Ultimate History of Pro Wrestling - A Time Line of Every Major Event in Pro Wrestling History - 23 BC

By: Karl Stern (karl@whenitwascool.com)

Much of the text of this entry comes from issue 82 of the DragonKing Press Newsletter available as a downloadable .pdf in the digital downloads section.

23 BC

The origins of wrestling through 1832 are discussed on the Long Form History of Wrestling Podcast 01 - Click Here

A book of Japanese chronicles from 712 AD called the Nihon Shoki states that in the year 23 BC the Emperor Suinin requested that an Izumo potter named Nomi-no Sukune wrestle the bully Taima-no Kehaya.  During the match, Sukune kicks Kehaya in the stomach and solar plexus, fatally injuring him and won the match.  Sukune has since been immortalized in Japan as the "Father of Sumo".  Sumo wrestling becomes the national sport of Japan over time and the term "Sumo" means "wrestling or grappling."

Sumo wrestling.JPG

The battle between Nomi-no Sukune and Taima-no Kehaya.

If you found this article interesting consider becoming a Patreon supporter.  That is how When It Was Cool keeps our website and podcasts online, plus you get lots of bonus content including extra and extended podcasts, articles, digital comics, ebooks, and much more.  Check out our Patreon Page to see what's up!

If you don't want to use Patreon but still want to support When It Was Cool then how about a one time $5 PayPal donation? Thank you!

DragonKingKarl (Karl Stern) is a long time pro wrestling historian who has been published in books, newsletters, and podcasts since the mid-1990s.

The Ultimate History of Pro Wrestling Zone is Karl Stern's attempt to chronicle the entire history of pro wrestling and is a work in progress with hundreds of pages of text added each month.

Please spread the word about the Ultimate History of Pro Wrestling project and support this website on Patreon to help it continue to grow and build.

Pro wrestling history. The history of professional wrestling. Timeline of pro wrestling history.