Catch-as-Catch-Can
Officially Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling
British catch wrestling style originating Lancashire, England — pioneering 'anything-goes' style permitting ground wrestling, submissions, and free-form takedowns; unlike Cornish/Backhold's rigid grips. Direct ancestor of modern freestyle wrestling + American pro wrestling + submission grappling.
What is Catch-as-Catch-Can?
Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling ('CACC') is a British catch wrestling style originating in Lancashire, northwestern England — pioneering an 'anything-goes' free-form approach unlike the rigid grip requirements of Cornish + Backhold wrestling. CACC permits ground wrestling, submission holds (armlocks, leglocks, chokes), takedowns from any grip, and mat combat continuing after initial takedown. Popularized 19th century in Lancashire mining regions + carnival wrestling shows. Massively influential globally: (1) direct ancestor of modern OLYMPIC FREESTYLE WRESTLING (freestyle = CACC without submissions), (2) foundational technical base for early AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING (Frank Gotch + Ed 'Strangler' Lewis were CACC champions who evolved into pro wrestling stars), (3) core influence on modern SUBMISSION GRAPPLING + MMA via 'catch wrestling' revival (Karl Gotch → Billy Robinson → Josh Barnett + Kazushi Sakuraba lineage). Contemporary CACC practiced through Snake Pit UK (Wigan, Lancashire, historically Billy Riley's gym) + revival gyms worldwide.
Quick facts
Category
Combat Sports
Type
Individual
Players
2–2
Duration
~15 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Estimated origin
19th century Lancashire English carnival + mining wrestling; peaked 1870-1920; revived via Snake Pit UK + MMA connection 1990s+
Olympic
No
Popularity
niche
How it works
Objective
Win by pin fall (both shoulders on mat) or submission (opponent taps or verbally submits).
Match structure
Modern format: pin or submission victory; historically open-ended time (submission or exhaustion).
Rules
Basic rules
Free-form takedowns from any grip
No mandatory start grip; wrestlers may attack from any position with any grip.
Ground wrestling permitted
Match continues on ground after takedown; unlike Cornish/Backhold which are standing-only.
Submissions permitted (armlocks, leglocks, chokes)
Full submission arsenal legal; core distinguishing feature from freestyle wrestling.
Pin fall = both shoulders on mat 3-second count (approximate)
Standard wrestling pin win condition.
Advanced rules
'Hooks' (submissions) as core skill
CACC practitioners called 'hookers' due to submission specialty.
Historical open-ended matches
1800s+ matches often had no time limit — some famous matches lasted 3+ hours until submission.
Modern rulesets
Various modern CACC rulesets differ: some pin-only + submission-only, some time-limited, some points-based.
Scoring
Pin fall or submission = match win.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Pin fall | Match win |
| Submission | Match win |
Win condition · Pin (both shoulders on mat) or submission (tap/verbal).
Equipment
Wrestling shorts / singlet
Modern practice attire; historically bare-chested + shorts.
Wrestling mat
Grappling mat for ground wrestling.
Positions & roles
Catch wrestler ('hooker')
×1Takedown + submission specialist.
Officiating
Standard grappling referee ensures safety + submission recognition.
- Referee (mat)
- Corner + timekeeper
Penalties & fouls
Penalties
Illegal small joint manipulation (some rulesets)
Fall loss.
Strategies
Submission from any position
CACC hookers can submit from bottom, top, standing — unlike freestyle wrestlers who lack submission arsenal.
Chain wrestling
Continuous transition from takedown to control to submission attempt.
Terminology
- Hooker
- Skilled catch wrestler with submission specialty.
- Hook
- Submission hold.
- Snake Pit
- Billy Riley's historic Wigan gym; catch wrestling Mecca.
- Toehold / Chickenwing / Half-nelson
- Classic catch wrestling submissions.
Major competitions
Snake Pit UK Wigan events (contemporary)
occasional · Wigan, Lancashire, England · since 2000
Historical carnival + championship matches (1870-1920)
historical · England + USA carnival + championship circuits · since 1870
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Snake Pit UK (Wigan, historic Billy Riley's gym)
Founded 1948 · Wigan, Lancashire, England
Various modern catch wrestling associations (revival era)
Founded 2000 · worldwide revival community
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Frank Gotch (USA, 1878-1917) — early American catch/pro wrestling champion
- Ed 'Strangler' Lewis (USA, 1891-1966) — 5× world catch/pro wrestling champion
- Billy Riley (England, 1896-1977) — founded Snake Pit UK in Wigan; trained generations of catch wrestlers
- Karl Gotch (Belgium/USA, 1924-2007) — 'God of Wrestling'; brought catch wrestling to Japan; Antonio Inoki's mentor
- Josh Barnett (USA) — modern MMA + catch wrestling revival advocate
- Kazushi Sakuraba (Japan) — MMA legend + catch wrestling practitioner
Records
Direct ancestor of freestyle wrestling
Catch-as-Catch-Can — Olympic freestyle wrestling evolved from CACC by removing submissions — CACC → freestyle transition c. 1900-1904 (1904)
Foundational American pro wrestling influence
Frank Gotch + Ed Lewis (both CACC) — Early American pro wrestling grew directly from CACC via championship wrestling tour circuits 1890-1920 (1920)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Train at Snake Pit UK or catch wrestling revival gym
Modern catch wrestling gyms in UK + USA + Japan preserve tradition.
advanced
- 1
Cross-train with BJJ + freestyle + MMA
Catch skills translate directly to modern grappling + MMA competition.
Frequently asked
Is catch wrestling the same as freestyle wrestling?+
No — freestyle is CACC without submissions (Olympic sport). CACC allows submission holds. Freestyle emerged c. 1900-1904 as sanitized Olympic-safe version of CACC.
How does catch differ from BJJ?+
Both are submission arts, but CACC has stronger takedown + pin emphasis + historically open-ended match times. BJJ is Brazilian evolution from Judo emphasizing bottom-position play + guard. Modern MMA fighters often cross-train both — catch for top position + pins, BJJ for bottom guard game.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Catch wrestling— Wikipedia