Why King Wenger became the first wrestling millionaire

The largest mobile stadium in the world is currently located in the tranquil village of Mollis in the Glarus lowlands. The arena offers space for 56,500 fans and has long been sold out. The ESAF attracts the crowds: The festival town offers space for 350,000 people.

SRF broadcasts live from the Swiss Wrestling Festival throughout the weekend and can once again hope for dream ratings. Wrestling has been booming for years and is getting bigger and bigger.

One person who has been able to experience this rapid development at first hand is "Blick" reporter Marcel W. Perren. There were barely a handful of journalists at his first ESAF in 2007, and there is a media grandstand in Mollis.

"Wenger was the first king to look like a pop star"

How did this sport, which is actually only practiced in German-speaking Switzerland, become so big so quickly? For Perren, the 2010 wrestling king in Frauenfeld was the booster. "Kilian Wenger is one of the biggest contributors to this gigantism, to this never-ending boom," says the long-time "Blick" wrestling reporter.

He continues: "Kilian was the first king to look like a pop star, with a flawless appearance, a super upper body and a well-trained physique. It's his fault that you see almost as many pierced navels as edelweiss shirts at a Swiss wrestling festival today."

August 2010: The newly crowned wrestling king Kilian Wenger is welcomed in Diemtigen.

Keystone

According to Perren, Wenger's appearance appealed to a whole new clientele. "Young women have also suddenly become interested in wrestling. And that's why completely different sponsors have come to this sport ..."

Wenger inspires the population. So it is not surprising that he is also setting completely new standards in the advertising market. "Kilian was the first Zwilchhosen millionaire," says Perren. "For a long time, there was a strict ban on advertising in wrestling, which was relaxed in 1998. Jörg Abderhalden and Nöldi Forrer were among the first wrestlers to have individual sponsors."

"Kilian was also the first Zwilchhosen millionaire"

The two top wrestlers earned around 25,000 francs in the early noughties, says Perren. "The big money came into the sport with Wenger. Matthias Sempach and Christian Stucki then earned similar amounts. And today they say that a royal title is worth around a million francs."

Kilian Wenger was a popular advertising partner

KEYSTONE

Before Wenger, wrestling was a different sport. Before Mollis, his seventh ESAF, Perren remembers the 2007 ESAF in Aarau. "The sport was the same. Everything just got a lot bigger. At my first wreath festivals, I sat on a cart with one or two media colleagues. The SRF was not yet present at sub-association and cantonal festivals"

"There used to be three of us journalists on a float"

Back then, as a journalist, you could watch the rounds next to the sawdust if you wanted to, Perren continues, "that's unthinkable today". Wrestling has long been a million-dollar business.