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Long before pro wrestling became the phenomenon it is today, it was the most popular sport in ancient Greece. In fact, wrestling was the first competition that spawned the Olympic Games. While modern pro wrestling is far removed from this ancient pastime, some wrestlers have paid homage to this legacy by channelling Greek imagery in the ring.
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Perhaps the most obvious case is Raymond Fernandez Jr., better known as Hercules Hernandez in the ring. Born and raised in the USA, Raymond chose to name himself after one of the famous strongmen of all time – Hercules. More than any other figure, Hercules (or Heracles in the original Greek) is one of Greek mythology’s most iconic heroes.
Besides wrestlers like Fernandez, Hercules has inspired a lot of media across the world. Characters named after him, if not the character himself, have appeared in novels, movies, and even interactive games online. For example, Hercules appears on the reels of the Age of Gods slot game alongside other famous Greek figures like Zeus, Athena, and Hades. Since he is known for his godly strength and wrestling the beasts of Greek myth, Hercules is a natural nickname for wrestlers and strongmen everywhere.
In the Golden Era of the WWF, it was Fernandez who had the honour of the name. He started his career with the Heenan Family alongside Andre the Giant, but he’d later get sold to Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase. Performing as a heel, Hercules turned babyface by fighting back against DiBiase. This ignited a feud that saw him win back his freedom and later distract DiBiase at Survivor Series 1988 allowing Randy Savage to roll him. He’d later become one half of Power and Glory, sparking another feud with The Rockers and a young Shawn Michaels. In his later career, he performed for WCW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
Lou Thesz needs no introduction as one of the most prolific wrestlers in the world, a great at both amateur and pro wrestling. Today, he’s remembered as one of the best of the best, racking seven different World Heavyweight Championships under his belt during his career. His most enduring legacy is the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, a hall dedicated to pro wrestlers who came from an amateur wrestling background.
As for where the Greek influence comes in – Thesz’s father was a middleweight champ in Greco-Roman wrestling in Hungary, introducing his son to the sport. Then, he was trained by Tragos, a native Greek who fought at the Olympic Games twice. Tragos’ tutelage made all the difference to Thesz’s career, where his mastery of Greco-Roman wrestling set him up to become a three-time, longest-reigning NWA World Heavyweight Champ and one of the best, and last, shoot fighters in pro wrestling.
Those are two instances where wrestling’s Greek heritage has made its way into pro wrestling, one in a symbolic way, the other more practical. The Greek gods still inspire stage names in wrestling today, best seen with Athena in AEW. Meanwhile, Greco-Roman wrestling still has its DNA in pro wrestling, including Lucha Libre, and continues to fuel athletes who come from an amateur background.
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