most intense sports of the ancient world

Although there wasn t a ridiculously high mortality rate, knocking your opponent off of his horse using a 10 foot pole definitely qualifies as hardcore.

One of the oldest bloodsports (any activity that involves pitting animals against one another) in the world, cockfighting typically meant having two specially bred birds fight one another with specially designed barbs on their feet.

What was essentially field hockey for pyromananiacs, this ancient mesoamerican game used a flaming puck. Recenlty, it has actually started making a comeback as the Mexican government is pushing to revive its ancient past times.

Like cockfighting, dog fighting dates back thousands of years and has roots in Ancient Rome as well as China. These days, however, it is illegal in most developed countries.

Consisting of two people kicking each other in the shins this simple sport has been practiced in England for hundreds of years. Although it s not lethal, having someone repeatedly bash you in your shins can definitely be considered hardcore.

Practiced in antiquity by men of the Zaraniq tribe in Yemen, this ancient sport has just recently started making a comeback with participants trying to jump over as many camels as they possibly can.

The official sport of Argentina, pato was originally played with a live duck, although after many government interventions participants now use a ball instead. With players on horseback it s something of a cross between polo and basketball, the objective being to the get the ball to its own side. These days its not nearly as violent as it use to be.

If you can imagine trying to wrestle 7 people while holding your breath then you can get a feeling for what kabaddi is all about. As one of the oldest sports in Southern Asia, kabaddi is essentially a giant wrestling match between two teams. The twist, however, is that only one member of each team can cross into the other team s territory at a time and while doing so he or she must refrain from breathing.

Closely related to tennis, this very old game has sometimes been referred to as the fastest sport in the world. Ball speeds could reach up to 200 mph.

One of the few bloodsports that are still actively sanctioned by modern western governments, this man vs beast showdown can trace its routes all the way back to ancient Rome.