We often see professional wrestlers like John Cena, Undertaker, and Rey Mysterio performing highly skilled moves during their wrestling matches, but would they be just as competent in a different type of match, like toe wrestling? This game involves two participants who face each other while sitting on the ground, their feet touching, and their toes battling to pin the opponent’s foot in an open-ended time frame that ends when one of them wins. Despite its oddity, this game has started to gain a lot of popularity, to the point where some people are calling for it to be included in the Olympics.

The idea for this game began in 1974 at a pub in Wetton, Staffordshire, United Kingdom, when a group of four friends—Pete Cheetham, Eddie Stansfield, Pete Dean, and Mick Dawson—were sitting, drinking, and lamenting the fact that the United Kingdom hadn’t produced a world champion in anything. It seems the alcohol did its job, as they were inspired to create a new, unique sport that would ensure a British citizen would be crowned champion—“toe wrestling.” They took the idea seriously, established rules, crafted a cup, and engraved it to present to the winner. The idea began to spread in the north of England, attracting many Britons. Mick Dawson, one of the creators, won the world championship for the first time in its history and retained it for a second year. Britons held onto the titles until 1978, when a visitor from Canada participated in the tournament and managed to snatch the title from them in 1976, undermining the original goal of creating the game. The game was paused for a while before resuming and gaining more popularity.

To participate in this game, you must adhere to several rules, such as undergoing a thorough toe examination by a qualified nurse before entering the tournament. After receiving the green light to participate, the players remove their shoes and socks, standing barefoot. It is customary for each player to remove the opponent’s shoes and socks. Then, the feet are positioned so that each heel touches the other’s heel flatly. Upon the start signal, the two competitors try to pin their opponent’s foot by placing one foot over the opponent’s foot for three seconds. The match consists of three rounds, with players alternating feet each round, starting with the right foot, then the left, and then the right again. The match winner is the one who wins two out of the three rounds. There are three categories for the tournament: one for men, one for women, and one for children. Despite its whimsical nature, the game can sometimes be brutal, as wrestlers often suffer bruises and even broken toes during matches.

The World Toe Wrestling Championship is held annually in its birthplace in the United Kingdom, which has dominated the game for two decades. The Englishman Alan Nash held the title for 17 years before retiring this year. He says his strategy is always to attack aggressively with his toe against his first competitor in the tournament to intimidate the other competitors. Currently, the popularity of the game is expanding beyond the United Kingdom’s borders to be held in other countries, such as Pakistan, India, and China.