Photographer Nick Ballon returns to the ring to explore The Virtue of Wrestling

Fantastic photographer and longtime friend of ours Nick Ballon has taken on wrestling before (as a theme rather than a crusade) most notably in his Viva Las Luchadores! project documenting the weird and wonderful world of Bolivian fighters. He’s returned to the ring in his latest project The Virtue of Wrestling, an intriguing series which takes us through the ropes to get up close and personal with the grapples and the throws and the lycra. By shooting against a black background, Nick has created an almost dream-like feel, like we’ve been thrown into a bout without really knowing why or how. Powerful, atmospheric stuff.