Wrestling has always had a queer element to it. From the flamboyant costumes and performances that wrestlers put on to the campy storylines that make up a match, there’s an element to wrestling that draws in and excites a queer audience. When it comes to what inspires Choke Hole (@choke.hole), “the universe’s most popular and dangerous form of entertainment,” aka an intergalactic wrestling extravaganza, queer representation in wrestling is at the forefront.
“Wrestling is definitely an art form, and Choke Hole takes it even further in an artistic direction, with elaborate costumes, music, and humor that critique the ridiculousness of modern life,” Choke Hole producers Jassy (@jassy.biz), HugoGyrl (@hugogyrl), and Visqueen (@itsvisqueen) share. “We draw inspiration from the queer-coded characters of WWE such as China and Ric Flair, as well as the openly gay Cassandro the Exótico, and gender-fluid AEW star Sonny Kiss. Our work has many non-wrestling influences, like the band GWAR, Pee-wee's Playhouse, and Mortal Kombat.”
Choke Hole is an event set in the near distant future and is described as a Battle Royale with no rules whatsoever, where contestants fight to the death for fame, glory, and a lifetime supply of SQUELSH - a mysterious beverage sweeping the galaxy, and Choke Hole’s top sponsor. Whatever SQUELSH is, we definitely want to try it if it’s helping these queens serve intergalactic realness.
There’s a lot to look forward to when seeing Choke Hole. The event itself combines lip sync performances, wrestling matches, acting, character building, video elements, and immersive projection mapping to create a one of a kind nightlife experience. The producers tease what to expect when checking it out.
“Our L.A show is sort of the opposite of drag queen story hour. There will be campy violence, massive butt plugs as weapons, and a seven layer wig reveal,” they start. “The show has an immersive video element which tells the story of our spaceship flying around the galaxy and picking fighters to duel for the honor of a lifetime supply of potent energy drinks.
“Our show has never been allowed in California until recently – apparently we caused cancer!” the producers joke. “But seriously it’s a fun and unique experience, if you like wrestling, or if you like drag, there’s something for you.”
Hosted by intergalactic television mogul, Gorlëënyah, and her sex-robot minion, Visqueen, Choke Hole has performed around the world the past five years, including festivals and theater spaces, but it started in the “sweaty underground warehouse party scene of New Orleans,” the producers share. That type of energy can be sensed throughout Choke Hole and the queerness can too. When asked about the queerness of Choke Hole, the producers share a snippet of the show that defines just how queer it is.
“Wrestling is so gay, but we had to take it further. Watching two queens hit each other with giant Ozempic-flavored vapes while a Chinese hyper pop cover of Lana del Rey is blasting – that’s beyond queer,” the producers joke.
There’s a lot to look forward to when seeing Choke Hole, so if you’re in Los Angeles when this Battle Royale arrives, don’t miss out on an experience out of this world.
Choke Hole: Portal arrives Friday, July 21st at The Globe Theatre in Los Angeles. Doors open at 9:00PM PST, show begins at 10:00PM PST. Get your tickets on Eventbrite.
Images courtesy of @brightlightda.
