Wrestling is defined as a combative sport that utilizes techniques for overpowering an opponent. There are two wrestlers on the mat and a referee who makes calls of judgment. Typically, wrestling is seen as a masculine sport, so most of the audience demographic is men. However, in recent years, more women have been attracted to this sport. But, this does not mean that women wrestlers have the same prominence as their male counterparts. In this sport, the rules are to pin the other player down using legal techniques for a certain amount of time to score points. The rules emphasize using techniques rather than using strength alone. With proper technique, someone could overpower their opponent who has more strength. This is why I believe that wrestling does not have to be considered a ‘manly’ sport. Strength is seen as a masculine trait to have, which is why people perceive wrestling to be masculine. But women wrestlers show that strength is not the only aspect needed in wrestling. In the video clip I selected, Tamyra Mensah-Stock wrestles in the 2020 Olympic gold medal match. Not only does she demonstrates her strength, but her technique is what helps her win the match. She has to move at a fast pace, and if she hesitates it could result in her being pinned down. Her quickness and strength allowed her to score and overpower her opponent.
This sport can be considered “wild” because of its aggressive nature and the violence that occurs. However, I would say that this is not a “wild” sport even though there is aggressiveness shown. There are rules that the players must follow and a referee that enforces those rules. If it were to be “wild” then there wouldn’t be any rules and the players would have full autonomy to fight each other. Rather, the sport is just showmanship of technique. This is a very civilized sport because the players need to be respectful of the rules and their opponent.