What is professional pillow fighting?

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Pillow fighting is a sport where contestants fight each other in a boxing ring with special pillows. It has gained popularity and is now considered a professional sport.

It cannot be said to originate from anywhere in particular, since it was enjoyed among family members right from childhood. The only differences between domestic pillow fighting and professional pillow fighting are that money will be given to the winner, a combat arena is used for the match, and a referee presides over the competition.

Just like other combat sports, it awards points for strikes at particular body parts, especially the head. Pillow fighting has standardised rules, scoring, and equipment, and there are also cash prizes.

Athletes in this division require stamina, skills in handling the specialised pillows, dexterity in evasion of strikes, the ability to take blows, and agility. People get knocked out by pillows too!

The Pillow Fight Championship is an organisation that aims to turn pillow fighting into a professional sport. Unlike MMA, anyone can compete in pillow fighting. There are children, women, and even men who are champions in pillow fighting.

Some of the rules of pillow fighting include:

• A knockdown happens when one makes his or her opponent fall on the canvas or have to stand with the help of a hand.
• Leg drops, submission holds, punching, and other moves are prohibited within the match. The fighter is not allowed to use any moves other than attacking with the pillow.
• Fighters will lose a match when found damaging the pillow. The pillow must not break by striking anything other than one’s opponent.
• There are more than one strap used to carry the pillow; this is to facilitate full control of the pillow. A fighter is not allowed to hold the pillow with two hands while fighting in a competition.
• One should not drop his or her pillow while fighting.
• No one should grab the opponent’s pillow.
• Unlike in boxing, fighters are not allowed to block strikes to their heads with any part of their body.
• A knockdown gives 5 points.
• An angle-360-head strike earns 3 points.
• An unbalancing leg hit gets a point.

The first pillow fighting championship was held on January 29, 2022, according to the Wikipedia Encyclopedia. It was organised by the Pillow Fight Championship and ended with the following becoming the known champions:

• Istela Nunes in the women division
• Hauley Tillman at men’s corner

The total number of chosen contestants was 24.