This thread is exclusively for discussing the Wrestling Series (レスリングシリーズ). I want to emphasize that the focus will be strictly on the Japanese instance, and any discussion of its overseas counterparts is absolutely prohibited. This includes posting videos or content created by overseas creators. Also, please keep the celebrity and character completely separate from each other.

Beginning in June 2007, users on 2channel's YouTube board began to suspect that the MyList rankings on Nico Nico Douga were being manipulated. This led to the creation of an official term called 工作 (Manipulation) after a July 1st thread pointed out the artificial inflation of views, comments, and MyLists. By July 27, 2007, a thread titled ニコニコマイリストのランキング工作動画について (Regarding Mylist Ranking Manipulation Videos on Nico Nico Douga) was created, marking a significant moment as it was dedicated to resisting ranking manipulation on Nico Nico Douga. The discussion in the thread mainly centered around the activities of a group known as 80垢 (80 Accounts), derived from the practice of adding 400 Mylist votes to several videos in the early hours, with 400/5 = 80 accounts (since each account could create up to 5 Mylists at that time). Their activities were particularly noticeable during the early morning hours, where they would push videos like the infamous "The Idolmaster KOTOKO Princess Bride!" (https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm280671 [Play], IM@S was a pioneer in ranking manipulation believe it or not) and "Tsurupettan" to the top of the Nico Nico Douga Mylist rankings, suggesting a coordinated effort. As this method was exposed, discussions in the thread intensified and attracted not only those who aimed to raise awareness about the issue but also individuals who wanted to exploit it, including 信者 (Believers/Fans), アンチ (Antis/Foes), and ただの愉快犯 (Just Pranksters) who looked at 80 Account as a deity. This led to either 順工作 (Forward Manipulation, where users manipulate trends, excluding genuinely popular videos) or 逆工作 (Reverse Manipulation, where users vandalize videos suspected of manipulation). The creators of the videos who were caught in the crossfire often deleted their videos because of this. Other users in the thread adopted a more radical approach, deciding to engage in manipulation themselves as a way to raise awareness about the problem. This led to the thread’s original purpose being sidetracked, eventually resulting in the split of users and the creation of the ニコニコ動画工作支持スレ【80垢神】 (Nico Nico Douga Manipulation Support Thread) General, on the same day, where users began organizing their own manipulations, partly as a form of protest against the 80 Accounts.

Members of the Manipulation Support thread began to manipulate a video called アメリカン ゲイ レスリング2 (American Gay Wrestling 2, https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm200572 [Play]) that was uploaded on April 26, 2007, which depicted two men wrestling with the saturation on max and low video quality. After, a few more videos were uploaded to the アメゲイ (Amegay) series until August 10, 2007, when the first video titled 本格的 ガチムチパンツレスリング (Authentic Gachimuchi Pants Wrestling) from the Gachimuchi Pants Wrestling series was uploaded and manipulated into the rankings. However, it was shortly deleted due to the original creator deactivating his account, but then reuploaded on September 30, 2007: https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm1175788 [Play]

Gachimuchi Pants Wrestling (GPW) is a wrestling style with a special rule: if your pants get taken off, you lose.

So why did this video become one of the key driving forces behind Nico Nico Douga's Golden years, and why does it remain one of the most viewed videos on the platform, with 9.8 million views to this day? This wasn’t just some passing joke; it became deeply ingrained in Japanese otaku culture, being referenced in anime, video games, news, and even on game talk shows, cementing its place in the Japanese internet otaku sphere.
The reason is the same as why a lot of other foreign media on the platform gained popularity during that era: 空耳 (mishearings). The two men wrestling in the video, Billy Herrington (a.k.a Aniki) and Danny Lee (a.k.a Kiyoshi Kazuya), had thick New England/Canadian accents combined with intense grunting, which led Japanese viewers to mishear nearly every line as something completely different in their own language.
For example, when Aniki shouts to Kazuya, "Huh? How do you like that, huh?" it was misheard as Thick and Saucy Fried Rice and now Aniki's favorite food is Ankake Chahan:
(Aniki) "Huh? How do you like that, huh?" ->「あぁん?あんかけチャーハン?」-> "Aan? Ankake chyaahan?" -> "Huh? Thick and Saucy Fried Rice?"
A lot of the character names too are based on mishearings such as for example Creamstew Ikeda from Shinnippori Fire Station (Firefighters): https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm5348773 [Play]
(Aniki): I'm finished with you, get up -> くりぃむしちゅー池田 -> Kuriimushichuu Ikeda -> Creamstew Ikeda
But a lot of them are actually derived from how close a character looks to some kind of celebrity like Hatakeyama Bacon who resembles both the Japanese lightweight boxer Takanori Hatakeyama and American actor and musician Kevin Bacon.

I included a translation I made of the original Professional Pants Wrestling video posted to Nico Nico Douga (Video 1). In the next few posts, I'll try to continue explaining a bit more about the Manipulation Incident history and things such as the popular Sanshin of Fairy Philosophy by Pants Wrestling Aniki.

[Resources]
https://w.atwiki.jp/herrington/
https://dic.nicovideo.jp/a/レスリングシリーズ
https://www.nicovideo.jp/tag/レスリングシリーズ
https://www.deepl.com/en/translator

[Legend]
Quotes = Orange
Translations = Blue
Names & Titles = Pink