Fighters from Professional Pillow Fight Championship compete, in Delray Beach, Florida, U.S., October 23, 2021. Photo: Reuters

 Pillow fighting is moving out of the bedroom and into the boxing ring when Pillow Fight Championship (PFC) holds its first live, pay-per-view event in Florida in January 2022.

Steve Williams, the man with the dream of turning childhood horseplay into a professional combat sport, said PFC delivers all the drama of hand-to-hand combat without the gore of mixed martial arts or boxing.

"It's serious. It's hardcore swinging with specialized pillows," Williams, the CEO of PFC told Reuters.

Although the male and female competitors in January's event mostly hail from the cutthroat worlds of MMA and boxing, children will still sleep soundly after seeing the bouts.

"The only difference between our fights and MMA fights is that nobody gets hurt," he said.

The fact that so many people grew up bashing their siblings, friends and parents with pillows makes the sport relatable, which he hopes will help tap into a new audience.

"Think about how they mixed country music with rap music and brought these diverse audiences together. That's what we're doing, and we hope it brings in a different kind of viewer."

Reuters