Ugandan super featherweight boxer Connrad Sseruyange, popularly known as KingKong, has raised a heartfelt plea for unity and urgent reform within the sport, following a difficult year inside and outside the ring.

Currently ranked 9th out of 17 super featherweights in Uganda and 1,012 out of 2,031 worldwide, Sseruyange’s last outing ended in a loss to Munarbek Seitbek Uulu at Bishkek Arena, Kyrgyzstan. But beyond personal setbacks, the 2025 season has left him and many fellow boxers in despair.

In a sorrowful social media post, KingKong reflected on his career journey:

• In 2023, he fought six bouts.
• In 2024, his debut year, he managed five bouts.
• In 2025, however, he has only fought once — and lost.

“I tried my best,” he wrote, “but look at the difference now. This year, I have managed only one bout. Many boxers have given up training because they lost hope. Some have even shifted weight classes just to find opportunities.”

Sseruyange went further, highlighting the harsh realities boxers face away from the ring:

“We can’t pay rent, school fees, or support our families. If nothing is done, boxing will die slowly in Uganda.”

He urged the Uganda Professional Boxing Commission (UPBC) and the Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) to put aside differences and work together in the interest of fighters who depend on the sport for survival.

“Boxers need more than belts — we need hope, unity, and a system that allows us to dream,” KingKong pleaded.

His message is more than a personal cry — it is a call for harmony, a reminder that without collective effort, Uganda risks losing not just talented athletes but the very heartbeat of its boxing fraternity.

A Plea for Unity

He has therefore called on both UPBC and UBF to put aside differences and act in the interest of the fighters.

“Boxers need more than belts — we need hope, unity, and a system that allows us to dream,” KingKong pleaded.

Opinion: A Cry That Must Be Heard

KingKong’s cry is more than personal grief — it is a reflection of the broken state of professional boxing in Uganda. Without immediate dialogue and harmony between the sport’s governing bodies, the nation risks losing not only its brightest talents but also the cultural and national pride that boxing has historically brought.

If his call is ignored, many fighters will fade into silence, their dreams cut short not by defeat in the ring, but by neglect outside it. Uganda’s boxing future depends on whether stakeholders choose conflict — or choose harmony.