HB 497, making bear wrestling illegal in the state of Alabama passed the House with a vote of 89-2. In May 1996, the Alabama Senate voted 23-0 making it illegal to conduct bear wrestling for profit.

Lance Palmer, a 140-pound high school wrestler, taps into his wrestling skill whenever he takes on Ceaser Jr. , which is important, because Ceaser Jr. is a 650-pound bear.

Lance Palmer, a 140-pound high school wrestler who is a four-time Ohio champ, takes on Ceaser, a 650-pound black bear during an exhibition wrestling match at a sportsmen’s show at the I-X Center ...

Bear wrestling, once popular across North America, saw figures like UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov train with cubs. The ...

“Please do not wrestle the bear if you come in contact. Bear Wrestling is illegal in the state of Missouri per statute 578.176. Wrestling a bear is considered a class A misdemeanor in Missouri.

“If the bear started to scream at me, I would shit my pants and run.” Now around six years old and weighing over 600 pounds, Tom has grown too large to wrestle safely.

It wasn’t until 1996 that bear wrestling was deemed illegal in Alabama. Many states, like Missouri, followed up with similar laws around that timeframe.