Catch wrestling
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Catch Wrestling, short for catch-as-catch-can wrestling, is a term for grappling, sometimes known as hook wrestling.
In the late 19th century, carnivals routinely traveled the American countryside. In the days before television or radio, carnivals were a primary source of American entertainment. As part of their attraction, many carnivals had what were dubbed "athletic shows" where prize fighters and wrestlers would take on all comers for cash wagers. The athletic shows were not only a source of entertainment, but also a way for the locals to interact with the performers, test their skill, and perhaps win some money in the process.
In their earliest stages, athletic show wrestling rules were offshoots of traditional wrestling rules, with each person trying only to pin the other. As time went on, locals became more ruthless, and it became common to hear stories of a local trying to gouge out a wrestler's eyes during a challenge match. In addition, disputes often arose as to whether a person was actually pinned – not surprising considering there was money on the line – and whether the referees were calling the matches fairly. The travelling wrestlers developed submission holds, or "hooks," both to protect themselves from injury and to eliminate any doubt as to the victor. The wrestlers would stretch their opponents to make them submit.
As the sport evolved, wrestlers became even more skillful at hooking. The rules of the challenge matches were often tipped to favor the local challengers. Depending on the carnival or match, the wrestler could lose a match by being hooked, pinned, or simply thrown. Thus, in order to survive, hookers became extremely proficient at controlling and hooking their opponents and defending against all methods of attack.
Under the strictest rules, wrestlers would lose matches if they failed to defeat their opponents within a certain time. Not only did these men need to be masters of wrestling, control and hooks, they were also forced to develop the skill to execute their techniques quickly and efficiently.
Men such as Martin "Farmer" Burns, Frank Gotch, John Pesek, Ed "Strangler" Lewis, Ray Steele, and many others all "made their bones" as carnival wrestlers.
More recently, WWE wrestler William Regal used his carnival-wrestling roots as a gimmick.