A new report has come out alleging misconduct on the part of Soft Ground Wrestling’s promoter. The Ugandan promotion became a viral hit online earlier this year and has attracted the attention of major wrestling figures such as Will Ospreay, MxM Collection, Kenny Omega and more. Bodyslam.net’s Cassidy Haynes has published an extensive report that delves into the promotion’s dealings and specifically that of its promoter, Daniel Bumbash.
The report goes into detail on the promotion’s rise to prominence and some of the concerning behavior on the part of Bumbash and cites multiple sources associated with SGW, NBS Sport in Uganada and conversations with Bumbash himself. It notes how an initial GoFundMe was launched with a goal of $10,000 that saw stars like Ospreay, Daniel Garcia, and Jordynne Grace donate, to the point that it exceeded its $10,000 coal. But the campaign was suspended after the person who was running it, a minor who was a fan of SGW, began receiving harassment online incited by followers of Bumbash and others who accused him of withholding the funds from SGW and causing delays after the money did not arrive as soon as expected due to the difficulty of international money transfers.
Bodyslam obtained messages confirming that Bumbash admitted to abusing the fan, saying in a text message, “I abused [the fundraising volunteer] badly… Once provoked, I become a snake.” The volunteer has since disappeared completely from involvement in SGW due to the harassment as well as online stalking stemming from the matter.
When the GoFundMe campaign did not leave enough after service feeds to buy a ring, MxM Collection held a charity stream in May that saw a number of wrestling personalities get involved. Over $40,000 was donated to SGW along with the price of a van that was paid for by Mansoor’s mother. Cody Rhodes also got involved, pledging to buy a wrestling ring for the company that would be constructed locally in order to dodge the issues that dogged the initial GoFundMe. The money from the MxM Collection’s stream was sent to someone in SGW aside from Bumbash, and Bumbash allegedly began to threaten the person who received the money. Bumbash also is reported to have made veiled threats when he was accused of mishandling money and people in the promotion began to lose trust in him. The van that was paid for was registered in his name personally and he had complete control over it, with the potential ability to use it for anything else he wanted to.
The source that mentioned the latter information also noted that SGW has been polarized by Bumbash, with his followers described as being “in a cult-like trance” where they believe everything that he says even when obvious lies are pointed out to them. Others have talked openly and publicy with fans and some media about their experiences with Bumbash.
The report also notes that Bumbash’s announcement of a media deal with NBS appear to be untrue. NBS did not return requests for comment, people in SGW weren’t sure if the deal was real and Bumbash sent partial contracts that were unsigned. When it was told to him that the documents did not indicate a deal, he said “Everything is well and being worked upon” and that the contract was secured along with other statements indicating that the deal was not actually signed.
Other documents from a colleague close to Bumbash have questioned the legitimacy of the company in terms of being a legal entity, and indicated merely that there is filed (but not completed) paperwork to form Bumbash Wrestling Academy Limited as a company limited by guarantee, a common process for non-profits in the country. The lack of a business entity for SGW means that all assets including donations, contracts and such are under Bumbash’ personal legal name and not under Bumbash Wrestling Academy as they should be.
Bumbash has denied many allegations but has had several inconsistencies pointed out that he cannot explain. Among them is a claim by SGW that the van previously mentioned was used to make pilgrimages to donate to the poor. That statement was pushed back on by Nova Talent Elevation Africa, a charity that claims SGW used one of their vans. It was noted that the perception that SGW is largely made up of orphans and homeless kids is “largely a myth” and allows SGW to appear as a charitable organization.
The report carries a number of other allegations, including risking the health of his talent with a van used to transport wrestlers around not having a backseat or seatbelts which means people inside have to lean against the wall. People who have traveled with Bumbash have indicated that they saw him drinking vodka while driving, though it cannot be confirmed if he did this or not while transporting wrestlers.
The report goes into a number of additional allegations and is well worth reading. Bumbash has denied the claims against him and alleged that there are people fighting against SGW including his biggest star, Lord White who he said “is fighting Soft Ground.”
