Devon wrestling

Devon wrestling or Devonshire wrestling is a type of wrestling that originated in Devon, England, which was popular in the nineteenth century. The Devonshire style of wrestling allows footwear to be worn and kicking intended to trip and disable the opponent.

It has similarities to Cornish wrestling but it focuses more on foot moves and less on throwing. Traditionally, Cornish wrestling used ‘Hugs and heaves’, whereas the Devonshire style used ‘Kicks and trips’. Despite some differences in emphasis and naming conventions, the two styles are considered to be the same.

In the eighteenth and nineteenth century many Devon wrestlers used to wear "baked" boots when wrestling, which could cause serious injury to opponents (on rare occasions leading to death).

Notable wrestlers
The best known champion Devon wrestler is Abraham Cann of Colebrooke, Devon. Cann was the Devon champion and faced the Cornish champion James Polkinghorne in a match in Devonport in 1826, watched by a crowd of over 10,000. After discussions between the triers, the match was declared a draw. A song was written about the match. Cann had defeated John Jordan, Flower, Wreyford, Simon Webber, and the other good wrestlers in Devon, and carried off the prizes at many of the places where he became a competitor.