Sukeban World: Before and After the Ring

Culture - 20 Jul 2026

By PAP Magazine Editorial

At a recent Sukeban World show in Los Angeles, makeup artist Ramona Jingru Wang presented a striking portrait series capturing female wrestlers before and after their matches.

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At a recent Sukeban World show in Los Angeles, makeup artist Ramona Jingru Wang presented a striking portrait series capturing female wrestlers before and after their matches. The project juxtaposes their glamorous in-ring personas with the raw, unfiltered faces revealed after the performance, visually articulating the unique universe where professional wrestling meets subculture that defines Sukeban World.

Sukeban World is a new entertainment league that blends Japanese women's wrestling with fashion, music, and a manga-inspired aesthetic. Named after the Japanese term 'sukeban,' meaning 'delinquent girl,' the league draws inspiration from female delinquent groups in Japan during the 1960s and '70s. Each female wrestler is presented as a distinct character with her own personality and style, forming teams that embody the rebellious spirit of the era.

In the released images, dramatic blue-toned hairstyles and exaggerated makeup emphasize the larger-than-life characters in the ring, while the post-match portraits capture the sweat, fatigue, and humanity behind the performance. This contrast reveals the human side hidden beneath the spectacle, demonstrating that Sukeban World is more than sports entertainment—it's a cultural phenomenon.

Photographed by Olympia Letan, the series weaves together the theatrical aesthetics of professional wrestling with the defiant spirit of subculture, effectively visualizing Sukeban World's new expression of femininity.

링 위와 링 아래, 스케반 월드의 두 얼굴 — sukeban world, Look 1

링 위와 링 아래, 스케반 월드의 두 얼굴 — sukeban world, Look 2

링 위와 링 아래, 스케반 월드의 두 얼굴 — sukeban world, Look 3

링 위와 링 아래, 스케반 월드의 두 얼굴 — sukeban world, Look 4

링 위와 링 아래, 스케반 월드의 두 얼굴 — sukeban world, Look 5

링 위와 링 아래, 스케반 월드의 두 얼굴 — sukeban world, Look 6

링 위와 링 아래, 스케반 월드의 두 얼굴 — sukeban world, Look 7

링 위와 링 아래, 스케반 월드의 두 얼굴 — sukeban world, Look 8

링 위와 링 아래, 스케반 월드의 두 얼굴 — sukeban world, Look 9

링 위와 링 아래, 스케반 월드의 두 얼굴 — sukeban world, Look 10

#sukeban world
#ramona jingru wang
#womens wrestling
#japanese subculture
#makeup art
#olympia letan
#los angeles
#performance art

FAQ

What is Sukeban World?

Sukeban World is a new entertainment league merging Japanese women's pro wrestling with fashion, music, and comic book aesthetics. Named after the Japanese word for 'bad girl,' it draws inspiration from 1960s–70s Japanese delinquent girl gang culture, featuring female wrestlers with distinct personalities and styles as characters and teams.

What was Ramona Zinglú Wang's Sukeban World project?

Makeup artist Ramona Zinglú Wang created a portrait series capturing female wrestlers before and after matches at a Sukeban World show in LA. Presenting glamorous ring personas alongside post-match candid faces, she visually conveys the unique world where pro wrestling meets subculture.

What culture inspired Sukeban World?

Sukeban World draws inspiration from 1960s–70s Japanese delinquent girl gang culture. True to its name meaning 'bad girl' in Japanese, it reinterprets the rebellious spirit and distinctive style of those female groups into contemporary entertainment combining pro wrestling, fashion, and music.

Sukeban World: Before and After the Ring

FAQ

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