yle ▁wrest ler ▁who ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁Franco - Pr uss ian ▁War ▁and ▁learned ▁the ▁style ▁in ▁France ) ▁to ▁promote ▁it ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁after ▁the ▁Civil ▁War . ▁But ▁on ▁the ▁continent ▁of ▁Europe , ▁the ▁style ▁was ▁highly ▁promoted . ▁Al most ▁all ▁the ▁contin ental ▁European ▁capital ▁cities ▁hosted ▁international ▁Gre co - R oman ▁tournament s ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁with ▁much ▁prize ▁money ▁given ▁to ▁the ▁place ▁w inners . ▁For ▁example , ▁the ▁Cz ar ▁of ▁Russia ▁paid ▁ 5 0 0 ▁fran cs ▁for ▁wrest lers ▁to ▁train ▁and ▁comp ete ▁in ▁his ▁tournament , ▁with ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁fran cs ▁awarded ▁as ▁a ▁prize ▁to ▁the ▁tournament ▁winner . ▁Gre co - R oman ▁wrest ling ▁soon ▁became ▁pr estig ious ▁in ▁contin ental ▁Europe ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁style ▁registered ▁at ▁the ▁modern ▁Olympic ▁Games , ▁beginning ▁in ▁Ath ens ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁with ▁one ▁heavy weight ▁bout , ▁and ▁grew ▁in ▁popular ity ▁during ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁It ▁has ▁always ▁been ▁featured ▁in ▁the ▁Olympic ▁Games , ▁except ▁during ▁the ▁Paris ▁Olympic ▁Games ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁and ▁the ▁St . ▁Louis ▁Olympic ▁Games ▁of ▁ 1 9 0 4 , ▁when ▁fre est yle ▁first ▁emer ged ▁as ▁an ▁Olympic ▁sport . ▁ ▁Perhaps ▁the ▁most ▁well - known ▁of ▁Gre co - R oman ▁wrest lers ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th