Chaplain ready to rumble with Sheffield wrestling match

A Salvation Army chaplain is getting ready to rumble by compering a wrestling match which combines the sport with faith. 

Kingdom Wrestling, a worshipping community which puts on live professional wrestling matches with sermons and church teaching, will host a takeover at Sheffield’s Victoria Hall on Saturday 31 May. 

In partnership with Sheffield City Centre Churches Together, it will feature an afternoon of family friendly wrestling entertainment and inspiring life stories led by Kingdom Wrestling founder Gareth ‘Angel’ Thompson. 

The event will be compered by Paul ‘Huggy’ Huggins, who is the chaplain at The Salvation Army’s Sheffield Lifehouse Charter Row, which provides supported accommodation to people who are homeless. 

Huggy, who will be the ring announcer and take part in the storytelling element, said: “Kingdom Wrestling is a different way of doing church, why not be different? More than 200 tickets have been sold already, so that’s 200 people who may not have walked into a church, but will be hearing inspiring stories of the impact faith can have. It’s an evangelising tool and a new way of attracting people to hear the Gospel. I’ll gladly be thrown around a ring for that!

“We’ve got some of our Lifehouse residents helping to run the event and stewarding while others will be coming along to enjoy the atmosphere.  

“I’m really excited about it, it’s a bit of a boyhood dream to be in a wrestling ring and my kids are looking forward to seeing me get pushed around a bit, but the main thing is it’s an opportunity to reach more people. For those who are looking to explore their faith further there will be space to speak to us after.” 

Kingdom Wrestling was founded up in 2018 by Gareth ‘Angel’ Thompson and is the UK’s first faith-based pro-wrestling charity using sports entertainment to transforms lives. They regularly host wrestling church events at St Peter’s Church in Shipley, West Yorkshire, with the aim being to introduce more people to faith. 

Gareth said: “Kingdom Wrestling is a combination of sermons and suplexes, parables and piledrivers, using the storytelling and drawing power of professional wrestling to attract people into a space where they can hear the Gospel message. 

“My testimony is one of trials and overcoming adversity to becoming a champion in the ring and transformed outside of it. Jesus is lifted higher than anybody coming off the top rope at our events. Wrestling is the hook. Jesus is the transforming power.” 

Buy tickets here and find out more information on The Salvation Army’s homelessness work in Sheffield here.