the word is one of the most ancient in English. Wrestling was a main draw at pastoral fairs where the winner of the bout would be handsomely rewarded. In medieval England, wrestling was very popular and every place had its own share of yarns and stories of local heroes. According to modern International rules there are five different styles of wrestling, mainly Greco Roman the oldest and most followed, Grappling, Sambo, Freestyle and lastly beach wrestling.

The Greco Roman style is popular throughout Europe. In this style, throws form an important part, because attacks beneath the belt are illegal. Arm dragging, headlocks, and bear hugs also form part of the arsenal. While grappling on the mat, a wrestler has to come up with ways to force his opponent's shoulders to the wrestling mat, thereby winning the bout. UK wrestling styles originating from Cumberland or Westmoreland do have holds which are not found in the classical variant, but restrict grappling holds to the upper body. The British people never got to grips with the Greco Roman style, preferring the freestyle form of wrestling. England was the place of origin of Catch wrestling, a precursor of the freestyle form.

UK wrestling was first introduced at the beginning of the century and the public readily accepted it as it proved a welcome break from the more traditional strongman routines. One of the first stars was one Jack Karkeek who would challenge members from the crowd to step into the ring and last for a few minutes against him. Another proponent of UK wrestling was Big Daddy who had a comic dedicated to his adventures. UK wrestling received a shot in the arm with the coming of television with the first episodes being telecast on ATV and also ABC.