>>13824232Catch wrestling is considered to have been invented in Wigan in the UK by Billy Riley at the Snake Pit gym. Riley would train people such as Karl Gotch, Billy Robinson, and Jack Dempsey.
This was back when wrestling used to be a hobby of young men in working class towns. They'd get together on a piece of land and wrestle each other to submission. They were known as shooters or hookers, its the same background as Stu Hart.
Riley at his gym pioneered a new style that was more aggressive than amateur wrestling which became known as catch as catch can wrestling, or catch for short. It was a combination of various influences including Lancashire wrestling, Irish collar and elbow wrestling and freestyle Northern.
Professional wrestling started as shoot competitions to find the world's best catch wrestler.
It looks absolutely nothing like what either Dunne or Bate do. MMA grappling is closer to it. Most 1960s wrestling is closer to it.
In fact, Dunne and Bate know so little about catch wrestling that they both use single joint manipulation holds (bending a finger etc) which are specifically illegal in catch.
