María Cabas wins Leonese wrestling Summer League

María Cabas, a wrestler from Rivas Vaciamadrid, has become the first outsider to win the Leonese wrestling Summer League. Known by the nickname ‘nómada’ (nomad), Cabas secured the championship in the highest weight category.

Leonese wrestling, also known as aluche, is a centenarian regional discipline in Spain. Historically governed by oral traditions, the sport established its first formal regulations in 1933 and was declared an Intangible Asset of Cultural Interest in 2017. The competition involves traveling to various towns throughout the province, often coinciding with local festivals, to perform in circular arenas known as ‘corridos’.

Cabas noted that the sport offers unique incentives, including economic prizes and local products from the towns visited, contrasting it with her previous experience in judo.