Over the Top: How professional arm wrestling left the pub and became the world’s next big combat sport

“I get up and work out in the way other people punch the clock,” says Devon Laratt. “I do the same motions all day. It’s super monotonous, boring to the point that most people can’t handle. And it’s all about my arms. And by that I really mean just my right arm. Everything about the training is tailored to the sport”.

Larratt is the heavyweight champion of the world — in arm-wrestling. And if that sounds like a joke, get ready to change your tune. The sport is already huge in North America, where pay-per-view figures are in the many millions, and online views regularly top half a billion.

Now it’s coming to Europe, thanks especially to its most dynamic proponent, East Versus West, which now organises high-level competitions across weight categories, and for men and women, around the world.

Latest Videos From

And arm wrestling is a sport: watch its leading competitors in action — from Larratt to the German body-building influencer and pocket HeMan Leonidas Arkona, from four-time World’s Strongest Man Brian Shaw to wild man Matt Mask — and, over what might be just few minutes of action, they’re drenched in sweat from the exertion. To call it ‘arm wrestling’ is a misnomer. The stars use their full bodies to maximise leverage: their arms are just the point where the match is won or lost.

Devon Larratt vs Vitaly Laletin | East vs West 23 Full Match (UNCUT + TRANSLATION) - YouTube

Watch On

“I feel terrible after a match,” says Larratt, who has a documentary on his life story in production for release later this year.

“I mean, I can barely walk. It takes two weeks before I’m functioning again. It really does a number on you. It’s soul-destroying”.

Larratt, by the way, is ex-Canadian Special Forces. He’s also 51, putting him at the older end of the competitor age range. But it’s a quirk of ageing that, if looked after, your tendons and connective tissues — so critical to arm-wrestling — only develop with age.

“I joke that I used to be in really good shape,” says Larratt, whose overall musculature, he notes, is markedly undeveloped relative to some of his up-and-coming rivals.

“But I’m stronger than I’ve ever been”.

Mastering the pull

It’s counter-intuitive qualities like this that are all part of arm-wrestling’s appeal: contrary to initial expectations, youth does not necessarily win out over age; muscle does not win out over bulk; the smaller man can beat the man mountain. And while there are plenty of raw power players who hope for a quick, explosive win, there are others who have mastered technique — the manipulation of hand and shoulder positioning, moves like the hook, press, and toproll and their ideal timing — to simply wear down their opponent or catch them out when they least expect it.

But, of course, stresses Robert Baxter, the owner of the East Versus West competition series, part of the appeal of arm-wrestling to spectators (who may have neither power nor technique themselves) is that it is nonetheless easy to understand. The sport is old, possibly dating to Ancient Egypt, and in a semi-organised way in the US since the 1960s. Yet it is also familiar to all: almost everyone has tried it, from playground to pub. “You don’t need any equipment,” says Baxter. “You can arm wrestle on the floor”.

While there are rules at pro level — for example, elbows must remain in contact with the table; you must start with a flat wrist and with your thumb knuckle on show; your shoulder can’t cross the centre line, and so on — it’s still simple to understand. And while it’s a combat sport of sorts, there’s no concussion. Nobody is trying to hurt anyone. Some colourful language aside, it’s family-friendly, with some big characters and the razzmatazz of boxing or WWF.

“The sport is taking off to the extent that it can now afford to pay the athletes enough that they can commit to arm-wrestling full-time,” enthuses Baxter, himself a seven time world champion, who trained with John Brzenk, considered the sport’s GOAT and the man who appeared opposite Sylvester Stallone in the arm-wresting movie Over The Top. Baxter too has other gigs: he’s owner of 93 Five Guys burger franchises.

“There’s huge potential in it. Go to China now, for instance, and there are so many homegrown arm wrestling clubs each with thousands of members. We’re getting more and more pro athletes in other sports crossing over to arm wrestling too — from Strongman, rugby, baseball, MMA. Their peak years in their first sport are over but it’s not uncommon for future champions to start out in arm wrestling when they’re over 30”.

The social stage

So what stands in arm wrestling’s way to get really really big? For one, reach. East Versus West is now opening up the opportunity for elite wrestlers to compete on the world stage. To date, they’ve been restricted to the territory represented by the organising federation.

“That matters because people want to see the best of the best competing wherever they are in the world,” suggests Baxter. But also profile. Baxter wants to shift coverage over from a pay-per-view model to full broadcast and streaming one, and is currently in positive negotiations with big players, including Netflix, on various projects. Convincingly, the sport already gets huge social media traction — with each wrestler drawing their own dedicated fan bases — but there’s clearly room for growth.

“And we need those athletes with lots of charisma ands strong presence, like Devon Larratt, because the theatre of it all is important too,” adds Baxter.

“Take the Manifestor, for example [the Ukrainian champion arm wrestler Oleksandr Telyatnik]. He’s a young lad who can do 19 one-arm pull-ups. I mean, the guy is a freak, in the nicest way possible. While he’s shy he’s also a great character on stage and the fans love him. He’s going to be a big star”.

But Baxter also likes to dream as big as his biceps. He once had ambitions to get Trump and Putin at the table together — an idea somewhat nixed by geo-politics — but still has an eye set on bringing Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg together.

“That’s because the best way to settle a score without killing each other is an arm wrestle,” Baxter laughs.

“I’m not sure that one will ever happen either, but as [the Canadian ice hockey star] Wayne Gretzky put it, ’You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take’. So we’re going for it. Arm wrestling is sport with such a passionate following already. Watch it in an arena and it’s just electric”.

• AEW’s Paul ‘The Big Show’ Wight on wrestling’s Wembley Stadium takeover, London’s own Will Ospreay — and the most celebrity filled game of Dungeons & Dragons of all time

Skip the search — follow Shortlist on Google News to get our best lists, news, features and reviews at the top of your feeds!