How to Build a Wooden Wrestling Ring

Backyard wrestling is a popular sport. People who want to wrestle at home in a rink have three choices. Buying a wrestling ring can cost thousands of dollars. Renting a wrestling ring can cost several hundred dollars a day. Building your own wrestling ring is cheaper than either of the other two options, but not necessarily the safest. Professional rings are designed to reduce impact and are tested for efficiency. Home-built rings are not tested and safety ratings are unknown. Use caution when building and using a home-built ring.

Things You'll Need

  • Measuring tape 4 12-foot 2-by-4s 2 rolls of thick foam at least 12-foot by 12-foot 4 "L" brackets Black marker Heavy-duty scissors 4 heavy rocks Hole digger Cement 4 heavy-duty metal fence stake posts Strong adhesive 4 large heavy-duty tarps Heavy-duty staple gun with heavy-duty staples 1 12-foot by 12-foot sheet of plywood 12 long bungee cords that can each stretch to 12 feet.
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Instructions

    • 1

      Choose a flat surface on which to build your wrestling ring. Measure the area and decide how big you want your ring to be. These instructions are for a 12-foot by 12-foot wrestling ring. If you want to make the ring bigger, adjust the size of materials and directions accordingly.

    • 2

      Build the ring frame. Place four 12-foot 2-inch by 4-inch boards on the ground so that they connect at the ends to make a square. The 2-by-4s should be standing on their narrow 2-inch side.

    • 3

      Spread two heavy-duty tarps onto the ground so they are flat. One tarp should be directly on top of the other tarp. Use a measuring tape and black marker to measure and mark a square that is 12.5 feet on each side. Using heavy-duty scissors, cut the tarp to the marked dimensions.

    • 4

      Place a roll of two-inch thick foam flat on the ground. Use a measuring tape and a black marker to measure and mark a 12-foot by 12-foot area of thick foam. Use the scissors to cut the foam to the proper dimensions. This piece of foam will sit under the rink floor to reduce impact during wrestling.

    • 5

      Stack the cut thick foam on top of one of the cut heavy-duty tarps. Adjust the placement of the foam so it sits evenly in the middle of the tarp.

    • 6

      Position the other cut heavy-duty tarp on top of the cut thick foam. Adjust the placement of the tarp so that it is evenly centered on top of the foam. The two tarps should match up evenly.

    • 7

      Roll the edges of the tarp up so that they create a clean fold over the sides of the foam and staple the folds into place using a heavy-duty stapler. Staple every two inches to create a good seal. The tarp will help provide waterproof protection for the foam.

    • 8

      Place the cut thick foam inside the wood frame that you built earlier. If the foam is not flat inside the frame, place heavy rocks on top of each corner of the foam. Leave the rocks there until the foam is flat. You may have to leave the rocks on the foam overnight.

    • 9

      Dig a hole with the hole digger just outside each of the four corners of the ring frame. Place a heavy-duty metal fence stake in each hole. Line up the fence stake so it is flush with the wood 2-by-4s. Glue the fence stakes to the wood, using a strong adhesive to create a temporary bond. The fence stakes will be used to hold the rope around the wrestling ring. You do not want a space between the fence stakes and the 2-by-4s.

    • 10

      Pour concrete into the holes to permanently hold the fence stakes into place. Allow the concrete to dry for several hours to overnight. The concrete will dry faster in warm and dry weather. It will dry slower in cold or humid weather.

    • 11

      Cut the plywood that will become the wrestling ring floor. Use a measuring tape and a black marker to measure and mark a 12-foot square in the plywood. You may have to use more than one piece of plywood to create a 12-by-12 square. Place the plywood over the tarp-covered foam mat.

    • 12

      Make another 12-by-12 tarp-covered foam mat using the same technique described in Steps 3 through 7. This mat will sit on top of the ring floor to break impact during wrestling. Place the mat on top of the plywood floor.

    • 13

      Attach three bungee cords on each side of the ring to serve as wrestling ring ropes. The hooks of the bungee cords will hook onto the clips of the fence posts. Each side of the ring should have three bungee cords, one on top of the other, about one foot in distance from each other.