Top Female Boxer Turns to Politics in Argentina

Marcela Acuña isn’t accustomed to losing. The 5-foot-4 Argentine boxer has won a record 32 matches, 16 by knockout, to just five losses, earning her a huge following and the nickname la Tigresa, the Tigress. Now, she’s jumped into a different kind of ring: the political one. She’s running for Congress on the Peronist ticket tomorrow, but her campaign may not be what it seems, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Acuña is one of several gimmicky candidates who may not even intend to serve. In Argentine midterms, voters pick parties rather than candidates, so many parties load their slate with so-called “testimonial” candidates who cede their place to lesser-known representatives. Other out-there candidates running this year include a comedian, a roller-skating champion, and a stage actress known for playing Evita. (More Argentina stories.)