Sukeban Packs a Poetic Punch
The all-female, fashion-forward Japanese professional wrestling league was founded by designer Olympia Le-Tan. Their competitions are equal parts fashion show, anime, and camp.
By Ali Royals
Photos by Taryn Segal
Published
I will be writing
this entire intro in
multiple haikus.
I’m at Sukeban:
a wrestling league made up
of “delinquent girls.”
It’s a glam vision
from Olympia Le-Tan—
a league of her own.
The match of the night:
Ichigo Sayaka vs.
rival Queen of Hearts.
Hammerstein Ballroom
is lit up pink—like Princess
Peach throwing a rave.
Concession stand is
offering hot dogs, pretzels
and edamame.
I can see Taryn,
our photographer, on her
knees at the ring’s edge.
I got a Whiskey
Ginger. It’s a double and
I think I’m drunk now.
Luchador masks and
half-assed mullets dot the crowd.
Chunky sneakers, too.
Guy with a tattoo
inked on his shoulder: I am
a mistake, a ghost.
But this is not a
mistake—it’s a Sukeban
collab with Nike.
The DJ’s bass booms,
gladiatorial in
the pink arena.
World championship
fight starts now. Queue lights down, bass
up, gloves off, game on.
No eating, drinking.
Yes biting, fighting, kicking,
clotheslining, shining.
Outstretched not unlike
a human slingshot, wound up
to take them all down.
In the valley of
the mohawk, Midnight Player
poses for iPhones.
Red star, red lip, red
vision behind the eyes of
The Tokyo Toys.
High glam, high stakes—hi,
Stray Cat, your latex face, your
nine lives not enough.
Knees knocking into
necks, fists colliding with a
pretty painted face.
Knees knocking into
necks, fists colliding with a
pretty painted face.
