Last Friday, thousands gathered inside LA’s historic Trinity Auditorium for the west coast debut of Sukeban. The Japanese women’s pro-wrestling league has been touring the country with recent fights in New York and Miami, and at the abandoned Los Angeles hotel this past weekend, it was another star-studded event for the books.
The five-match card brought together celebrities and fans from all over, including Saweetie, Diplo, Barbie Ferreira, Steven Yeun, Norman Reedus, Rowan Blanchard, Dev Hynes and Caroline Polachek. It was an exciting spectacle that even had Saweetie, in a surprise moment, join the Harajuku stars as they entered the ring to her new single, “NANi.”
Even though many familiar faces were in attendance, all eyes were on Sukeban and the visionary world that they’ve created. In the main event, Sukeban World Champion Commander Nakajima defended her title against opponent Crush Yuu, with each match featuring unique looks and storytelling. The event came with new limited edition merch, sounds by Tokyo-based DJ ecec, a performance by yo-yo master Ayumu Harada,and a Japanese-style night market with local LA restaurants serving food.
It’s clear that Sukeban has built a universe all their own filled with adrenaline, fashion, music and discovery. Given their success so far, the female collective’s momentum is sure to keep going and going until they reach worldwide stardom.
Photography: Morganne Boulden
