Feminist warriors: why wrestling for women is taking hold
A famously sexist, ultra-masculine discipline is attracting participants nationwide
The thrill of being thrown around a dusty wrestling ring, flipped over, then sat on isn’t one I’ve ever longed for. But Mercedez Blaze and Rebel Kinney, part-time warriors and full-time powerhouses, are determined to show me why wrestling isn’t just a thing, but a feminist thing. Call it the effect of TV series Glow, the influence of the fitness mantra that “strong is the new skinny”, or the fact that mainstream companies such as World Wrestling Entertainment and All Elite Wrestling have been forced to catch up with a fast-growing female audience, but women’s wrestling is having a major moment in sports halls and gyms up and down the country.
Blaze puts me in a headlock. It doesn’t feel like a political act,
