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Catch Wrestling is a style of Combat Sport which is a type of Folk Wrestling which is broad term that defines a more mainstream style. In the 19th Century it became very well known in traveling carnivals who frequently employed submission holds against their adverseries. This style comes from Europe, but also has some roots in Ireland, India and even Iran. Catch Wrestling was the root of what what is now Submission Wrestling.
The Catch method has its origins from Ancient Greek Wrestling which was very popular in the Roman Empire. The Ancient Greek rules which you use to win a match are the same as the Catch style, however, with the Catch style you don't have to knock your opponent out of the ring to win the match, which was the case with the Ancient Greek style. The Catch method was popular on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. It was especially popular, and is probably why another name for this is Carnival Wrestling, because it was used a lot in the U.S. at Carnivals.
At any Carnival, if any local could win the Carnival's strong man by either pinning him or through a submission, they had a chance to earn some extra money. This style in its early form at the Carnivals didn't have any rules. You were even able to eye gouge. Most of the Carnivals Strongmen knew to expect the worst from the challenging locals, so they were prepared to bring their opponent into submission as soon as possible. In many cases they would do this by employing the hook.
Catch Wrestling was also gaining popularity in Europe. Carnival Wrestlers met a lot of people as they traveled, and used a variety of techniques they amalgamated from other Folk Wrestling styles. They were able to learn all of these styles because of the pouring in of immigrants from all over the world. The rules started changing depending on what venue you were from. Coal Mines and Logging Camps placed side bets at matches. They were betting on submission wins and favored pins.
