Crowning of the Queens

Tonight, all the practices pay off. All the personal sacrifices that have been made, all the innumerable bumps and bruises, the sprains, the broken bones, the bloody noses -- they're all paid for tonight at the Arch Rival Roller Girls Championships. The first bout is the consolation round, starring the Stunt Devils and the Rebel Skate Alliance. After that comes the main event, featuring the M-80s versus the Smashinistas. The Smashinistas are the reigning champions and would love to hold the title for a second year, but you better believe the M-80s are hungry to wrest the crown away from them. The M-80s won it all in 2012, so a return to glory would cap off their season rather nicely. But roller derby is a lot like the movie Highlander, in that there can be only one when the dust settles. Also, the music of Queen goes well with both, but Queen goes with everything -- particularly the coronation of a roller derby queen. The games begin at 8 p.m. at Chaifetz Arena (1 South Compton Avenue; 314-977-5000 or www.archrivalrollergirls.com), and tickets are $6 to $25.
Fri., March 7, 8 p.m., 2014