Sukeban makes a nod to the 1970s girl gangs of the same name, formed in response to the male gangs’ refusal to accept females into their juvenancy. At their peak, police sketches of these juveniles could be mistaken for fashion illustrations, depicting their brightly colored hair, thinned brows, cropped school uniforms, and lengthened skirts tagged with feminist symbols/anarchist kanji slogans which could conceal cigarettes and weapons. Sukeban blends this culture-defining fashion with the flashy costuming of wrestling. The theatrical components of both fashion shows and wrestling matches are heightened when combined, making for the most captivating drama. Filled with expressive faces, kawaii accessories, couture wardrobes, clever stage names, and explosive brawls, Sukeban is a performance that spearheads a new era of entertainment.
The event introduced female wrestling to the Hammerstein Ballroom, which has notoriously housed matches since the 2000s. The ballroom was transformed into a New York City-themed battle scene from the likes of Street Fighter, with the iconic orange and white steam funnels and traffic cones of the city decorating the floor. The hand painted angels of the ballroom — which was drenched in hot pink lighting — ceiling watched down on the red carpet that led up to the ring. The first stable to strut down the runway were the Cherrybomb Girls in custom, hand-embroidered Nike robes. Tokyo Toys came out next, with Krackin’ Kouki dressed in her staple couture nutcracker getup consisting of a Miss Claire Sullivan tutu and SoftSkinLatex jacket, winding up a gigantic toy box that Smash in the Box popped out of. The girls put their accessories to the side and got down to the nitty-gritty almost immediately; they tumbled, flipped, hit, and kicked in a seamlessly orchestrated tango. It was a choreography similar to that of the ballet — a testament to the extremes of the bodily movement, encapsulating all gruesome and grace.
As the next round of fighters from Cherrybomb Girls, Tokyo Toys, and The Vandals roughhoused in the ring, professional boxer Claressa Shields made a special appearance and KO’d Supersonic, showing the Harajuku girls how stateside women get down. Next, the spotlight pivoted to the crowd, where on opposing balconies The Harajuku Stars faced off Dangerous Liaisons. They made their way down to the ring but the fight leaked over to the red carpet. The girls got nastier, pulling hair and stuffing each other into construction barrels. After the stage was cleared of the glitter shed like blood, the crowd was treated to an intermission of niche Japanese youth subculture from the grungy geisha rapper Molly Santana and the Uru-Hara yo-yo boys. For the final battle, previous Sukeban World Champion, Ichiko Sayaka, defended her title in a close duel against the Queen of Hearts. Just as she hugged the belt to her chest, every stable stampeded into the ring. It was a cartoonish flurry of neon, latex, sparkle, ruffles, bows, braids and pigtails — a once-in-a-lifetime view to witness on par with a wonder like the northern lights. The stadium went black and the satisfied crowd dispersed, but rumor has it The Vandals, Cherrybomb Girls, Tokyo Toys, The Harajuku Stars, Dangerous Liaisons, and Stray Cat are still rumbling like tumbleweeds over the Drgaon-emblemed belt.
