They said it was only for bragging rights, but the intensity, the struggle, the pressure and the pain was as real as any major league sports event.
It was the seventh annual Sudbury Armwrestling championship in front of a packed house at the Overtime Sports Bar and Grill on Saturday and it attracted scores of strong-armed men and women from across Northeastern Ontario.
Many of the competitors attended as individuals but many others were members of organized teams with names like The Arm Machine, the Steel City Slammers, the Arm Breakers and Far North Arm Wrestling.
Organizer and promoter Brian Desormeaux of Sudbury said he was pleased with the turnout of roughly 85 competitors coming from not only from Sudbury, but also from North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Hearst, Kapuskasing, Toronto and even northern Quebec.
Desormeaux said several of the competitors were arm wrestlers known on the international level.
"Today we have actually a pretty good room. We've got a strong bunch of novice pullers, so people that are new to the sport. It's going to be growing and hopefully carrying this tradition moving forward and then transitioning into pro level. We also have pro classes, and we have people like Conrad Rousselle that have been in the sport; we've got 20-time Canadian champion Janek Kwais; we have John Therrien (Sudbury) that just came from the UK in Arm Wars."
As the matches began, there was applause as many of the better-known competitors stepped forward to compete. In some cases, the "pullers" as they are called were so evenly matched that their struggle lasted for prolonged periods, slowly moving back and forth, biceps bulging and facial expressions strained.
In several cases, where the hands seemed slippery or kept pulling apart, the referees would use straps wrapped around the fists to keep the competitor's hands locked together.
Fans were also able to see an open competition for men and women, as well as a competition for novice arm wrestlers. Participants were awarded medals and other prizes of merchandise for taking part in the event. Next year's Sudbury championship is expected to take place in September of 2023.
