Armwrestling Eras:
​
​The Beginnings ​(~1900 to 1969)

​Synopsis:

During this era, armwrestling transitioned from being a simple game to an organized sport with official rules and referees. Despite the initial growth, few members of the general public were aware of the sport’s existence.
 

Era Boundaries:
 
From the time the sport was first documented in a newspaper (La Presse in Montreal, Canada) to when the Peanuts comic strip featured a story arc about Snoopy preparing to compete in the World’s Wristwrestling Championship.
 

​Key Developments:

--The sport is first documented in La Presse, a leading Montreal newspaper, at the turn of the century. The new sport primarily consists of 2-out-of-3 or 3-out-of-5 challenge matches for money.  

--The first known tournament is held: the Canadian Armwrestling Championship in Montreal in 1905.  

--Armwrestling is occasionally discussed in strength and health publications in articles written by men like Eugen Sandow (turn of the century), George Jowett (1920s and 1930s), and Mac Batchelor (1950s and 1960s).  

--The sport independently develops in different parts of the world: Canada, USA (first known tournament in 1914), Japan (organization of first association in 1928), Sweden (first known tournament in 1933), and Brazil (first known tournament in 1949).

--Basic rules for the sport are first published (by George Jowett in 1930).  

--The first annual tournaments emerge (in Petaluma, California in 1955 on the west coast by Bill Soberanes and in Holyoke, Massachusetts in 1958 on the east coast by Ed Jubinville).  

--The World’s Wristwrestling Championship, Inc. is formed and the inaugural World Wristwrestling Championship is held (Petaluma, 1962).  

​--Charles Schulz develops an 11-strip Peanuts story arc that involves Snoopy training for and attending the World’s Wristwrestling Championship in Petaluma, informing millions of readers of the existence of the organized sport (1968). 

Pullers most associated with this era:

Arthur Dandurand (early 1900s to early 1920s) – won the heavyweight division of the first Canadian Armwrestling Championship

Théophile Massé (1910s and 1920s) – reigned as the Canadian champion for 11 years in row

Hector Décarie (early 1900s to early 1920s) – professional strongman who dethroned Mr. Massé

George Jowett (early 1920s to mid 1930s) – weightlifter/strongman/writer who was one of the first to publish information about the sport and develop specific training techniques for it

Tetsu Yamamoto (1920s to 1960s) – founder of the first Japanese armwrestling association and star athlete in arm sumo

Ian “Mac” Batchelor (early 1930s to mid 1950s) – strongman and tavern-keeper famed for never turning down an armwrestling match and never having suffered defeat

Earl Hagerman (late 1950s to mid 1960s) – the first star of the Petaluma events. Won the overall title four times and the middleweight title twice.

Duane “Tiny” Benedix (1960s) – the first person to successfully defend the heavyweight world wristwresting title in Petaluma, which he won four times

Maurice Baker (late 1960s) – the top puller on the east coast in the late 1960s, he won the International Federation of Arm Wrestlers World Arm Wrestling Championship three years in a row starting in 1968

​
​For further reading on “The Beginnings”:
 
Champion Armwrestlers of Yore
Armwrestling Matches in the Cradle of Strongmen
Armwrestling’s First Supermatch
World’s Wristwrestling Championship – Part 1: 1954-1961
World’s Wristwrestling Championship – Part 2: 1962-1969
International Federation of Arm Wrestlers
Top 10 Pullers of the 1960s





​Researched and Written by Eric Roussin