Bolivian Female Wrestlers Brawl In Twirling Skirts

Wrestling may be “fake” — choreographed, set up, rehearsed, meant as entertainment — but when you watch these Bolivian chotlitas jumping off of the ropes and flying through the air, it’s obvious there’s risk — and talent — involved. Mike Powell, who was in the audience as these women fought, says that the best fighter was La Loca:

This woman was crazy. As soon as the fight started, it got out of control. La Loca threw Jenifer over the barriers, into the foreigners section. Then she hopped over herself, grabbing coke bottles and spraying them over the crowd, howling like a beast. She kept at it, throwing chairs into the crowd and smashing Jenifer’s face into the bleachers just a meter away from us. Jenifer was a game fighter and brought the match back into the ring, but La Loca was just too loca. Soon enough, foreign objects had entered the melee, and the (fake) blood began to fly. With a little help from the evil ref, La Loca eventually pinned her opponent and exited the arena to the boos, whistles and shocked applause of the crowd.

Women often engage in physical combat, from wrestling to boxing and MMA, but usually, they wear sports attire — stretchy, body-conscious garments or shorts. The cholitas wrestle in traditional voluminous skirts, called “pollera,” the style of which vary from state to state in the country. Since a skirt is associated with being feminine and ladylike, it’s a striking contrast to see the women beating each other bloody — which many would consider not ladylike — as their brightly colored and swishy garments twirl. Also, it looks really cool when they flip, exposing their petticoats. (Be sure and check out this clip from a documentary on these women.)

More images here.

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