ABOUT
The Champions League of American Wrestling (CLAW) is preparing to launch in 2024 when it will deliver on what wrestling fans have forever longed for---a bona fide professional league featuring our sport's top stars.
Wrestling fans know the history of past efforts to launch professional leagues featuring real wrestling. Our team has analyzed these efforts as well as researched dozens of successful leagues in other sports. We also spent a lot of time objectively assessing existing wrestling rules (folkstyle, freestyle, greco) as they related to consumer psychology. In short, what do fans enjoy watching? What do they expect from a legitimate league? Why do fans get hooked on certain sports? In short, this league is a fan-focused league.
The obvious starting point is to make the sport more appealing for spectators. While wrestling is an incredible "participation sport," it's not always exciting to observe, especially at higher levels. So, rules must be modified. After extensive research and testing, our new rules increase action, scoring, and fan interest. It's still real wrestling, but just faster paced with more ways for fans to engage.
While an exciting product is essential, there are many other critical issues that must be addressed to launch a successful league. This begins with defining and building a brand that resonates with the public. Combined with an exciting annual draft and free agency system, meaningful schedule and playoffs, strong social media presence, cool uniforms and apparel/merchandise, fantasy leagues, exciting in-person events, well-produced broadcasts/streams, new statistics, reputable sponsorships, fan-engaging activities throughout the year, shrewd marketing strategies, and compensation methods and policies that attract exciting and great athletes. We are confident CLAW will appeal to persons who appreciate real wrestling while also attracting even larger audiences of MMA, football and other sports enthusiasts.
The first CLAW Draft is planned for the spring of 2024, followed by the inaugural season beginning in the fall of 2024.
Ownership
CLAW is currently owned by two partners: Tom Houck and Eric Brugel. Tom is the Founder and President of Top of the Podium, a nonprofit that has successfully operated innovative wrestling facilities since 2014. Previously, he was founded and sold a training company to Thomson Reuters after serving at KPMG Peat Marwick for seven years. Eric is the Managing Director of Grey Owl Capital Management with nearly 40 years of experience in the financial services industry. He as a team captain and All-American wrestlers at Penn State with over 100 victories. In 2014, he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame. In the coming months, CLAW will be forming an Advisory Board, hiring staff, and seeking additional persons to support this venture financially or in other ways.
Wrestling fans know the history of past efforts to launch professional leagues featuring real wrestling. Our team has analyzed these efforts as well as researched dozens of successful leagues in other sports. We also spent a lot of time objectively assessing existing wrestling rules (folkstyle, freestyle, greco) as they related to consumer psychology. In short, what do fans enjoy watching? What do they expect from a legitimate league? Why do fans get hooked on certain sports? In short, this league is a fan-focused league.
The obvious starting point is to make the sport more appealing for spectators. While wrestling is an incredible "participation sport," it's not always exciting to observe, especially at higher levels. So, rules must be modified. After extensive research and testing, our new rules increase action, scoring, and fan interest. It's still real wrestling, but just faster paced with more ways for fans to engage.
While an exciting product is essential, there are many other critical issues that must be addressed to launch a successful league. This begins with defining and building a brand that resonates with the public. Combined with an exciting annual draft and free agency system, meaningful schedule and playoffs, strong social media presence, cool uniforms and apparel/merchandise, fantasy leagues, exciting in-person events, well-produced broadcasts/streams, new statistics, reputable sponsorships, fan-engaging activities throughout the year, shrewd marketing strategies, and compensation methods and policies that attract exciting and great athletes. We are confident CLAW will appeal to persons who appreciate real wrestling while also attracting even larger audiences of MMA, football and other sports enthusiasts.
The first CLAW Draft is planned for the spring of 2024, followed by the inaugural season beginning in the fall of 2024.
Ownership
CLAW is currently owned by two partners: Tom Houck and Eric Brugel. Tom is the Founder and President of Top of the Podium, a nonprofit that has successfully operated innovative wrestling facilities since 2014. Previously, he was founded and sold a training company to Thomson Reuters after serving at KPMG Peat Marwick for seven years. Eric is the Managing Director of Grey Owl Capital Management with nearly 40 years of experience in the financial services industry. He as a team captain and All-American wrestlers at Penn State with over 100 victories. In 2014, he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame. In the coming months, CLAW will be forming an Advisory Board, hiring staff, and seeking additional persons to support this venture financially or in other ways.
