Japanese female wrestling sensation Sukeban announced last week that its returning to Miami to host a spectacular World Championship Fight during the height of Art Basel.
The match will take place at the Miami Beach Bandshell at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
The Miami event will continue the league's streak of successful, sold-out fights across the globe, including previous stops in New York, London, Berlin, and a sold-out show in Miami last year.
It is one of many leagues dedicated to Japanese women’s wrestling, "where athletes often perform theatrical, hard-hitting punches and clever defenses while telling a story with their moves and costumes," the New York Times reported in a feature story in 2023 about the league's first match in the U.S. — in Miami.
The newspaper reported that sukeban refers to a “delinquent girl” or “leader of a girl gang” and that the league's name "is a nod to the female gangs of the 1960s and 1970s that helped to bring feminism to the fore in Japan."
Blending the intensity of professional wrestling with high-fashion spectacle, Sukeban has earned a reputation for redefining the live sports experience.
Event promoters said it transforms "the arena into a stage for glamour and spectacle," blending performance art, style, and fandom.
The main event in Miami will feature a high-stakes championship defense. Atomic Banshee, representing the formidable Vandals faction, will put her belt on the line against the challenger, Ichigo Sayaka, the frontwoman of the Harajuku Stars.
Atomic Banshee, the newly crowned Sukeban World Champion, is coming off a victory in a recent "gang warfare underground match in Shinjuku, Tokyo," where she defeated a field of rivals including Venomous Veny, Delirious Dolly, Babyface, and former champion Sareee Bomb.
A spectacle of art and collaboration
True to its style, the event featured collaborations with major names in the worlds of art, fashion, and design.
In addition to the five-match card and live performances, Sukeban will bring the flavor of Japan to South Florida.
The promoters announced it will "team up with local North Beach vendors to transform the Miami Beach Bandshell into a vibrant Japanese street fair."
Additional wrestlers scheduled to appear from the league’s diverse factions — including the Cherry Bomb Girls, Dangerous Liaisons, and Tokyo Toys — are Maya Mamushi, Crush Yuu, Midnight Player, Commander Nakajima, “Smack in the Box” Misa Matsui, and Stray Cat. The full fight card is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Sukeban World Championship Fight
WHEN: 8 p.m. Wednesday, December 3
WHERE: Miami Beach Bandshell, 7275 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach FL. 33141
Tickets for the World Championship Fight are on sale at sukeban.com/miami.
