Ugandan wrestling promotion receives thousands in donations to help buy them a ring

It's not every day you hear of nice things happening in the world of wrestling right now but one unlikely promotion has been taking social media by storm this week: SoftGround Wrestling in Uganda and they want your help.

When not focusing on The Rock taking Cody Rhodes' spot at WrestleMania, CM Punk's injury or where Mercedes Mone and Kazuchika Okada will end up wrestling fans have become obsessed with SGW after clips from their matches went viral on X/Twitter.

The high-octane promotion, which shares its matches for free on YouTube has become a huge success since Western fans picked up on their content, with many loving the no-nonsense, hard-hitting action from SGW's male and female stars.

One of the most surprising things about SGW is that they don't even have a ring but still manage to tell compelling stories while fighting either on dirt, mud or grass. But they now want to change that.

Earlier this week, the promotion launched a GoFundMe so that they can afford to buy a wrestling ring. They are looking to raise $10,000 and at the time of writing have raised just over $7000 towards their goal. Even, Will Ospreay, who some view as the best wrestler in the world, has donated $2000 to the cause.

SGW even got the attention of TNA's Knockout Champion Jordynne Grace and AEW's Danhausen has suggested he's open to working there.

In a promo video on the GoFundMe page, SGW's ambassador says: "I'm sure you’ve heard about the hottest wrestling promotion in Uganda today, SoftGround Wrestling. These young men have so much potential in the world of professional wrestling, but it can all be withered away very soon. Hello, I am Jake, the US Ambassador for SGW. I, just like many others, found these amazing athletes through viral posts on twitter, and I wanted to learn more. So, I got in contact with the owner of the Organization and Channel, Bumbash Daniel, but what I heard made me very sad.

"The land that they currently use to film most of their content, like the video you just saw, is being rented right now by Daniel, but they don’t have a lot of funds. And if this continues, the promotion may not have a home very soon.

"I believe that these athletes deserve a chance to showcase their talents to the world, but I need your help. What this GoFundMe is for is so SGW can continue renting out their land for the foreseeable future, put money towards adding to their production, and eventually saving up to buy a wrestling ring to permanently use.

"When I asked Daniel about what SoftGround exactly is, he told me that SoftGround is much more than a wrestling promotion, it’s a Community of people in Uganda that use pro wrestling to come together. It’s an activity that all of them find great joy in.

"So that is why I believe you should help them out today in any way you can. Whether it be donating directly or sharing the link online to spread awareness. We will provide updates as the GoFundMe progresses. Thank you for your time."

You can donate to SGW's fundraiser here.

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