It is of little debate that the best athletes ever are being produced right now and that, in the future, better ones will follow. As I mentioned in my last article though, people, when it comes to wrestling, are fervent in their belief that this is not true.
Let me stress again exactly what I am talking about to avoid any confusion. I realize that this page is for pro wrestling but it is MY column so I'm gonna concentrate a little on amateur wrestling. You don't like it then don't read it.
Forgotten are many of the great older wrestlers by the average person. What remains are a great deal of myths, legends, and bullshit. Separating the truth from the fiction becomes a task best not undertaken. Where do we classify these people? Where do we classify The Great Gama, Frank Gotch, George Hackenschmidt, William Muldoon, etc?
The problem with classifying them against todays wrestlers is that you are comparing eras. I know a lot of people and yet I can't think of one that is smart enough to start comparing athletes from different eras. The main problem, at least in my opinion, is the lack of documentation and of video of these wrestlers. Sure, their reputations are unbelievable but so are the reputations of a lot of people.
While the forgotten wrestlers of our past continue to thrive in the minds of nostalgic people I tend to look more towards the future and the present. I see Aleksandr Karelin on the mat and I'm not going to take the time to think, "I bet Frank Gotch could beat him in a no time-limit fight." I'm going to watch the greatest wrestler of our time go at it and get a win. It is fun to think about great wrestlers but it is even more exciting to watch them wrestle.
As a firm believer that sports progress in time I don't believe that a great many of the older wrestlers could take the ones of today. I go by history when I make this judgment. History has shown us that athletic progression improves as techniques improve. While the "purist" might disagree all I do is ask him "How many times did YOU watch William Muldoon win a match?" When they claim that that has no bearing on the conversation then I basically walk away, feeling secure in my win over them.
People claim that many years ago Arabs and Indians boasted the greatest wrestlers to ever live. They cite training techniques that no man today would even dream of doing. Running in the sun 10 hours a day, wrestling ALL day long. While that is great and impressive I ask this: How many of THOSE people could lift 400 lbs? How many of those people could perform a half-dozen counter-moves to every move that was put on them? I'm going to hazard a guess that not too many of them. Speaking to a friend of mine who happens to be the Washington state 108 lb wrestling champion has enlightened me on the topic of "new moves." He says that virtually every year moves that have been in existence for long periods of time are being refined and worked on. Go back 100 years or 50 years and ask yourself if they had the same moves that we have now in amateur wrestling? I think not.
You give and take when comparing eras. One era might have been stronger in one aspect while another far exceeds it in another category. I don't know of any formula that has been proven to do this consistently. My general rule of thumb is to try and avoid it because it rarely leads anywhere fruitful.
Not sure if I will continue this article discussion on Amateur wrestling. I might move back to pro-wrestling or do one more concerning this topic. We shall see how inspiration strikes.
Comments are welcome. If you haven't heard of some of these wrestlers and are curious please e-mail your questions. If I don't know then there is usually someone I can ask that will know.