Lincoln Mardell on Taking Ring of Pakistan Global: “The Best Is Yet to Come”

Lincoln Mardell on Taking Ring of Pakistan Global: “The Best Is Yet to Come”

An exclusive interview with the new General Manager of Ring of Pakistan.

Lincoln Mardell spent three decades making game shows before taking the reins as General Manager of Ring of Pakistan (ROP). In this wide-ranging conversation, he explains how a TV executive ended up in professional wrestling, what comes next for the promotion, and why he believes ROP can become a genuine international brand.

1. How does a game show executive end up as the General Manager of Ring of Pakistan? Walk us through that unexpected path.

Well, I’ve spent 30 years in television, mostly making game shows, so moving into professional wrestling isn’t quite as ridiculous as it sounds. Both involve larger-than-life characters, drama, jeopardy and occasionally people behaving very badly on camera! I’ve always loved live entertainment, and when the opportunity came along to help take ROP international, it was simply too interesting to turn down. Post-Covid live events are taking over.

2. What first drew you to professional wrestling and to ROP specifically?

The sheer spectacle of it. As a lifelong fan, wrestling is extraordinary because it combines sport, theatre, storytelling and incredibly passionate fans. But what really attracted me to ROP was what Imran Shah and his team had already achieved. We’re talking crowds exceeding 50,000 in Pakistan. That’s not a small wrestling promotion — that’s a serious entertainment property waiting to be developed. I looked at it and thought, there’s something rather special here.

3. Looking at where Ring of Pakistan is right now, what is your main focus for the promotion’s development over the next 12–18 months?

Three things: television, international expansion and building stars. We’re developing a 10-episode television series, working towards regular programming and planning major events across Pakistan, the UK and Europe. My background is television, so I want people following our characters and stories between events, not just turning up when somebody gets thrown through a table. Although, obviously, we won’t be discouraging that.

4. ROP has always talked about building a soft power platform for Pakistan through sports entertainment. How do you see that vision evolving under your leadership?

Pakistan has an extraordinary sporting heritage and some of the most passionate audiences I’ve ever encountered. Unfortunately, the international headlines don’t always reflect the Pakistan I know. We have an opportunity to change that through entertainment. Bring together Pakistani and international talent, create brilliant television, fill arenas and give the world something positive to talk about. Sport has an incredible ability to cross borders. You don’t need to speak Urdu to appreciate somebody being choke-slammed!

5. This collaboration with Ring Performance in Villiers-le-Bel is a big step. How did the partnership come about, and what made this the right time and place for ROP’s first major French show?

France has a fantastic wrestling community, and our collaboration with Ring Performance gives us the opportunity to introduce ROP to a new European audience. We’re also delighted to have the support of the local municipality in Villiers-le-Bel. It’s exactly the sort of partnership we want to develop — bringing communities together through sport and entertainment. And frankly, any business trip that involves Paris is unlikely to receive too many complaints from me.

6. Will we see more international collaborations like this one? Are there already talks for future shows in Europe or elsewhere?

Absolutely. France is part of a much bigger picture. We’re actively developing opportunities in the UK, Pakistan and the Middle East, with discussions around international partnerships and major events. The ambition is to establish ROP as a genuine international promotion, not simply a Pakistani company occasionally putting on shows overseas. I seem to spend half my life in airports these days. At least the airline miles are improving.

7. Baadshah Pehalwan Khan has been the face of the ROP World Heavyweight Championship for years. How important is his continued presence to the brand’s identity both in Pakistan and overseas?

Baadshah is hugely important. Every wrestling promotion needs recognisable stars, and he’s someone audiences immediately associate with ROP. He represents the strength and identity of Pakistani wrestling, and that’s something we want to preserve as we expand internationally. You build a brand around people the audience cares about. Besides, he’s considerably bigger than me, so I’m certainly not going to suggest otherwise!

8. What kind of talent pipeline are you looking to build — more local Pakistani stars, more international bookings, or a mix of both?

Very much a mixture. International names bring recognition, media attention and new audiences, but the real long-term opportunity is developing our own Pakistani stars. I want young wrestlers in Pakistan to look at ROP and see a genuine career pathway. Imagine a young Pakistani wrestler starting with us and eventually becoming a recognised international name. That’s when we know we’ve built something meaningful. And yes, we’ll still bring in some famous faces to cause a little chaos.

9. Fans often wonder about the long-term plan. Where do you want Ring of Pakistan to be in three to five years?

I’d like ROP to be a recognised international wrestling brand with weekly television programming, major annual events, a strong roster of homegrown and international talent, and a genuinely global audience. We’ve already demonstrated that we can attract enormous crowds. Now it’s about turning that excitement into a sustainable entertainment business. I’ve spent three decades building television formats, and I think ROP has all the ingredients to become something very significant.

10. If you could give one message to the fans who have followed ROP since the early seasons, what would it be?

Firstly, thank you. You’ve helped build something extraordinary, and none of this happens without the fans who’ve supported ROP from the beginning. Imran and his team created something special, and our next job is to help take it to the next level without losing what made it successful in the first place. We’ve got some very exciting plans, some wonderful people involved and a few surprises up our sleeves.

Stick with us. I genuinely believe the best is yet to come. And if everything goes according to plan, I might even be persuaded to get into the ring myself. Although my insurance company may have something to say about that.

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