WWE announced earlier this year that WrestleMania 42 will return to New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2026. With the world’s biggest professional wrestling show returning to Louisiana, there is renewed interest in local wrestling, boxing, and MMA fights, to name a few.
There is one controversial form of wrestling that is completely outlawed in Louisiana, and it may surprise you at first, but it makes perfect sense once you consider it.
The State Boxing & Wrestling Commission: Louisiana’s Bosses of Boxing
Louisiana has its own regulatory body for wrestling and boxing. The Louisiana State Boxing & Wrestling Commission’s primary responsibilities include licensing athletes and promotions to ensure they are qualified to participate or host an event, as well as establishing safety regulations for wrestling or boxing events in the state.
The LSBWC regulates a wide range of events, including professional wrestling shows by Wildkat Sports and MMA shows at Live! in Bossier City. However, one wrestling style is so extreme that the order to ban it came from their bosses at the Capitol, not the Wrestling Commission.
Bear Wrestling Is Illegal In Louisiana
The presumably Russian-born wrestling technique of locking up a collar-and-elbow hold with a grizzly bear has been illegal in Louisiana since 1992.
Bear wrestling, which is defined by law as “a match or contest between one or more persons and a bear for the purpose of fighting or engaging in a physical altercation,” can result in a six-month jail sentence and a $500 fine.
However, not only the person fighting the bear (assuming they win) is arrested; anyone who promotes or works for someone who conducts a bear wrestling match faces the same penalties.
