Wrestling and baseball have to lobby to remain an Olympic sport when there is no such requirement of dressage, synchronized swimming and diving, badminton,and jumping on a trampoline. Makes sense in this bats#!t crazy world.
I do kinda like the Perfessional Rasslin’ idea. Before every match you could have a three-minute ring speech, judged on the basis of grandiloquence, chest-pounding, and spittle-throwing. I’m guessing that might throw the advantage to some of the Muslim countries, though.
IOC is dominated by Europeans. That’s why baseball was voted out even though it is popular in North and South America and East Asia.
IOC is dominated by Europeans. That’s why baseball was voted out even though it is popular in North and South America and East Asia.
I could make an argument that dressage deserves an unquestioned place as well. Training to utter mastery of your horse was one of the things that could make or break a horse-warrior of many cultures, from Mongols to European knights to some of the Plains Indians tribes such as the Apache.
Even if modern dressage is rather silly and froufrou these days, the bond and mastery of the horse are showcased.
Don’t forget table tennis, BMX biking, and team handball. I honestly don’t know if any of these are exhibition sports or full medal events. Personally I would get rid of boxing before wrestling. Boxing has been destroyed over the last few decades with corruption and judging irregularities.