BASH BACK wrestling IS A SMASH!
BASH BACK Wrestling offers a campy catharsis for Queers in LA.
📷 Nat Nguyen
Branching out from LA-based Lucha Vavoom to the debutante devouring Drag Queens, Dykes & Dolls of CHOKE HOLE in New Orleans, and T-Boy Wrestling making legends out of your Trans and Non-Binary neighbors right here in our hometown of LA, no doubt you’ve seen Queer and Trans wrestling on the rise.
📷: Cassandro of Lucha VaVoom, CHOKE HOLE, T-Boy Wrestling, Future Ladies of Wrestling
Maybe you’ve jumped off a turnbuckle or two, or grew up watching The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling and the wild world of WWE. If you’ve found your way here, chances are you love wrestling as much as we do, or just sweaty bodies rumbling in a ring, or you may just be a little gay. We’re into it either way!
ICYMI, here is a little recap of BASH BACK wrestling match featuring Candy Pain, American Oni, and EVERYBODY Gym’s Wrestling 101 crew during Mother’s Day weekend at SIBLING Studios in LA.
After our Wrestling 101 crew proved themselves to be powerhouses on the mat at our first LIVE MONSTER BASH match in October, an insatiable spark was ignited to return to the ring. We also felt a duty to deliver something even beefier and spicier for every single fan who screamed REMATCH! And even more so for every wrestler who committed to practicing their chokes, slaps, slams, and crafting their characters as we collectively braced for the fast & furious revamp of fascism under Tr*mp 2.0.
Speaking of BEEF, there was also a buffet of unfinished business from our MONSTER BASH clash: Wrestling’s Sapphic Sweetheart Candy Pain along with the Pride Fighter American Oni saved the day, but after a poor return on her investment, our corporate villainess THE SHE-E-O was thirsty for revenge and not about to close her portfolio. In this economy? Not with these stocks death dropping!
GRUDGE MATCH, ANYONE?
Tough Titties vs. SHE-E-O, the Grudge Match of the Century! 📷 Nat Nguyen.
Beefier and Spicier.📷 Casey Dennison.
We love you Candy!
This time our crew doubled down on their commitment to spark emotion, to create radically relevant characters, to flip conservatism on its core, and serve it all up with glitter, grace, and (powdered) FACE! Whether you were booing Steve The CIS-tem or Taylor the Toxic Trad Wife, or feeling uplifted by The Gay Agenda Girlies, Uhaul Dyke Daddy or the SHE-E-O MEGA Mash finale, it seemed everyone who occupied the space at SIBLING Studios that evening felt a collective cathartic release. Bashing back against ultra conservative characters that played a little too close to our hearts and homes, especially under Tr*mp 2.0, felt like a palpable way to celebrate the RADICAL RESISTANCE that is our existence.
Uhaul Dyke Daddy saved by the Gay Agenda,📷 Caprice Conley. Trad Wife smash,📷 Nat Nguyen. Steve The CIS-tem dome crunch,📷 Casey Dennison.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. 📷 Nat Nguyen
On the Mother of all weekends, Mommys, Daddys, Zaddies and Baddies were all welcomed with a blousy blessing by The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, followed by a 6 match smackdown to raise funds for the Campaign for Southern Equality. Bird of Paradigm sang our opening anthem and a shirtless halftime hoedown featuring BOOTLEG LINE DANCE taught the whole crowd to Texas two-step in a New York minute. We loved seeing a young one a holding up a ‘BOO Steve The CIS-tem’ sign, folks enjoying sammies from Slutty Sammys, and a sweet dish from Your Wish is My Knish.
DJ Marimacha of Personal Best Party was on deck w/ sound tech Taylor, Pump the Jam instructor MK emceed on the M-I-C, ridiculously rad Ring Babe Scarlett Letters kicked off each match, and some of your EVERYBODY crew faves were on deck. As for REF, yours truly, Oldie Hawn had to sit this one out, but I knew we were in good hands when I saw ranger.wannabe in the ring wielding the whistle. (FUN FACT: Ranger also wrestled in our first match and T-Boy Wrestling!) And if you wanted to wet your whistle, you could grab an ice cold Summer Lemon Lager from our generous sponsor Goldie’s Beer!
