Introduction to Project Fight

A British professional wrestler is in talks with potential backers to secure millions of pounds in funding for a revamped European series aimed at capitalizing on the sport’s British fan base. Ben Webb, who was involved in the WWE franchise under the name Trent Seven, is working with advisers to raise around £5 million to build Project Fight into "Europe’s leading televised wrestling brand".

Background and Funding

Mr. Webb has appointed Oakwell, the sports consultancy which also works to attract private capital to British cycling, to advise on the fundraising and development of the new product. The Project Fight team is said to have been in talks with Sunset+Vine, the production company, and Paramount, the owner of Channel 5 in the UK, about collaborating on the new project. It is understood that discussions with potential investors have been underway for weeks. If successfully secured, the new funding would be raised at a pre-funding value of around £10m.

Project Goals and Projections

According to its architects, the capital would allow Project Fight to break even in just its third year. Mr. Webb said the aim of the project was to "transform the professional wrestling landscape in the UK and Europe and create a business worth over £100 million over the next five years". This comes amid growing international audiences’ interest in wrestling, with Netflix receiving nearly 5 million views worldwide for the debut of its RAW wrestling event in January.

Market and Target Audience

Research suggests that up to six million people in the UK alone describe themselves as wrestling enthusiasts. Project Fight aims to tap into this base and bridge the gap between die-hard and casual fans while supporting the independent wrestling scene. “I built a business from a disused scout hut with 40 friends and family members and grew it organically to thousands in the NEC across the UK, Japan, Mexico, the US and the world and it has helped change the landscape of British wrestling,” Mr. Webb told. “There is a huge, passionate professional wrestling fanbase in the UK that lacks a domestic promotion to follow and is underserved by existing promotions.”

Team and Partnerships

Mr. Webb is a former two-time WWE Tag Team Champion with 16 years of experience in worldwide wrestling for WWE, AEW, TNA, New Japan Pro Wrestling and other supporters. He also owns the Fight Club Pro brand, which has held shows at the Birmingham NEC as well as in Tokyo, Mexico and the USA. Project Fight’s advisory board includes Roger Draper, former chief executive of Sport England and the Lawn Tennis Association, and Peter Angell, CEO of Sunset+Vine.

Content Strategy and Distribution

The company is also formulating a broader content distribution strategy aimed at leveraging wrestlers’ existing social media followers and entering into content sharing partnerships with major wrestling-related influencers. Mr. Webb said Project Fight will have a gender-equal roster including female wrestlers from the UK, US, China, Japan, Australia, France, India and Canada. The list of competing wrestlers is said to have a total of over 12 million followers on social media. Depending on the successful completion of fundraising, a premium pilot event is expected to take place next year.