Wrestlingowy Klub Sportowy Wołów

WKSW was a backyard group active between 2010 and 2014, from a town named Wołów, located about 50 km northwest of Wrocław. Starting out as WFW (Wołowska Federacja Wrestlingu, WołóW Wrestling Federaion), the group was formed by three friends fascinated by wrestling, staging fights on mattresses, initially without any training. As the group grew, drawing in other teenagers sharing their love for wrestling, they were able to pool their resources to book time in a sports hall to train and stage their shows. Later, after fulfilling some legal requirements, the group registered as a sports club, prompting the name change to Wrestlingowy Klub Sportowy Wołów (Wrestling Sports Club Wołów).

WKSW often took part in local festivals and charity events, even appearing at the 22nd Grand Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity in January 2014. The group was also actively supported by Andrzej Supron, which included lending them his ring, previously used by Total Blast Wrestling.

The group attracted more media attention than other backyards: newspaper publication Angora printed a short column in 2011, and according to their crowdfunding page (see below), regional broadcaster TVP Wrocław took interest, as well as the commercial Polsat (on their flagship news show Wydarzenia on 2014-03-22) and TVN networks.

The group folded at some point in 2014, and later deleted all their videos uploaded to YouTube.

In March 2017 WKSW announced a comeback, which included a crowdfunding campaign, aiming to purchase a professional wrestling ring and stage equipment, and fund professional wrestling gear for their talent. Somewhat confusingly, the campaign description has a photo of Supron's ring in their regular venue, a sports hall located at Panieńska street in Wołów, and mentions that the media visited them both "before and after the ring". The campaign offered rewards like a one-time GM position, wrestling merch, advertising opportunities. It was unsuccessful, not even raising 1% of the stated goal of 30,000 PLN.

References

WrestleFans forum post from 2011, announcing the organization's plans
Angora 14/2011, requires paid archival access
Onet.pl article
Crowdfunding campaign from 2017
Dailymotion account kreweta7 with several videos from the mattress era
Video: A spot for Bank Millenium made in the hopes of securing 100.000&nbspPLN for financing the group's activities
„Współcześni gladiatorzy”. Próba określenia istoty i kulturowego znaczenia profesjonalnego wrestlingu - a master's thesis by Joanna Biernacik mentioning WKSW (in Polish, has an English summary)

Gallery

Newspaper column from ANGORA, titled "Hulk Hogan's Successors from Wołów"
angora.pl, issue 14/2011
Photo from an uknown WKSW event.
Onet.pl
Photo from an uknown WKSW event.
Onet.pl
Photo from an uknown WKSW event.
Onet.pl
Photo from an uknown WKSW event.
Onet.pl
Photo from an uknown WKSW event.
Onet.pl
Photo from an uknown WKSW event.
Onet.pl
Photo from an uknown WKSW event.
Onet.pl
Photo from an uknown WKSW event.
Onet.pl
Photo from an uknown WKSW event.
Onet.pl
Photo from an uknown WKSW event.
Onet.pl
Photo from an uknown WKSW event.
Onet.pl
Photo from an uknown WKSW event.
Onet.pl
Unknown matchup from Xtreme Fight Night for the WKSW Championship.