Las Vegas Supermatches

[darthsith19]

Denis Cyplenkov vs. John Brzenk and Michael Todd vs. Ion Oncsescu is going down June 19th in Las Vegas. This is the first PAL to be held in the USA. For more info (there isn't much) go here: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=e...cial%26hs%3DJZC

Also if anybody has more info about this, I am wondering if there is going to be a tournament to go along with the matches, if so I am seriously condidering going to this. I'm not gonna go to Vegas from Minneapolis just to see these matches, though... maybe if it were closer. :\

I'm assuming Michael and Ion are going right handed - I wish Lupkes were going against Ron bath or Richard Lupkes instead of John Brzenk. I think those would be closer matches and if he beats them, then he should go after John. For one thing I think Denis was wrongly ranked above Ron (as he never beat him) and I know Ron wants to go against him. Rich vs. Denis would just be awesome because they are both so strong and big, probably the most muscular armwrestlers on the planet, maybe ever, and I think it would be very close. At least we'll get to see how much better Denis has gotten.

Assuming the matches are out of 6. John vs. Denis, I say John 5-1. Denis may win one if John goes into a hook with him, or is messing arounda nd gets in a bad position. Who knows though maybe Denis has omproved and can take him now. I'm more excited to see Michael vs. Ion, but I gotta go with the Monster... USA all the way. Ion is ranked 8th in the world, Michael 10th, but Michael is just too good at the supermatch format and has such good endurance. Ion will take the first 2. The 3rd one will be a war and Mike takes the rest I'll say. In the end I'll say Michael wins 4-2 or it'll be a tie 3-3... maybe the latter... who knows. I'm almost more excited to see this match than John vs. Denis...

[StalwartSentinel]

We both picked John to win but I was 4-2.

I think Ion will win over Michael. I met Ion at Worlds and cannot believe how ridiculously fast and strong he is. As usual, if Michael can somehow stop him from the flash pin, Michael is the master of comebacks. His biceps strength and endurance is amazing.

Richard Lupkes was my second choice after Devon. Isn't Richard hurt right now?

[darthsith19]

No Richard's back. He got in a car accident early in March and he has a partial pec tear from it. But he's good now and is strong as hell. He's going to have a supermatch with Nick Zinna next Thursday. This is a video of Rich from a local tournament in MN last Saturday that me and him were at:

He also smashes Sonny Larson in this video:

He's got the biggest forearms I've ever seen (he's also the biggest guy I've ever meet), here's a pic of me and him from the tournament (yes I was flexing my bicep btw it's 14.75" so you have sometime to compare Rich's forearm to, and he is not flexing):

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/8049/n10800...3910054768t.jpg

Edited April 16, 2009 by Josh H

[Florian Kellersmann]

Thanks for the interesting info, Josh! Great to see Richard at the table again. He's my dream match for Denis. I also would like to see Devon pulling them both. I guess Igor prefers to set vendettas with John because of his fame in the sport though.

[lifesnotfair]

My goodness, those are some SICK forearms!!!

[darthsith19]

Here's another pic of Rich's forearm:

http://photos-h.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-...519_7271145.jpg

That's him and his son, his son armwrestlers too he practices with his dad and just did his first competition (the one where I met Rich and got videos and pics). His son weighs 185 lbs. and it's hard to imagine but he does have bigger than avg. forearms (small for an armwrestler though).

I'm surprised so many people want to see Devon vs. Denis, I'd think that'd be a pretty easy win for Devon right now. I'd much rather see him go against Lupkes, Bath, Bagent, and Todd right handed.

Edited April 16, 2009 by Josh H

[lifesnotfair]

Josh, I knew your life had some purpose... and it is to show us some awesome Richard Lupkes photos Is that you he's holding in the second pic??

[darthsith19]

Josh, I knew your life had some purpose... and it is to show us some awesome Richard Lupkes photos Is that you he's holding in the second pic??

No that's his son who also armwrestles, too, he weighs 185 lbs and just did his first competition. His son can beat me but is probably just a novice or maybe an amateur at 185 lbs., and I'm like a novice or amateur at 165 lbs.

Edited April 17, 2009 by Josh H

[Florian Kellersmann]

I have the feeling, Denis' right hand is much underrated. He only lost to the LEGEND BRZENK at Zloty and had NO PROBLEM with all the other strong guys in the heavyweight class there.

[raikkonen]

i wanna see travis vs denis right and left supermatch. were all wondering, we need left hand bagent vs denis thats all i can think of.

