1937 clip from a boxer vs. wrestler match

That was awesome and pretty much went how I expected it to go

Just shows you that the early UFCs were full of bums who were mostly hand picked to make the Gracies look good


Also everyone including the ref had an xcellent physique that you just don't see anymore
 
awesome stuff. too bad it didnt catch on more
 
Apparently these boxer vs. wrestler matches were common in the late 1800's, per the description of the video. It would be great to see more of these from way back when, even though I doubt the boxers that participated had much success.
 
More clips

1930




1934




1938 (but with modified rules)




1940 (Jack Dempsey vs. wrestler in a boxing match)




1914 (Jack Johnson incorporating Greco-Roman wrestling in his training. Not a fight, just some cross training. But, I really like this clip)

 
That was awesome and pretty much went how I expected it to go

Just shows you that the early UFCs were full of bums who were mostly hand picked to make the Gracies look good


Also everyone including the ref had an xcellent physique that you just don't see anymore
This post confuses me. Why/how does it show that?
 
This post confuses me. Why/how does it show that?

Because you have a wrestler with an excellent physique showing pretty modern MMA skills way back then

Even back in 1930s there were tons of fighters way higher in quality than what those early UFCs had. So in the 90s when the early UFC's took place the promoters and the Gracies could have easily invited legit fighters with legit MMA skills to go and fight but they picked a bunch of tough rednecks instead to make the gracies look good and "invent MMA"
 
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Was expecting them to be smoking pipes and wearing flat caps.
 
Because you have a wrestler with an excellent physique showing pretty modern MMA skills way back then

Even back in 1930s there were tons of fighters way higher in quality than what those early UFCs had. So in the 90s when the early UFC's took place the promoters and the Gracies could have easily invited legit fighters with legit MMA skills to go and fight but they picked a bunch of tough rednecks instead to make the gracies look good and "invent MMA"
Problem is...they had to build a market... The audience & TV dudes were all expecting disciplines from the movies to dominate, so you had to fill the card with these flashy disciplines, even boxing, otherwise people wouldnt have bought into the idea.

Nobody cared about wrestlers.
 
those are great, thanks TS. that Earl's Court one is hilarious.

some comments on that first video:
a) interesting they had the wrestling rules that grabbing the ropes breaks the action.
b) at the end of the first round it appeared the wrestler was going for an actual pin (announcer said "saved by the bell"), and he didn't seem to have any actual subs. i wonder if he was just a freestyle guy, not a catch wrestler.
c) at the end of the video did he pin him (see b above) or get a choke? i couldn't tell.

anyway, interesting rules. the wrestler eventually respected the boxer's hands. the boxer's only d was to get to the ropes.
 
That was awesome and pretty much went how I expected it to go

Just shows you that the early UFCs were full of bums who were mostly hand picked to make the Gracies look good


Also everyone including the ref had an xcellent physique that you just don't see anymore

That’s because the ref was the former heavyweight champ.
 
Because you have a wrestler with an excellent physique showing pretty modern MMA skills way back then

Even back in 1930s there were tons of fighters way higher in quality than what those early UFCs had. So in the 90s when the early UFC's took place the promoters and the Gracies could have easily invited legit fighters with legit MMA skills to go and fight but they picked a bunch of tough rednecks instead to make the gracies look good and "invent MMA"

First of all, the wrestler had zero mma skills. He was just a wrestler who wasn’t afraid of a challenge. I don’t see how his physique should play any role in determining his abilities.

Second, you don’t know jack about what the quality of the fighters were back in the 1930’s.

Third, the Gracies had plenty of good guys in the first few shows. He may not have gotten Karelin or Gokor, but he got solid guys and Royce did pretty good for some skinny kid with no physique.

I’ll let you get back to your hate filled agenda now.
 
Because you have a wrestler with an excellent physique showing pretty modern MMA skills way back then

Modern MMA skills? You mean how he leans forward face first with no actual striking defense? As for wrestlers with excellent physiques, Royce tapped these guys:

ce8d58977c072e116b8a04716f60ec54.jpg
kimo-leopoldo.jpg


Even back in 1930s there were tons of fighters way higher in quality than what those early UFCs had.
Such as? You mean the giant wrestler who had trouble finishing the small (probably untrained in grappling)boxer? Even Gene Lebell had trouble taking down and tapping Milo Savage in the 60's. Not hating on wrestlers here but there is a blatant lack of striking defence in these early clips.

So in the 90s when the early UFC's took place the promoters and the Gracies could have easily invited legit fighters with legit MMA skills to go and fight but they picked a bunch of tough rednecks instead to make the gracies look good and "invent MMA"
Nobody had legit MMA skills back then because there was no actual MMA. Maybe some vale tudo guys who did eventually come over but have you ever seen an old vale tudo fight? They're not pretty.

Not trying to shit on the wrestlers parade here,all the clips in this thread are really cool but its pretty clear he has some obvious limitations. I'd wager if he stepped into a time machine and competed in even a modern smaller show he'd likely get smashed.

And I know it's cool to hate on the Gracie's but look at the guys Royce beat in those early UFC's. For every Art Jimmerson(a legit boxer btw), he beat a Severn, Kimo or Shamrock along with all the other best guys of his time and not a single redneck.
 
Man you guys are shitting on me, I'm gonna run away
 
First of all, the wrestler had zero mma skills. He was just a wrestler who wasn’t afraid of a challenge. I don’t see how his physique should play any role in determining his abilities.

Second, you don’t know jack about what the quality of the fighters were back in the 1930’s.

Third, the Gracies had plenty of good guys in the first few shows. He may not have gotten Karelin or Gokor, but he got solid guys and Royce did pretty good for some skinny kid with no physique.

I’ll let you get back to your hate filled agenda now.

Garbage. The only decent guy they got was Ken Shamrock, who had 1 year of experience in Pancrase (vs. a lifetime of training and Gracie Challenge matches for Royce). What's more, Ken fought in Japan 3 days before UFC 1...ever heard of jet lag then fighting at mile-high altitude? There were a couple of decent strikers (Gordeau and Pat Smith), but Gordeau had a broken hand and foot by the time he fought Royce. He might as well have forfeited.

They also allowed the Gracies to fight under the rules they wanted (wearing a gi was okay) but didn't allow Ken to wear wrestling boots--even if he agreed not to kick. Typical Gracie shenanigans. Sakaruba just let them custom-tailor their own rules then beat them any way.
 
Problem is...they had to build a market... The audience & TV dudes were all expecting disciplines from the movies to dominate, so you had to fill the card with these flashy disciplines, even boxing, otherwise people wouldnt have bought into the idea.

Nobody cared about wrestlers.
I didn't see any discipline at all - I just saw swangin!
 
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