GRAND FINAL SHOW: WHO WILL PASS CSWC EXCITEMENT AND DRAMA TO AUDIENCES AROUND THE WORLD!?
- expertcigar
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
At the CSWC Grand Final, anything can happen. It’s the ultimate race of fire against time—a mental battle where every puff counts and makes a difference. All the excitement and drama will be captured and shared with everyone, whether watching in person or via live stream, by three special gentlemen.
Expect plenty of drama, sudden turnovers, heartbreaking disappointments, and racing hearts. This is an environment that will keep competitors constantly on edge. It is a mental fight, a mental battle, and the ultimate mental race to keep the fire burning—not just on the cigar, but also in the mind and focus
At the CSWC, anything can happen. That excitement and drama will be captured and shared. Every second of the race is unpredictable, shifting from moment to moment. Expressions on the competitors’ faces, trembling hands, dramatic turnarounds, the haze of burning cigars, and much more will be unfolding in the grand final arena. All of these details will be brought directly to the audience and spectators in the live arena, as well as to viewers watching the global live stream.
As usual, the broadcast will be led by Marko Bilic, the founder of the Cigar Smoking World Championship, who is always a commentator and the ultimate transmitter of CSWC excitement. This year, his co-host will be the one and only Mr. Anthony Goins—founder and co-owner of Capital Cigar Lounge in Nebraska and the Apiary private club in Omaha—making a perfect match with Marko.
Anthony brings incredible passion, energy, a keen sense of the moment, and an understanding of the excitement. He knows how to convey emotion, capture the moment, and describe the true feeling of the CSWC. Marko and Anthony successfully ran two qualification events this year—one in Omaha and one in Nebraska—and they did an amazing job. Now, they are bringing the big Grand Final to a global audience.
Marko is thrilled about the partnership, sharing: "I am so excited that Tony will be with me—or better to say, that I will be with Tony—because Tony is a natural-born host. He has a passion for people, for the moment, for emotion, and for the experience, and he truly knows how to share it. So, I feel honored to have him as a co-host for the CSWC Grand Final."
Additionally, Tony serves on the PCA board (Premium Cigar Association), supporting legislation to ensure cigar purists continue to participate in our amazing culture. Tony’s great relationship with Marko Bilic has led him to his 2nd year in attendance at the CSWC, an event that he will always be present!
Tony has a career as a senior financial services executive with over 30 years of experience leading global operations, customer development, and regulatory engagement activities for publicly traded, family-owned, and privately held enterprises. He’s held a variety of C-suite and operational leadership roles in B2C industries including automotive, student lending, payments, online retail, and large and medium-sized retail banks. Tony’s business expertise is centered around optimizing corporate operations, enterprise risk management, and international business expansion. Tony previously served the State of Nebraska as a cabinet member under former Governor Pete Ricketts, leading the economy from 2019 to 2023.
The third gentleman who will play a very important role in this broadcast is Dino Tomic, Marketing Director of the CSWC. Dino will be jumping into the live stream directly from the press corner, where he will interview famous competitors, special guests, and key figures from the cigar industry. He will capture and share the raw emotions, impressions, and reflections of the competitors right after the race.
Three gentlemen, immense excitement—all of this guarantees that the 2026 CSWC Grand Final by Oliva Cigars will be something truly special. It is worth lighting up a cigar for, even if you are miles away from the arena: just sit back, open the link on your phone, laptop, or television, and watch history unfold in the world's first and only cigar sport. Not just any sport, but the ultimate one—the Grand Final where the best of the best face off to make history.