Hard to compare sport to sport, but I've been an amateur boxer for 10 years and have been coaching the past two. Interesting to hear the parallels, I honestly thought the "deep water" reference was primarily a boxing reference (we say you 'take you opponent out to deep water and drown them' to mean increase your punch rate and cardio until your opponent can no longer adequately defend themselves).
Sounds like wrestling is similar to boxing, in that it teaches you to adapt and think on your feet when things go awry.