Jump to content

Game Of Arms


slazbob

Recommended Posts

  • 1 month later...

This premieres tonight at 10pm. I can't wait! Wild west style armwrestling! Be sure to tune in!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't even do any arm wrasslin and I'm fired up about it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Over the first two episodes, it seems like just about everyone is a multiple-time national and/or world champion. Can someone explain this to me? Is it like powerlifting where there are many organizations with many weight classes (and I suppose left arm and right arm) and they all hold national and world championships? Is there one genreally accepted organization that most people view as holding the one true championship?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Over the first two episodes, it seems like just about everyone is a multiple-time national and/or world champion. Can someone explain this to me? Is it like powerlifting where there are many organizations with many weight classes (and I suppose left arm and right arm) and they all hold national and world championships? Is there one genreally accepted organization that most people view as holding the one true championship?

In the USA, there are like three "national championships" every year. This has been a hot topic for debate amongst AWers, because some guys get "lucky", meaning that they go to a "Nationals" where, in his weight class, none of the top dogs showed up... so a guy could win his weight class, be a nat. champ, but still not be regarded by most AWers as even top 5 (or even top 10!) in his weight class in that country, when the rankings lists are made.

Also I think they keep calling World Champs guys who may have won WAF titles many years ago, but are not current champs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A fourth "sit-down" national championship has been revived in recent years, meaning a puller over 40 years of age who competes in the open as well as masters divisions and pulls with both arms could conceivably win 16 national titles in a single year!

It's important to note that over the years, many different organizations offered "world" titles. They were easier to earn prior to 1990, when a "world" title pretty much meant a "North American" title, because the sport was in its infancy or non-existent in other parts of the world.

Plus, the numbers mentioned on Game of Arms tend to be slightly exaggerated, based on my research.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nowadays, the world titles earned at the World Armwrestling Championships held by the World Armwrestling Federation (WAF) are generally the world titles that most people consider authentic. This event attracts close to 1,000 competitors, from over 40 different countries. The event is held in a different country every year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, this makes sense. It was pretty much what I was thinking. Are any of these guys featured on the show actual "legends" like they are said to be? Where can I find the top ten list mentioned? That would be a good way to see if any of these guys are really elite or not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can tell you about all of them:

Among the New York Arms Control team members, Mike Selearis is the most successful puller. He's won a handful of National titles, as well as a WAF World title.

Among the Sacramento Arm Benders, Allen Fisher is the most successful puller. However none of his "world" titles are actually WAF world titles. Tom Nelson and Luke Kindt are currently among the top pullers in the country at their weight. As mentioned in the show, Kenny Hughes really was a young phenom, racking impressive wins while still in high school. In the past 10 years, he's surfaced every once in a while, and has done well.

Among the Kansas City Rolling Thunder, Cobra Rhodes is the most successful puller. While he wasn't a 16-time world champion, he has won many world titles. He's the only puller in the show who was voted as 1 of 8 legends in the history of the sport. He's still great, but he lost some of his ability following a car crash about a dozen years ago. In the early '90s, he was incredible: pound-for-pound, he was probably the best at that time. Don Underwood really is one of the best superheavyweights in the world. If not top 10 right now, I would say top 20.

Among the Baton Rouge Roughnecks, Craig Tullier is the most successful puller.

Among the Erie Wrecking Crew, Travis Bagent is the most successful puller. He was the #1 ranked left handed puller in the world through most of the 2000's. He's also been very near the top with his right -- even beating Alexey Voevoda to win the 2003 WAF World Championships (as seen in the documentary Pulling John). Dave Chaffee has only been in the sport for 6 years or so, but he is currently ranked 3rd in the world with his right. An extremely strong puller.

As for the pullers I haven't mentioned, they are a mixed bunch. Many have had success at the national level, while some are more state-level pullers.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the write up Eric, I can watch the with better context now

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i bet more people come to armwrestling/grip training because of this show... i always get pumped to work arms and forearms after watching. I love how they show all the redneck training implements they come up with

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I watched the first two episodes and enjoyed it. I've never arm wrestled competitively, but it brought back some fun memories going toe-to-toe with friends and family. I had no idea we had a local arm wrestling team here in Kansas City. SPOILER ALERT: I was amazed in the size difference in the second episode with the younger kid beating a Louisiana team member who outweighed him by 250 lbs. I knew there was some technique involved, but wow, crazy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it's worth mentioning that while Allen Fisher doesn't have any WAF titles, the "world championship" he won in many of those years was the "world championship" at that time so I don't think it's fair when people talk about him having fake world titles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very true. His titles certainly aren't "fake" titles. He attended "world championship" events, and earned all of these titles. The armwrestling world was much smaller in the '80s -- that's not Allen's fault. He beat the best of the time.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy policies.