“From children’s bedrooms to the Olympic Games, the fabulous destiny of the pillow fight…” This is the title of the article that Steve Williams would dream of seeing published within a few years. The sixty-year-old American founded the Pillow Fight Championship (PFC), which he chairs and which he intends to lead to the firmament of combat sports, alongside boxing or MMA, while developing an “educational” component.
Said like that, the idea sounds like a joke, but the entrepreneur from Boca Raton (Florida) is not the type to joke when it comes to business, having worked in fields as varied as telecoms, music promotion, probiotics or nutraceuticals.
Nearly three years after the first Florida games, a tournament takes place from Friday to Sunday in Sao Paulo, Brazil. “There will be 50 professional fighters and 20 children,” explains Steve Williams. The finals will be broadcast on Globo TV. »
In the beginning was the “Fight Truck”
Attract broadcasters and sponsors, in order to remunerate participants: the economic model of the PFC is less confusing than its concept, the genesis of which in the 2010s is detailed by Williams. “Initially, I was developing a concept for an MMA TV show called “Fight Truck”. It was a huge semi-trailer that could transform into a ring with 110 seats, to move from city to city. »
And then, his brother Paul got involved. “He told me the idea was great but there were problems. First, at that time, several states still banned MMA. Then he thought the big sponsors wouldn’t support the project because they didn’t want blood on their logos. »
Paul then came up with the surprising idea of a pillow fight, which Steve quickly joined in on. “There is no blood and it is a family sport more likely to attract sponsors. » No hemoglobin, but the fighters who put in a good fight with this machine of around 900 grams, now far removed from the “dachshund without legs” model bolster of grandpa and grandma.
“Conor McGregor might be a poor pillow fighter”
Steve Williams spent months, particularly during the Covid lockdown, imagining a special cushion, with sailcloth from boating and three handles for better grip. The fights are short (three rounds of 90 seconds each) but intense. “Pillow fighting is perhaps the most cardio sport in the world,” asserts his boss.
Practitioners often come from MMA, like the current big names, the American Parker Appel and the German Julia Dorny. Others started with the “Power slap”, this questionable discipline consisting of delivering large slaps to the opponent’s head.
“But PFC is a whole different sport,” warns Williams. There is no guarantee that a UFC champion will perform well in our league. Conor McGregor might be a lousy pillow fighter. It sounds crazy but it’s true. » It would be better to be a fan of muay-thai, dry and fast, to shine with a cushion in your hands.
Let’s come to the rules:
- 1 point awarded for a pillow in the opponent’s head
- 3 points for the same result after a 360 degree movement
- 5 points if the opponent finds himself on the ground
- a bonus of 1 point per round is granted to the fighter considered to be the most spectacular
- hits below the shoulders do not count
- you cannot hit the opponent with anything other than the pillow
- It is forbidden to grab your opponent or their pillow.
After the United States, the PFC landed in Brazil and Ghana, then more recently in India and Nigeria, through partnerships with local promoters. In the first two countries, the PFCKIDZ (for children, therefore, with suitable pillows) is also offered in schools.
“ The benefit is enormous, promises Steve Williams. First of all, it’s very “fun” to practice and watch. And there is no other sport that allows two children to face off in a fight without ever having trained before and without anyone getting hurt. PFC can help combat the scourge of a sedentary childhood. » »
It’s beautiful as an advertising slogan, which could convince practitioners and fans to fall for the numerous products offered by the online store, from the official cushion (75.95 euros for the adult model, 56.95 euros for the child model) to from the boxer shorts to the t-shirt, the bra, the water bottle or the mug.
France, land of mission
Now, the PFC targets other mission lands, such as Japan, Spain or France, via Alexander Davidovich. From his trip to Florida last summer, the young man brought back two branded pillows and the desire to develop the discipline in Paris.
More precisely in the vast premises of the 1st arrondissement belonging to the Federative Union of Physical Education and Military Preparation Societies (USEPPM), a venerable institution born in 1885, whose senior officials were involved almost a year ago in the Marianne Fund affair.
Far from the scandal, Alexandre Davidovich began by integrating PFC into self-defense, muay-thai, MMA or wrestling classes. “From September, we want to offer sessions for children and adults,” he explains. In his eyes, the Paris Games also represent an ideal showcase to make yourself known: “There will be stands during the Olympics to promote the discipline. This will also happen through social networks. »
PFC after flag football and lacrosse?
The idea of professional fights in France is not (yet) considered. But on the other side of the Atlantic, Steve Williams is already looking ahead to a future where the PFC would be obvious. “We believe that in a few years it will become an Olympic sport practiced in almost every country, helped by massive distribution on social media and by the fact that pillow fighting is an ancient form of fun fighting, to which almost everyone the world, young and old, once participated. »
When you know that flag football and lacrosse will arrive as additional sports in four years in Los Angeles, the idea doesn’t seem so crazy.