Wrestling 101: Origins and Facts about Greco-Roman Wrestling #RioWrestle
— World Wrestling (@wrestling) August 2, 2016
STORY: https://t.co/ZrzMwa86G3 pic.twitter.com/aVuhile77k
Despite the name, "Greco-Roman" was a style of wrestling that became popular throughout Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, but was more commonly known as "French wrestling" or "flat-hand" wrestling.
A soldier from Napoleon's army, Jean Exbrayat, who traveled around the European countryside to wrestle at fairs and festivals, has generally been credited with setting out some of the basic rules of his style of wrestling.