Both professional wrestling and mixed martial arts can trace their lineages through the circuses and carnivals that took place on piers and in big tops throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s. It was there were audiences were delighted by larger than life characters showing off feats of strength and skill in a combative contest that may, or may not, have been the real deal.
In today’s edition of Photo Vault we have pictures from some figures who helped blaze the trail that would one day be walked by Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Royce Gracie and Jon Jones.