Jonathan Owens is in the thick of training camps. The 27-year-old is all by himself in Wisconsin while his partner, the renowned gymnast, Simone Biles, is away in Illinois to participate in the prestigious US Classic. The duo, who tied the knot in April, have very few opportunities to spend time together.

As they take on their hectic schedules, the couple has to continue a long-distance relationship even after their marriage. Without Biles by his side, Owens is left to unwind alone after his rigorous training sessions. As he was relishing some downtime watching TV, the Packers‘ safety came across a sport that left him extremely bewildered. This new sport has been gaining popularity in the past year or so and brings intense competition to an innocent childhood activity.

The sport that piqued Owens’ interest

Owens’ surprise reached new heights as he discovered the combat sport involving the ‘deadly’ weapons of ‘pillows’. The safety took to his Instagram story to express his bewilderment as he posted a clip from a Professional Pillow Fight championship match, where competitors were aggressively smacking each other with their ‘weapons’.

In the clip, a clearly baffled Owens can be heard blurting out, “This a sport?” with the caption that reads, ‘Man this is killing me, never would’ve thought’.

Despite the NFL star’s recent discovery, pillow fighting is steadily gaining popularity as an American sport. The PFC league made history by bringing the nostalgic activity to the ring in January 2022, with “Pound Down” a live-streamed event from Miami, Florida, USA. It marked the first-ever professional Pillow Fighting Championship (PFC) and earned the title for the first pay-per-view pillow fight. PFC is trying to elevate the ranks of pillow fighting into a professional sport, with a unique approach that aims to present an opportunity where “anyone can compete, and anyone can win”.

Not your classic pillow fight

Pillow Fight Championship aims to bring spectators the unique adrenaline rush akin to a combat sport without spilling any blood or inflicting gruesome injuries, which also speaks to its growing popularity. However, it’s different from the classic pillow bouts one remembers from their childhood. The queen-sized pillows used in the match that weigh up to 1 kg are not your good old regular pillows. Made up of foam rather than down these cushions come with a nylon case and sturdy handles that facilitate hard and swift flings.

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The fight is far from seemingly simple which involves the competitors being at least six feet apart while managing to smack their opponents over their heads as many times as possible. The bulky cushions being swung gets increasingly difficult the match lasts only for three 90-second rounds. Even though athletes like Owens are just learning about the sport, it sure is gaining traction.

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