📷 BTS - Caprice Conley Nat Nguyen, Casey Dennison, & Queen Skittles Photography.
Emcee MK Lordz, Bootleg Line Dance.📷 Casey Dennison.
WRESTLING 101
For some of us wrestling has always been all the rage, but finding a safe and inclusive space to practice is not that easy. Professional wrestlers Candy Pain and American Oni met through the EVERYBODY community and have been co-teaching bi-monthly wrestling classes at EVERYBODY for the past year. (Also where I also learned some of my moves as REF!) Offering a more supportive space to practice really brought in folks who did not feel comfortable in traditional wrestling spaces, or who just wanted to try something new. Myself included.
This Dream Team devoutly delivers a class where all bodies, levels, and genders are welcome and no character is too crazy. (Not even Stone Cold Stacey!) They teach what they preach: Community minded, consent-informed traditional wrestling basics and cultivating characters that subvert traditional cis-het dominated wrestling culture.
Professional Wrestler American Oni.📷 Casey Dennison.
The Pride Fighter American Oni vs. Willie Board.📷 Caprice Conley.
“As someone who has been a part of wrestling for over 20 years, I’ve always felt what was missing was the radical inclusion and loving creative energy that our community and the EVERYBODY team brings. Not only is our group of wrestlers entertaining and hard working, but they also understand the importance of representation and supporting one another and our community. This creates not only a great show, but one of the best locker room experiences I’ve ever seen. I’m really proud to be part of such a great group of people. ”
WHY BASH BACK?
Continuing in the direction of our Halloween themed MONSTER BASH last October, and in response to the Trumped up anti-Trans agenda, BASH BACK felt like the right fit. The name is also inspired by the late Aught’s BASH BACK movement formed in Chicago in 2007 ‘to facilitate a convergence of radical trans and gay activists from around the country against fascism’.
Flyers by Oldie Hawn, inspired by the late Aughts BASH BACK Movement.
BASH BACK GIVES BACK.
Your ticket purchases helped EVERYBODY raise $1500 for the Campaign for Southern Equality! At this unprecedented time of anti-LGBTQ+ attacks, the Campaign for Southern Equality is Meeting the Moment in the LGBTQ South when they need it most. The CSE’s Trans Youth Emergency Project also enables families of trans youth across the country access to gender-affirming care despite bans.
If you would like to support the imperative work of The Campaign for Southern Eqaulity, pls visit here.
“We are so grateful to our community for showing up to support the campaign for Southern Equality, where many Southern residents of the LGBTQ+ community lack basic legal protections, face political attacks, and experience health and income inequities.
We are thrilled to be able to donate $1500 to their campaign to fight injustice and ensure protections and resources remain in tact for our Southern community. Los Angeles stands proudly by and with you at this difficult time, and we will be with you throughout this ongoing fight!”
A huge THANK YOU to all the wrestlers, assistants, photogs, vendors, crew and YOU for making BASH BACK a successful event and supporting the Campaign for Southern Equality. Thank you to EVERYBODY Co-Founder Sam for organizing and offering an inclusive space to MOVE, BUILD, RISE and WRESTLE. And lastly, thank you to Candy Pain and American Oni for bringing the joy and the rage to the stage and showcasing the infinite talents of the Wrestling 101 crew.
“I’m so grateful for our community. Our wrestling show was so great because of our wrestlers, performers, tech, staff AND the crowd all coming together❣️”
Busty Buffoon vs. Stone Cold Stacey.📷 Casey Dennison.
C.U.Next.Time!
- Oldie Hawn aka REF
Follow @bashbackwrestling and @everybodylosangeles for more wrestling updates.
Wrestling 101 is taught by Candy Pain and American Oni and meets bi-monthly every 2nd and 4th Saturday and Sunday from 1-2:30pm at EVERYBODY Gym.
Bootleg Line Dance meets every 2nd and 4th Friday at 7p at SIBLING Los Angeles.