At first bell, the Vandals’ Midnight Player and Otaku-chan sweep the Cherry Bomb Girls’ Stray Cat and Supersonic off their feet to begin the five-match fight card. Shortly after, a mess of elbows and knees fly towards Maya Mamushi as Sareee Bomb ultimately reigns over round two.

This summer, Sukeban, the Japanese women’s pro wrestling league, made its West Coast debut at the historic Trinity Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. After making its way from Japan to Art Basel in Miami in December of 2023, the one-night event congregated hundreds of Angelenos to observe what women’s pro wrestling has to offer.

Sukeban, meaning “delinquent girl,” is a reference to the 70s girl gangs in Japan during the rise of school gangs, where uniform-clad juveniles opposed the Bancho, the male-only gangs. While the original Sukeban carried razor blades and dressed in long skirts to counter ideas of objectivity, the pro wrestling troupe instead weaponizes their unique charms, playing into the theatrics of their extensive routines. And while their punches are planned and the body slams are foreseen, their passion is real.

In the third draw, Harajuku Stars’ Babyface and Saki Bimi are held down by the thighs of Dangerous Liaisons’ Konami and Queen of Hearts, before an eventual turn of karmic fate sees the Harajuku wrestlers victorious. The cheers from the crowd are earsplitting, as an audience loves when good prevails.

Konami shares, “I feel really powerful in the ring. America compared to Japan is really noisy and engaged, so I feel even more powerful—especially with fighting in a team, it makes me feel proud of it.” And it’s true. America is loud, and giving an American something to oppose or uphold makes us even louder. Konami continues, “In America, it purely is about enjoying the wrestling and being engaged, but in comparison with Japan a lot of people are just taking pictures and it’s quieter.”

Strategically placed chairs help Lady Antoinette beat Atomic Banshee, but not before the KISS-faced demon takes out the trash by literally dumping the French queen into a metal bucket. The grand finale sees dirty-playing Commander Nakajima defend her title against challenger, Crush Yuu, as the audience erupts in thunderous boos. It seems that in the microcosm of what is true and what is evil—body slammed into this satirical duality—we again choose good.

Is rooting for virtue driven by a craving for belonging, a chance to identify with what we collectively believe is right? Whatever it is, Konami continues, “I just enjoy it more here. Lots of American people enjoy anime, and through that they are learning Japanese culture. I want to do that, but for pro wrestling. I want people here to see how we do pro wrestling in Japan. It really is a chance for people to experience Japanese culture.”

As they all wrestle and feud for the proverbial gold, it’s hard to see what’s more powerful: having something to root for or seeing good prevail. Otaku-chan—who was scouted during her pro wrestling efforts—considers, “I just want the audience to have fun and be excited, and have it become a source of light.” 

Photographed by Lulu Syracuse

Costume Design by Olympia Le Tan

Written by Bree Castillo

Photo Assistant: Augie Syracuse