[fightertrainer]

I am sure Dennis right arm now at the moment can give Devon a fight. To lost to Brzenk in right arm final says a lot of being in the final. Afte all only 2 people can be in final. I am sure Dennis has improved a lot since, and he seems to be a gentleman too

[darthsith19]

True only John beat Denis, but Devon beat John 6-0 (video comes out a week from Monday I believe), then how would Denis give Devon a fight? Unless Denis can beat Brzenk now I don't see that happening, and John said (on the Armtv board) that Denis has bad endurance on the table. Devon has the best endurance in the sport. Some people even say that he gets stronger as the match goes on...

[G-Man]

I put John at 6-0 over Denis and am predicting Todd to win his supermatch, 4-2, largely because Todd has been in such amazing shape as of late.

Nick Zinna vs Richard Lupkes should be very interesting because Zinna is a monster now. He beat Don Underwood - how did that match go? Don Underwood beat Tim Bresnan and nearly beat Michael Todd at the Arnolds.

I think Devon would kill Denis, largely on account of his leverage, technique and inhuman endurance. Denis vs Richard Lupkes would be very, very interesting though.

Edited April 18, 2009 by G-Man

[darthsith19]

Don Underwood vs. Nick Zinna - first match Don tried to toproll and Nick easily pins him. Second match Don goes to a hook and gets a quick start, and actually has Nick on his side of the table, but eventually after a pretty intense match Nick pulls him back and wins.

Yeah after seeing that and Michael vs. Don at the Arnolds I think Nick would be a very good match for Michael Todd but styles make match-ups (I think in a supermatch Michael wins off of endurance though). If Rich is as strong as he was last summer I say he'll take Nick out, his son told me Rich is just as strong and his technique is better than it's ever been. Well he beat Sonny Larson in 1 second, Sonny's pretty good and I would think would slow down Nick a little bit but maybe I'm overestimating Sonny. He's ranked above all the 198 lbs armwrestlers in the USA except Chad Silvers and RVJ though. I think Michael Todd should take on whoever wins at the next toproll tournament, that'd be awesome!

[fightertrainer]

John was in worse shape when he lost to Devon than when he won over Dennis. I believe Dennis's youth allow him to progress quickly. BUt Devon will beat Dennis right now even if Dennis put up a fight. Let wait till next summer 2010 when maturity kicks in and Dennis tendons harden to see if the world heavies can handle Dennis, time is on his side.

[fightertrainer]

BTW Josh, past win doesn't guarantee future win. I just watched Travis beats Georgio (spelling?) in '07 video easily. But this year today Georgio beats Travis back just as easily. I don't think Devon will beat John 6-0 again next time they pull.

[G-Man]

BTW Josh, past win doesn't guarantee future win. I just watched Travis beats Georgio (spelling?) in '07 video easily. But this year today Georgio beats Travis back just as easily. I don't think Devon will beat John 6-0 again next time they pull.

This looks fake:

[kyle102887]

BTW Josh, past win doesn't guarantee future win. I just watched Travis beats Georgio (spelling?) in '07 video easily. But this year today Georgio beats Travis back just as easily. I don't think Devon will beat John 6-0 again next time they pull.

This looks fake:

I have to agree it kind of looks like Travis wasn't trying......or what he tried didn't work and he just gave up.

[fightertrainer]

Kyle, it's not the first time I saw Travis does that on right arm. It seemed when he knew he's been had, he "quit" trying. It's like when you know your hand been taken what's the point of trying. I am not sure it's fake though. Travis and Goergio is not on the same team or city. As usual he 's very gracious loser smiling and all.

[G-Man]

Kyle, it's not the first time I saw Travis does that on right arm. It seemed when he knew he's been had, he "quit" trying. It's like when you know your hand been taken what's the point of trying. I am not sure it's fake though. Travis and Goergio is not on the same team or city. As usual he 's very gracious loser smiling and all.

Travis sometimes "loses" matches against people you would never expect:

December 11, 2004 - Sanction # 822-04 - 2004 Florida State Armwrestling Championships - Jacksonville, FL

Tournament Directors: Frank & Karen Bean

Men's Right Hand 105+kg: 1st - Charles Cook, 2nd - Travis Bagent, 3rd - Brian Goolsby

Men's Left Hand 105+kg: 1st - Charles Cook, 2nd - Travis Bagent, 3rd - Brian Goolsby

http://www.armsport.com/2004results.html

For the record, Charles Cook is a pretty solid open class puller - I would say right in league with Robert Bishop. To "beat" Travis left and righty would have to make him - easily - one of the top pullers on the planet.

So he should have killed it at the next Nationals, right?

