Boston Women's Wrestling

For my first assignment in Advanced Photojournalism, I shot a comedic women's wrestling performance at Harper's Ferry, a bar in Allston, MA. The Boston League of Women's Wrestlers (BLOWW) took on another league known as La Gata Negra. Both groups consist of various characters who call themselves "luchadoras," based on the Mexican wrestling style.

September 14, 2007 – Swiss Fist, a La Gata Negra wrestler, shows off Swiss Miss packets of hot chocolate before her match at Harper’s Ferry in Allston on Thursday night. A packet was later used against her by Boston League of Women Wrestlers opponent, The Wrathalie (not pictured), who pinned her down and poured it in her face to win. Swiss Fist is one of many comedic performers in the La Gata Negra wrestling league.

September 14, 2007 - La Gata Negra wrestler Swiss Fist holds back Boston League of Women Wrestlers opponent, The Wrathalie, as her sidekick, Saint Brawley Girl, fails an attempt to spray beer in the “luchadora’s” face in a match at Harper’s Ferry in Allston on Thursday night. The comedic staged bout ended with the Wrathalie winning by emptying a packet of Swiss Miss into the face of Swiss Fist, who lost by means of her own weapon.

September 14, 2007 – Swiss Fist, a La Gata Negra “luchadora”, traps her opponent, The Wrathalie, of rival Boston League of Women’s Wrestlers, in a submission technique known as an arm-bar at Harper’s Ferry in Allston on Thursday night. Despite this maneuver and earlier help from her tag-team partner, Saint Brawley Girl (not pictured), Swiss Fist lost the match by means of her own secret weapon, a packet of Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix, which was poured on her face by The Wrathalie.

September 14, 2007 – Fueled by the music of Panty Raid, the official band of Boston League of Women Wrestlers (BLOWW), The Wrathalie, a BLOWW wrestler, sits on the face of her opponent, Swiss Fist, who is wrestling for rival league, La Gata Negra, at Harper’s Ferry in Allston, MA. The Wrathalie won the match by pouring Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix in the face of Swiss Fist. The leagues, each with their own characters and matches, perform such comedic performances in bars around Boston.

September 14, 2007 - After stealing a packet of Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix from Swiss Fist, a La Gata Negra wrestler, The Wrathali, part of rival Boston League of Women Wrestlers (BLOWW), pours the contents onto Swiss Fist’s face and throws it into the crowd during a wrestling match at Harper’s Ferry in Allston on Thursday night. As Panty Raid, BLOWW’s band, wails in the background, the Wrathalie wins the match.