Greco-Roman wrestling vs Pankration
Greco-Roman wrestling and Pankration side by side, from the facts recorded for each art.
| Greco-Roman wrestling | Pankration | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Ancient Greece | Ancient Greece |
| Type | amateur wrestling | martial arts |
| Competition at the Olympics | Yes – 24 Olympic events recorded | — |
| Notable practitioners here | 517 | 2 |
| Top countries of practitioners | Russia, Soviet Union and Iran | Thasos and Russia |
| Weight classes | Yes | — |
Greco-Roman wrestling
Greco-Roman (American English) (spelled Graeco- or Græco- in British English) or classic wrestling (European English) is a style of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been part of every summer Olympic held since 1904. It is one of the two forms of wrestling contested at the Olympics, the other being freestyle wrestling.
From the Wikipedia article Greco-Roman wrestling (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Pankration
Pankration (; Ancient Greek: παγκράτιον [paŋkráti.on]) was an unarmed combat sport introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC. The athletes used boxing and wrestling techniques but also others, such as kicking, holds, joint locks, and chokes on the ground, making it similar to modern mixed martial arts. The term comes from the Ancient Greek word παγκράτιον (pankrátion), meaning "all of power" (from παν- (pan-) 'all-' and κράτος (krátos) 'strength, might, power').
From the Wikipedia article Pankration (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Facts from Wikidata (CC0): Q389654, Q201252. Practitioner counts are the people with a profile on this site. Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.