Stepping Into the Ring With the Ladies of Sukeban

Why watch greasy, roided-up men pummel each other on pay-per-view when you could have whimsical female wrestlers beat the shit out of each other in babydoll dresses and pastel extensions right before your very eyes? Sukeban, which is the Japanese word for “delinquent girl,” first became a major subculture in the early 70s as a direct response to the exclusion of women in the Yakuza. But in recent years, the word has been adopted to something far more mainstream. From the Cherry Bomb Girls to the Tokyo Toys, Sukeban is an all-female wrestling league that welcomes teams of wrestlers to get down and dirty in the ring on a global stage. But don’t let the frilly outfits and cutesy smiles fool you into a false sense of security, they’re still just as ruthless once the lights go down. On Tuesday, hundreds of New Yorkers gathered at the Hammerstein Ballroom to watch these various wrestling cohorts compete for the world championship. It was a ferocious fight to the finish filled with headlocks and bodyslams. Below, we captured these warrior-esses in all their glory.

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TUESDAY, 7:30 PM, MAY 19, 2026 HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM

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