The Matchroom Sport story began in 1976 when a young Steve Davis began playing at the Romford Lucania Club and struck up a friendship with Barry Hearn which was to have a major influence on the world of snooker.

With the support of the Matchroom Sport professional players, the company promoted snooker all over the world and has been particularly instrumental in the development of the game in the Far East.

Matchroom Sport began its involvement in big time boxing by going straight in at the deep end - staging the Joe Bugner v Frank Bruno heavyweight show down at Tottenham's  White Hart Lane Stadium in 1987, in front of 30,000 people.  Since then the Matchroom Boxing stable has risen to the top in both Britain and Europe, staging over fifty promotions throughout the season, including British, Commonwealth, European and World Championship bouts.

Whilst sports such as snooker and boxing are firmly established as two of the most popular on television, Matchroom set its sights on other immensely popular but less well known sports.  They promotes the world's richest coarse fishing match - Fish'O'Mania - live on Sky Sports for six hours and now entering its ninth year.

Matchroom's biggest sport though is 9 ball pool which they have developed into a huge TV sport across the globe.  The success of the Mosconi Cup Europe v America match and the World Pool Masters is a testament to the progress that has been made.

In the summer of 1999 Matchroom Sport promoted the World Pool Championship - the biggest event ever in the history of the game. The World Pool Championship has subsequently developed into one of Matchroom Sport's biggest and most successful events.

Matchroom Sport also dominated the international televised tenpin bowling market with three events.  They are the World Masters which has been in existence since 1998, the Weber Cup which is fast establishing itself as the Ryder Cup of bowling and the AMF World cup, bowling's biggest international event.

Winner and the final stages live on Sky Sports, Poker Million is another innovative idea that will run and run.
Over the years, Barry Hearn's Matchroom Sport organization has grown into one of the world's most prolific independent sports promotion and television companies, producing over 600 hours of original material each year.

Since Matchroom Sport first put on the WPA World Pool Championship in 1999, it has always been one of our ambitions to stage this magnificent event in the Philippines.  Now that dream is about to become a reality.

Many people have worked hard to make this happen and now at last, the people of the Philippines and a TV audience of millions around the world will have the opportunity to see legends like Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante as well as a host of up and coming Filipino players doing battle for the sport's greatest prize.

I will be in Manila to witness what will be 9 ball action at its very best and I believe that the country of the Philippines will prove to be the perfect host to the perfect tournament.  Roll on 4 November!