Wrestler Kairi Hojo jumps at her opponent Mieko satomura during their Stardom female professional wrestling show at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan, July 26, 2015. Professional women's wrestling in Japan means body slams, sweat, and garish costumes. But Japanese rules on hierarchy also come into play, with a culture of deference to veteran fighters. The brutal reality of the ring is masked by a strong fantasy element that feeds its popularity with fans, most of them men. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)

To mark the occasion of International Women' s Day on March 8, 2018 AFP presents a series of photos depicting women performing roles or working in professions more traditionally held by men. Here: Professional wrestler Cristal (Crystal) poses for a photograph in her trainig place on February 09, 2018 in Mexico city, Mexico. (Photo by Omar Torres/AFP Photo)

Wrestlers compete in a 'Sindhi Malakhra' wrestling match, an ancient form of wrestling that originated in Pakistan's Sindh region, during a local tournament in Karachi on October 21, 2025. (Photo by Asif Hassan/AFP Photo)

Iraqi women practice at the sports club in Diwaniya, Iraq on November 10, 2018. On the blue mats of the al-Rafideen Club in the conservative city of Diwaniya, some 180 km (110 miles) south of Baghdad, some 30 female wrestlers, some still wearing headscarves, train three times a week. When a big competition comes up, they train every day. (Photo by Alaa Al-Marjani/Reuters)

Wrestler Kairi Hojo jumps at her opponent Mieko satomura during their Stardom female professional wrestling show at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan, July 26, 2015. Professional women's wrestling in Japan means body slams, sweat, and garish costumes. But Japanese rules on hierarchy also come into play, with a culture of deference to veteran fighters. The brutal reality of the ring is masked by a strong fantasy element that feeds its popularity with fans, most of them men. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)

An Indian student warms up during the 44th Samartha Summer Sports Coaching Camp organized by Shree Samarth Vyayam Mandir in Mumbai, India, 25 April 2018. Mallakhamba arose in the western state of Maharashtra centuries ago. It was originally practiced by wrestlers and soldiers as a strength training exercise. (Photo by Divyakant Solanki/EPA/EFE)

Minoru Suzuki and Sanshiro Takagi, wrestlers from Japanese professional wrestling promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling, fight inside Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Nagoya during a wrestling show in Japan on September 18, 2023, in this handout photo released by JR Tokai (The Central Japan Railway Company). (Photo by JR Tokai/Handout via Reuters)

Mongolia's Olympic wrestler Battsetseg Soronzonbold (front) fights with her training partner during a daily training session at the Mongolia Women’s National Wrestling Team training centre in Bayanzurkh district of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, July 1, 2016. Battsetseg Soronzonbold became a national hero in her native Mongolia after winning wrestling bronze at the London Olympics and is determined to turn the medal into gold in Rio next month. (Photo by Jason Lee/Reuters)