Inside an Underground Women’s Mud Wrestling Ring in Chicago

November 6, 2018 Off By Bridjet Mendyuk

Going to a Chicago Mud Queens match is a little like watching the Netflix show G.L.O.W., but with beer, guitars, a much bigger mess, and less sexual harassment. The league, which has been around since 2003, aims to reclaim the raw power of women's mud wrestling, without the over-sexualized image. What started as a goofy fight among friends evolved into a legit organization that hosts indoor matches from April through October at music venues and bars throughout the city. Since 2004, the team has donated profits from their events to charity.

The provocative, witty, and aggressively skilled women who sling mud (and occasionally slime, lube, or spaghetti) at each other have earned the Mud Queens a cult following in Chicago. The biggest match of the year takes place every Halloween at Reggie’s Rock Club in Chicago's South Loop. The mud is swapped out for fake blood (though the recipe for the slick stuff stays secret). It's a combination of punk rock, feminism, contact sports, and activism that embodies the Windy City's gritty, DIY ethos.

VICE checked out this year's Halloween event with photographer Danielle Scruggs to meet the Mud Queens and get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to throw a bloody good wrestling match.