They are the Fighting Cholitas from Bolivia. To a casual visitor, the fights may appear to be just another scripted gimmick, but the roots of these fascinating combats between women wrestlers run deep. Discriminated for centuries, the Cholita women are avenging themselves in a class-based, male-dominant society to reclaim the respect that they deserve.

Near La Paz, Bolivia, loudspeakers blast Andean dance music at an ear-piercing volume. Smiling Cholitas in colourful skirts make a dramatic entrance. They dance and circle in front of the spectators. After a few moments, the music stops, and the air around the hexagonal ring becomes tense. Their smiling faces now in anger and disgust; eyebrows squeezed and fists clenched. Jaws crunching popcorn in the front row suddenly stop moving. All the eyeballs are on the women inside the ring. The fight starts!

In Cholita wrestling, one wrestler plays the role of a "bad guy" and the other, "good guy". The bad guy is often helped by the referee who wilfully ignores unfair moves and tactics and even beats the good guy. As is the case with most stories, in the end, the good always wins over the bad.

Their unusual fighting attire captures the attention and their regular physiques make the spectators marvel at their strength. But the wrestling Cholitas are not about appearance. Their fight is outside the ring. As women from a socially disadvantaged group, they fight to demonstrate strength, to elevate their social status as equivalent to men, and to literally and symbolically stand against the machismo society.

They continue to fight to show that when justice is not served, it has to be fought for!