Latest news with #Wrestlers
Western Telegraph
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
Pembrokeshire football club owner moves into wrestling
Rob Edwards, owner of the football club, has taken over Kentucky's Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW)—the promotion that launched the careers of stars John Cena, Randy Orton, and Brock Lesnar. Mr Edwards said: "I've got no idea how I ended up here, really. "In the blink of an eye, I was flying to Kentucky to watch wrestling shows with the view of taking over the running of OVW. "It's completely surreal, but honestly, it all comes from the same place. "I'm obsessed with sport and the impact it can have on communities. "I'm doing things I never imagined doing, but I'm enjoying every second and looking to create a legacy as I go." Mr Edwards' sports management group, MSM, now holds a controlling stake in OVW, which was recently featured in the Netflix documentary series Wrestlers. His journey into sports ownership began unexpectedly during lockdown when he came across a listing for a semi-professional football club for sale. Six weeks later, he became the owner of Haverfordwest County AFC. Under his leadership, the Pembrokeshire club has qualified for European competition twice in three years and recently achieved its highest league finish in two decades. Mr Edwards said: "Within three years, we had gone from an amateur side to playing in Europe." He now aims to replicate that success with OVW, expanding its reach beyond Kentucky and into Europe. Since taking over, Mr Edwards has launched a company-wide survey, restructured leadership, and implemented a 'fan-first' approach. He believes OVW can become the world's leading independent wrestling promotion. He said: "We're building something that can stand on its own. "A company where people want to stay, not just pass through. "We want OVW to be the best indie promotion in the world – and we want it to feel like home." Mr Edwards also sees OVW as part of a broader vision for MSM, which aims to build a portfolio of five to seven clubs across different sports.
Pembrokeshire Herald
4 days ago
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
From Haverfordwest to Kentucky: Rob Edwards relaunches iconic US wrestling brand
THE ENTREPRENEUR behind Haverfordwest County AFC's dramatic rise has now set his sights on the world of professional wrestling – by taking over one of America's most iconic promotions. Rob Edwards, who took control of the Pembrokeshire club in 2019 and steered it from the brink of collapse to European competition, has relaunched Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), the US-based promotion that helped launch the careers of John Cena, Batista, Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton. All Rights Reserved by the photographer, Steve Bainbridge. Any reproduction without prio consent is strictly forbidden. Tel:(+44)7887-982798 Email: info@ Edwards' London-based sports management company, MSM, has taken a controlling stake in OVW, which featured in the popular Netflix documentary Wrestlers. He plans to transform the promotion into what he calls the world's 'top independent wrestling company.' It marks an ambitious new chapter for Edwards, whose story began not with a sports background but with a wine business. Speaking to reporters this week, Edwards said the journey began during lockdown, when he was questioning the future of his company and clicked on a listing for a semi-professional Welsh football club – one with no staff, no players under contract, and gates under 100. Six weeks later, he owned Haverfordwest County. The club has since become one of Welsh football's most compelling success stories. It reached its highest league position in 20 years, secured its first-ever European win in 2023, and qualified again for Europe this year. The club's academy also claimed the FAW Youth Cup and a place in the UEFA Youth League. Now, Edwards is applying the same strategy in Kentucky. He told the Herald: 'It's completely surreal. But it all comes from the same place. I'm obsessed with sport and the positive impact it can have on people's lives. With OVW, I saw the same raw potential that Haverfordwest had when I first took over.' Under Edwards' leadership, OVW has already begun to change. A fan-first strategy has been introduced, a new leadership team put in place, and surveys rolled out to reconnect the brand with its audience. 'There's something visceral about live wrestling,' Edwards said. 'The energy, the storytelling, the crowd – it's all there. But OVW needed a new identity and a fresh plan. That's what we're building.' Comparisons have been drawn with the Hollywood-backed revival of Wrexham AFC, but Edwards is quick to distance himself from the celebrity-driven model. 'I was the first Rob to buy a football club in Wales,' he joked. 'But we're not Wrexham, and I'm not famous. This isn't about nostalgia or cameras. It's about real people, grassroots passion, and creating a lasting legacy through sport.' Edwards says MSM's long-term vision is to own five to seven clubs across different sports – each rooted in its community, with strong commercial backing. OVW, he says, is a cornerstone of that plan. 'We're not just bringing OVW back,' he said. 'We want to show the world what modern wrestling can be – and build something that lasts.'
NHK
24-05-2025
- Sport
- NHK
May Tournament Day 13 - GRAND SUMO Highlights
NHK WORLD-JAPAN presents a sumo highlights program for fans around the globe. Today the show features all top-division bouts from May 23th, Day 13 of the Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo.
News.com.au
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
JoJo Siwa realises she's ‘not a lesbian' after cosying up to Celebrity Big Brother UK co-star
JoJo Siwa made a major discovery about her sexuality while competing on Celebrity Big Brother UK. 'I've always told myself I'm a lesbian, but I think you — I think being here, I've realised, 'Oh no, I'm not a lesbian, I'm queer',' the pro dancer told co-star Danny Beard, a RuPaul's Drag Race UK star. 'I think that's really cool. I'm switching letters!' she said, referencing the LGBTQIA+ community. Siwa's epiphany comes after she and her other housemate Chris Hughes engaged in flirtatious behaviour throughout their time on the show, in which celebs move into a house and cut off all outside contact. The former Dance Moms star, who is in a relationship with an Australian blogger Kath Ebbs, and the Love Island star, who is heterosexual, have been seen cuddling in bed together on several occasions. Hughes, 32, also recently asked Siwa, 21, to lick chocolate off his shorts — and she obliged. The two also shared an intimate moment during a confessional interview, when the So You Think You Can Dance judge confessed she is also having realisations about her gender identity. 'You have female, you have male. I've met a lot of females, love them, don't feel like I'm them. [I've] met a lot of males, love them, definitely not them,' she explained while the sports presenter sat beside her. '[I've] met a lot of people in my life that are non-binary, and these beautiful, non-binary people are who I feel most like, and it's — I don't know — it's not something that I want to say about myself yet, but it's something that is confusing.' JoJo's mother, Jessalynn Siwa, offered her support to her daughter via TikTok by reposting that moment and writing in the caption, 'What you are feeling inside is absolutely okay, you can talk about it whenever you decide. No pressure and no judgement, only love and support always.' JoJo's sexuality has been a topic of conversation — and at times contention — during CBB UK. Mickey Rourke was slammed as 'homophobic' for saying, 'If I stay longer than four days, you won't be gay anymore' and telling Hughes he was 'going to vote the lesbian out real quick.' The Chris & Olivia: Crackin' On star had JoJo's back, responding, 'No, you can't do that, Mickey.' When the Wrestlers actor, 72, continued and called Siwa a 'f*g,' Hughes added, 'You can't say that.' JoJo thanked her pal for being supportive and broke down in tears over what had occurred. Rourke was eventually kicked off the show for 'further use of inappropriate language and instances of unacceptable behaviour.'
