About this episode
Episode 144 of the Athletor Podcast features Tom Houck, founder of CLAW Wrestling, who discusses building what could become wrestling’s first true professional league. Tom shares the three-year journey behind CLAW’s creation, from its detailed business plan to the new rules and structure designed to make wrestling more exciting and accessible to broader audiences. He breaks down how fan psychology, team dynamics, and innovative scoring systems like pylons and attack rate statistics are changing the way people experience wrestling. Tom also shares the league’s vision for the future, including local team ownership, expanded schedules, and CLAW events nationwide.