June 3 & 4, 2005 - Sanction # 810-04 - 2005 AAA National Championships - Columbia, SC

3rd Largest Nationals in U.S. History - 349 competitors

Largest / 2001 Atlanta, GA 358 competitors 2nd Largest / 1998 Omaha, NE 357 competitors

Men's Left Hand 105+kg: 1st - Harold Owens, 2nd - Cleve Dean, 3rd - Charles Cook, 4th - John Ruggerio,

5th - Rick Tippett, 6th - David Craver

Men's Right Hand 105+kg: 1st - Cleve Dean, 2nd - Charles Cook, 3rd - Kevin Schneider, 4th - Shawn Turner,

5th - Carey Nick, 6th - John Ruggerio

http://www.armsport.com/2005results.html

Edited April 19, 2009 by G-Man

[darthsith19]

John was in worse shape when he lost to Devon than when he won over Dennis. I believe Dennis's youth allow him to progress quickly. BUt Devon will beat Dennis right now even if Dennis put up a fight. Let wait till next summer 2010 when maturity kicks in and Dennis tendons harden to see if the world heavies can handle Dennis, time is on his side.

I agree with you. But also remember than John was ~15 lbs lighter when he armwrestled Denis. He himself said (I believe on the Armtv board) that he was in better shape but probably lost strength due to dieting.

As for the Georgi video, yeah I was also gonna say it looks fake. Georgi also must have gained weight since he used to make 198 and he pulled the 225+ class at that tournament. Somebody told me that sometimes Travis lets people pay him and in return he lets them beat him. The person who told me this said that's what happened when Georgi beat Travis at the 2008 Apple Grapple (I think that's when it was). Of course I can't guarantee this, but it makes sense. It's stupid though imho.

[Flexor Brachialis]

Somebody told me that sometimes Travis lets people pay him and in return he lets them beat him. The person who told me this said that's what happened when Georgi beat Travis at the 2008 Apple Grapple (I think that's when it was). Of course I can't guarantee this, but it makes sense. It's stupid though imho.

Tahts bullshit, a man like Georgie don't take money to win, especially for an after pulling match up.. !

And for Georgie Gelashvilli, travis just did underestimate him, came into a hook and there he can't beat Georgie G. After that he beat Georgie G. twice for the win, so no sense being money involved...

[G-Man]

As for the Georgi video, yeah I was also gonna say it looks fake.

That's part of the reason why I don't think Jerry Cadorette should be ranked as high as he is (above Dave Randall and Ron Bath) because he beat Travis very convincingly as of late. We can't say for sure if Travis was giving 80-90% his best effort in those matches since this happens not too uncommonly with Travis. Travis also "lost" to Dave Marraco at this year's Get-A-Grip, a solid, national caliber Maryland puller (but not at Travis' level).

Beating one top seed puller should not automatically put you above that puller in ranking. That's why I have issue with Jerry being above Ron Bath and Dave Randall, since I don't believe he's beaten either of them since the 1990's. I'd put Jerry somewhere between Michael Todd and Ron Bath. I think Nick Zinna and Richard Lupkes would make interesting matches for Jerry, but judging by what people are saying about Lupkes, who knows?

Edited April 20, 2009 by G-Man

[darthsith19]

Somebody told me that sometimes Travis lets people pay him and in return he lets them beat him. The person who told me this said that's what happened when Georgi beat Travis at the 2008 Apple Grapple (I think that's when it was). Of course I can't guarantee this, but it makes sense. It's stupid though imho.

Tahts bullshit, a man like Georgie don't take money to win, especially for an after pulling match up.. !

And for Georgie Gelashvilli, travis just did underestimate him, came into a hook and there he can't beat Georgie G. After that he beat Georgie G. twice for the win, so no sense being money involved...

It wasn't after pulling, it was in the tournament, and like I said I can't guarantee this, it's just what somebody told me. I've never met Georgi. But underestimate him or not, I saw Travis mess around with Michael Todd right handed at the ROTN and still win so unless Georgi is better than Michael I don't think Travis was being serious.

[Florian Kellersmann]

As for the Georgi video, yeah I was also gonna say it looks fake.

That's part of the reason why I don't think Jerry Cadorette should be ranked as high as he is (above Dave Randall and Ron Bath) because he beat Travis very convincingly as of late. We can't say for sure if Travis was giving 80-90% his best effort in those matches since this happens not too uncommonly with Travis. Travis also "lost" to Dave Marraco at this year's Get-A-Grip, a solid, national caliber Maryland puller (but not at Travis' level).

Beating one top seed puller should not automatically put you above that puller in ranking. That's why I have issue with Jerry being above Ron Bath and Dave Randall, since I don't believe he's beaten either of them since the 1990's. I'd put Jerry somewhere between Michael Todd and Ron Bath. I think Nick Zinna and Richard Lupkes would make interesting matches for Jerry, but judging by what people are saying about Lupkes, who knows?

I agree here. Have you discussed this with Engin?