ROB Edwards, the entrepreneur behind the reinvention of Welsh Premier League football team Haverfordwest County AFC, has taken over the iconic brand that gave the likes of John Cena, Randy Orton, Dave Batista, and Brock Lesnar their starts in professional wrestling, aiming to relaunch the promotion and grow it globally.

Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) – immortalised by Netflix’s hit documentary ‘Wrestlers’ – has relaunched under Edwards’ leadership, with the Londoner’s sports management group, MSM, taking a controlling stake in a company that has produced more wrestling world champions than most small countries.

From having wine to Haverfordwest

It all began less than five years ago when Edwards was deep into a bottle of red, questioning the future of his wine business when an advert arrived by email offering a semi-professional football club for sale, with no full-time staff, no contracted players, and attendances below 100.

Six weeks later, Edwards took over ownership of Haverfordwest County AFC in Pembrokeshire. Now a thriving club in the Welsh Premier League, recently qualifying for Europe for the second time in three years, he’s determined to take OVW on a similar journey, reaching beyond Kentucky and the US, and into Europe.

“I’ve got no idea how I ended up here, really,” Edwards explained. “Things were up in the air during lockdown and I started to think ‘what’s next?’. If I hadn’t clicked that football club listing I’m not sure this would have happened. Within three years, we had gone from an amateur side to playing in Europe.

“Then, 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.”

A club on the rise

Since Edwards bought Haverfordwest, the club has achieved its highest finish in two decades. A subsequent European run made headlines across Wales as the club achieved the first European victory in its 125-year history and that standout 2023/24 season was compounded on Sunday, May 18 when the Bluebirds reached Europe again, following a third-place league finish in 2024/25.

The club’s success is partly down to a thriving academy – the cornerstone of MSM’s strategy – with the Haverfordwest County Development side recently crowned league champions for the second successive season, winning the FAW Youth Cup for the first time, and qualifying for the UEFA Youth League, also for the first time.

Planning to go global

Now that formula is set to cross the Atlantic. Edwards has already launched an organisation-wide survey, introduced a new leadership structure, and put in place a ‘fan-first’ strategy. He believes the relaunch is a ‘fresh start’, and the first day in what could become an electric future for one of the most famous organisations in professional wrestling.

“Walking into that arena, I could feel the energy and togetherness amongst the staff and talent,” he said. “There’s something visceral about live wrestling. The energy, the commitment from the fans, the storytelling… it was all there. But behind the scenes, they didn’t know how to talk about it. There was not a clear identity. No real strategic plan for the future.

“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. It’s a fresh start. A chance to build on something special. It may be a totally different sport, but the approach is not dissimilar to what we achieved at Haverfordwest.”

A blueprint for wrestling’s evolution

The inevitable comparisons to AFC Wrexham – owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney – don’t bother him​​. Edwards even jokes he was ‘the first Rob to buy a football club in Wales’. But the MSM playbook is different.

Where Wrexham is powered by A-listers, nostalgia, and the reach of Disney+, MSM’s model is built on grassroots culture, crossover chaos, and social value. Edwards said: “Wrexham is a brilliant story, and they’ve done a fantastic job, but we’re not trying to recreate that. We’re not Hollywood and I’m not famous. We’re just a bunch of people who care deeply about sport, who believe in people, and who are willing to try things others won’t.

“The aim with MSM is to build a portfolio – five to seven clubs across different sports – where each one tells a story, gives back to its community, and is commercially strong. OVW is a huge part of that. We’ve got a strategy, we’ve got brilliant people, and we’ve got something fans are already connecting with. If we do this right, OVW won’t just be relevant again – it’ll be the blueprint for how wrestling can evolve.”