It’s a random Sunday afternoon at Chirangila village, deep in Mukono district, just 26 km from Kampala in Uganda.
A crowd of people is gathered in a circle, and at the centre of that circle are two bare-chested men standing on wet soil under the scorching sun.
What would be your first guess of the activity they are doing? Cultivating the soil to trade plant produce? Well, you are half-right if you thought that.
We could say that they are cultivating the soil, but not in a literal manner. Their constant steps on the soil make it ready for planting, actually.
But they’re trading something else. Punches and kicks.
Ladies and gentlemen, presenting to you, the Ugandan version of WWE - Soft Ground Wrestling.
But to really get the picture, we’ve got to start from the beginning.
You all watched WWE back in your younger days, right?
When we had John Cena fight Batista. Rey Mysterio fight Kane. The Undertaker fight Shawn Michaels. We all had a favourite wrestler. Mine was Shawn Michaels because he had a cool finisher move.
Due to the popular demand that WWE had, one man known as Daniel Bumba took it upon himself to set up a centre where people could come and watch the fights together.
In addition to just watching, he spiced it up by offering commentary in the Ugandan language.
This made it even more interesting, as he would throw in casual Ugandan slang that people related to and found humorous.
Soon enough, a large number of the population had developed an interest in the sport, and after the matches, he’d notice how they would have long debates about WWE even at their own homes.
There, he saw another opportunity to actually introduce WWE in Uganda.
In 2023, Daniel Bumba decided to ask around the young men who attended the matches if any of them would be interested in professional fighting. Many were afraid, thinking about the dangers that came with it.
However, eight young men showed interest.
With the little that he could find, he decided to improvise.
Using bamboo sticks as corner posts and nylon ropes as the ring ropes, he built his own arena. For the floor, he used the earth itself, digging and wetting the soil to create soft mud that cushioned fighters when they fell.
Before throwing his recruits into the ring, he provided basic training: weight-lifting and running. After a month, he held his first official fight and invited locals to watch.
The match was recorded and posted on social media - Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, where it garnered more than 100 million views.
The sport exploded.
Fast-forward to 2025. Daniel Bumba, now 36, has a sport to his name - Soft Ground Wrestling.
His show, the Bumbash Live Show, happens every Sunday at 2 p.m., and the locals flock to watch their favourite wrestlers.
He’s grown from eight wrestlers to more than 140, each undergoing intense physical training; running through sugar plantations, endurance drills, and technique sessions focused on how to fall safely.
“The first rule,” Bumba says, “is learning to always land on your back.” The mud softens the blow, reducing injuries, though, of course, a few broken bones still happen.
The Challenges Behind the Ring
Running a wrestling camp for 140 people isn’t easy. Between the wrestlers, referees, announcers, and security staff, there’s a lot to coordinate. Every match, every meal, every practice session must be organized with near-military precision.
Bumba funds the operation through a simple system. Every Sunday, locals pay a small entry fee of 3,565 Ugandan Shillings (about one US dollar) to watch the Bumbash Live Show. The proceeds go straight back into the program, covering food, equipment, and basic upkeep.
It’s not lavish, but it works. The same passion that built the first ring out of bamboo and nylon now keeps the entire enterprise alive.
Over time, the soft-ground wrestling community has become a second family for many.
Some of the wrestlers joined from tough backgrounds; young men and women looking for direction, structure, or simply a place to belong.
The sport has given them more than a platform; it’s given them purpose. Wrestlers who once had no clear path now train, perform, and even mentor recruits.
One of Bumba’s proudest achievements is seeing how discipline and teamwork have changed lives.
A year ago, the authorities briefly halted his program after suspecting he might be training militias. The misunderstanding didn’t last long. Once officials saw the files, registration documents, and the organization behind the project, they let him continue.
The experience reminded Bumba how unconventional his dream is and how closely the world is watching.
True wrestling, no choreography.
Still, he’s undeterred. His biggest dream?
To see professional Ugandan wrestlers on the global stage, maybe even squaring off at WWE someday.
He also hopes to take the Bumbash Live Show on tour across Africa. From Zambia to Kenya and beyond, sharing the thrill of soft-ground wrestling with new audiences.
From Chirangila to the world.
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