When did tapping out become a thing in wrestling?

On a semi-related note, when did sleeper holds fall out of use and just become rear naked chokes? It used to be that chokes were illegal but now everyone is doing them. It no doubt happened because MMA grew in popularity, but I wasn't watching pro wrestling between the early 2000s and about 2016 so missed that transition. I'd guess it just happened quietly, as if chokes were always legal, or was there ever any kind of mention of that?

I've also noticed that WWE go out of their way to put silly names on chokes to make them not sound like chokes.

On tapping out, was that not always in use? I'd guess it's another thing which become more prominent because of MMA as opposed to verbal submissions and also become more definitive rather than a ref's discretion kind of thing.

Bret also tapped out against Owen in their famous Wrestlemania X match (at about 19:56):
 
On a semi-related note, when did sleeper holds fall out of use and just become rear naked chokes? It used to be that chokes were illegal but now everyone is doing them. It no doubt happened because MMA grew in popularity, but I wasn't watching pro wrestling between the early 2000s and about 2016 so missed that transition. I'd guess it just happened quietly, as if chokes were always legal, or was there ever any kind of mention of that?

I've also noticed that WWE go out of their way to put silly names on chokes to make them not sound like chokes.

On tapping out, was that not always in use? I'd guess it's another thing which become more prominent because of MMA as opposed to verbal submissions and also become more definitive rather than a ref's discretion kind of thing.

Bret also tapped out against Owen in their famous Wrestlemania X match (at about 19:56):

Looked like he was just hitting the mat to fire up. That used to happen a lot. Submission was always verbal until Shamrock
 
I remember Jericho tapping put a number of people in WCW when he still called it the Liontamer. So at least the mid to late 90s when it was at least common. Taz also did it a bunch in ECW.
 
Wrestlers used to slap the mat to show they were in pain and distress, struggling to hold on and not verbally submit to the hold they were locked in
With the rise of MMA, tapping the mat became widely known as a sign of submission so pro wrestling had to adjust with the times
 
On a semi-related note, when did sleeper holds fall out of use and just become rear naked chokes? It used to be that chokes were illegal but now everyone is doing them. It no doubt happened because MMA grew in popularity, but I wasn't watching pro wrestling between the early 2000s and about 2016 so missed that transition. I'd guess it just happened quietly, as if chokes were always legal, or was there ever any kind of mention of that?

I've also noticed that WWE go out of their way to put silly names on chokes to make them not sound like chokes.

On tapping out, was that not always in use? I'd guess it's another thing which become more prominent because of MMA as opposed to verbal submissions and also become more definitive rather than a ref's discretion kind of thing.

Bret also tapped out against Owen in their famous Wrestlemania X match (at about 19:56):


I remember despising Owen when he first came in...but that is just credit to how good he was as a heel. I later became a big fan.
 
Since pro wrestling began. It was initially made to mimic shoot or catch wrestling. Win was always by submission or pitfall.
 
Since pro wrestling began. It was initially made to mimic shoot or catch wrestling. Win was always by submission or pitfall.


He means specifically the act of tapping rather than saying uncle or the dropping the hand three times...not the idea you could hook someone to win.
 
Wrestlers used to slap the mat to show they were in pain and distress, struggling to hold on and not verbally submit to the hold they were locked in
With the rise of MMA, tapping the mat became widely known as a sign of submission so pro wrestling had to adjust with the times
A man with some knowledge and wrestling sense. Someone posted the Bret Hart/Owen Hart WMX match where Bret "taps" but that was what wrestlers used to do to show the crowd they were in pain, akin to punching a wall when someone is mad; wrestlers would slap the mat. Well done Pliny
 
A question I have is: When did it stop meaning a someone quits from the olden days?
 
I think shamrock is a good guess, curious when it first happened in Japan.

When was Taz subbing people in ECW?
 
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