A major global boxing and media company has launched today. Probellum is an ambitious next-generation sports company which is designed to blend promotion, media and brand/content expertise. Probellum will immediately begin a structured global expansion strategy working in collaboration with established promoters around the world. It will advocate an athlete-first and sponsor-driven focus on its fields of expertise.
Founded by UK-based businessman Ali Shams Pour, Probellum will have offices in the United Kingdom, the United States, the Middle East among other locations around the world.
From support for grassroots boxing on a global level to promoting landmark events, Probellum will grow a digital platform which will serve millions of boxing fans worldwide on a 24/7/365 basis.
Richard Schaefer, one of the most respected and impactful boxing promoters of the last twenty years, will serve as Probellum’s President.
“Our number one goal at Probellum is to empower fighters and galvanize a global fanbase, while promoting the best and biggest fights to boxing fans around the world – regardless of promotional affiliation,” says Schaefer. “Boxing has always been fragmented between rival promoters and distribution platforms, which is why Probellum will co-promote across platforms and work with all promoters while investing heavily into grassroots boxing, worldwide.”
Probellum has been founded on the belief that collaboration is key. To that end, Probellum has already established promotional alliances in Europe, Africa, Russia, the Middle East, and Australia, with some of the biggest names in the sport, including Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom and Kalle and Nisse Sauerland with Wasserman Boxing.
In an effort to find the best opportunities and most exciting match ups for athletes, Probellum is looking forward to collaborating with everyone from PBC to Top Rank to Golden Boy Promotions in the United States along with any other promotor anywhere in the world.
Empowering and enabling grassroots boxing is an important initiative for Probellum as it builds a ubiquitous, digital platform to compliment broadcasters and promoters as it enables grassroots promoters, athletes and fans in areas and territories around the world who are passionate about boxing but do not have the necessary resources at their disposal.
In its first year, Probellum will promote, co-promote, or sponsor at least 100 events worldwide, and stage marquee events of its own in the United States, in the United Kingdom/Ireland, and in the MENA/CIS regions.
Joining Schaefer at Probellum is Eric Winter, a former UFC and Yahoo Sports executive, who will serve as Probellum’s Chief Operating Officer. Winter is an industry leading broadcast & digital sports media executive, having served as UFC’s Senior Vice President/General Manager and the CEO of Rivals.com.
Harrison Whitman, previously selected by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the 35 Rising Executives Under 35, is the former General Counsel of Top Rank, Inc., and will serve as Chief Strategy & Legal Officer of Probellum.
Anthony Petosa, an Emmy award winning content expert, will steer the look, feel and original-content arm of Probellum as the Executive Vice President of Production & Creative. Well-known boxing advisor and former Barclays Center executive, Anthony Catanzaro, will bring his athlete-first approach to Probellum as Vice President of Boxing Operations.
The Board of Directors/Advisors will include Ali Shams Pour, owner of Glentoran FC among other sports properties, as well as Professor Florin Vasvari, PhD MA, Chair of Accounting Faculty and Academic Director of the Institute of Entrepreneurship and Private Capital at London Business School. Ahmed Abdulmagied Seddiqi—a seasoned executive with an extensive luxury branding background and responsible for the rebirth of boxing in the UAE and the surrounding region—will sit on the Board of Advisors with a focus on growing boxing in developing markets.
“Probellum has assembled a best-in-class team of executives and board members truly unheard of in the boxing space. The combination of media, sports, and finance experience overseeing the operation and providing strategic guidance is unparalleled,” Schaefer said. “We have assembled a truly all-star team of executives and brand partners from around the world and we cannot wait to continue introducing them in the coming weeks.”
Subscribe
