Wrestling in Multifarious Modernity

The introduction aims at critically discussing ‘traditional’ styles vis-à-vis sportification trajectories and favours the notion of ‘modified’ wrestling. Though neo-traditional or ‘modified’ wrestling practices have reached some degree of sportification, they do not seem to be among the ‘sufficiently’ disciplined ones precisely because they were never fully disconnected from their festive context. Furthermore, they are linked with notions of tradition, antiquity and authenticity and at the same time with desires to be modern and perhaps even to become international or Olympic sports. This multiple in-betweenness creates tensions that influence their management and use in impressive and often unpredictable ways.