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    • Renaissance Results >
      • A1 Russian Open Results (2012-2015)
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    • Contemporary Results >
      • Arnold Classic Results (2022-Present)
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    • 1981: A Good Year!
    • The Bill Soberanes Wristwrestling Statue
  • About
  • Home
  • History
    • Development of the Organized Sport >
      • Armwrestling Eras >
        • The Beginnings
        • The Golden Age
      • The Beginnings
    • Event Histories >
      • World's Wristwrestling Championship - Part 1: 1954-1961
      • World's Wristwrestling Championship - Part 2: 1962-1969
      • International Federation of Arm Wrestlers
      • World Armwrestling Federation (WAF)
      • Carling O'Keefe World Championships
      • World Professional Armwrestling Association
      • Arm Wrestling International
      • World Police and Fire Games
      • World Super Heavyweight Arm Wrestling Championship
      • Over the Top World Championship
      • Yukon Jack Arm Wrestling Championships
      • North American Armwrestling Championships (Amos)
      • Power Armwrestling
      • Monster Arm Wrestling
      • World National Wristwrestling Association
      • Can-Am Armwrestling Championships
      • Armwrestling Capital of the Midwest
      • World Arm Wrestling Council
    • Early Origins of Armwrestling
    • Armwrestling Matches in the Cradle of Strongmen
    • The Ancient Hawaiian Sport of Uma
    • Armwrestling Firsts
    • Inaugural State Championships
    • Biggest Prize Money Tournaments By Year
    • How Organized Armwrestling Was Introduced to Eastern Europe
    • Top 10 Las Vegas Tournaments of All Time
    • Canada's Toughest Tournaments
    • The Stories behind the Matches >
      • Armwrestling’s First Supermatch
      • John Brzenk vs. "John Doe"
      • Dean vs. Mason
      • The Biggest Supermatch of All Time
      • The John Brzenk Challenge
      • The Champion Armwrestler vs. the Champion Powerlifter
    • This Day in Armwrestling History >
      • This Day in Armwrestling History - April Dates
      • This Day in Armwrestling History - May Dates
      • This Day in Armwrestling History - June Dates
      • This Day in Armwrestling History - July Dates
  • Top Pullers
    • History's Most Successful Armwrestler
    • Champion Armwrestlers of Yore
    • All-Time Top Male Puller from Each State
    • All-Time Top Female Puller from Each State
    • All-Time Top Male Puller from Each Province
    • All-Time Top Female Puller from Each Province
    • Best Pullers by Year
    • Best Pullers by Year of Birth
    • Historical Rankings >
      • Chronology of the Best Armwrestlers on the Planet (Men - Right Hand)
      • Chronology of the Best Armwrestlers on the Planet (Men - Left Hand)
      • Chronology of the Best Armwrestlers on the Planet (Women - Right Hand)
      • Chronology of the Best Armwrestlers on the Planet (Women - Left Hand)
    • Top 10 Pullers of the 1960s
    • Top 25 Pullers of the 1970s (Men)
    • Top 25 Pullers of the 1980s (Men)
    • Top 30 Pullers of the 1990s (Men)
    • Top 30 Pullers of the 2000s (Men)
    • Top 30 Pullers of the 2010s (Men)
    • Top 5 Pullers of the 1970s (Women)
    • Top 15 Pullers of the 1980s (Women)
    • Top 15 Pullers of the 1990s (Women)
    • Top 15 Pullers of the 2000s (Women)
    • Top 15 Pullers of the 2010s (Women)
    • Armwrestling's Best Generation?
    • Pullers Who Perfectly Peaked
    • Record Win Streaks
  • Event Results
    • Results from the Early Days >
      • IFAW Results (1966-1969)
      • USA Results (1969)
      • WWC Results (1955-1969)
    • Golden Age Results >
      • AAA Sit-Down Nationals Results (1978-1979)
      • AAA Stand-Up Nationals Results (1978-1979)
      • AWI Results (1978-1979)
      • Carling O'Keefe Worlds Results (1971-1979)
      • IFAW Results (1970)
      • NAWA Results (1977-1979)
      • WAWF World Results (1971-1979)
      • WPAA Results (1974-1979)
      • WWC Nationals Results (1974-1979)
      • WWC World Results (1970-1979)
      • Various US Nationals (1970-1979)
    • Silver Age Results >
      • AAA Sit-Down Nationals Results (1980-1989)
      • AAA Stand-Up Nationals Results (1980-1989)
      • AWI Results (1980-1989)
      • Carling O'Keefe Worlds Results (1980-1982)
      • Carling O'Keefe IAC Results (1989)
      • IWC Results (1980-1982)
      • NAWA Results (1980-1989)
      • Over the Top Results (1986)
      • Sands International Armwrestling Results (1980-1989)
      • WAWF World Results (1980-1989)
      • WPAA Results (1980-1989)
      • WPWA Results (1980-1981)
      • WWC Results (1980-1989)
      • Yukon Jack Results (1988-1989)
    • Bronze Age Results >
      • AAA Sit-Down Nationals Results (1990-1993)
      • AAA Stand-Up Nationals Results (1990-1999)
      • Arnold Classic Results (1998-1999)
      • AWI Results (1990-1999)
      • EAF European Championships Results (1991-1999)
      • Forsa Tropical Results (1998)
      • Golden Bear Results (1990-1999)
      • Main Event Results (1997-1998)
      • Reno Reunion Results (1999)
      • Super Bras-de-fer Results (1991)
      • USAA National Pro-Am Results (1995-1999)
      • USAF Unified Nationals Results (1998-1999)
      • WAF World Results (1990-1999)
      • WPAA Results (1990-1997)
      • WWC Results (1990-1999)
      • Yukon Jack Results (1990-1997)
    • Copper Age Results >
      • AAA Nationals Results (2000-2009)
      • All-Niagara Armwrestling Championships Results (2002)
      • Arm Wars Super Series Results (2008-2009)
      • Arnold Classic Results (2000-2009)
      • AWI Results (2000-2001)
      • Big Arm Classic Results (2004)
      • California State/West Coast Pro-Am Armwrestling Championship (2003-2006)
      • EAF European Championships Results (2000-2009)
      • GNC Results (2001-2004)
      • Harley Pull Results (2000-2009)
      • IAF Can-Am Championships Results (2000-2009)
      • Mike Gould Classic Results (2000-2009)
      • NAL Results (2006-2007)
      • Northeastern Armwrestling Challenge Results (2005-2009)
      • NYC Big Apple Grapple Results (2000-2009)
      • PAC World Championship Results (2005-2007)
      • PAL Results (2004-2009)
      • Reno Reunion Results (2000-2007)
      • Ruler of the Nation Results (2007-2009)
      • Sturgis Rally Professional Armwrestling Championship
      • Superstar Showdown Results (2004-2005)
      • Tournament of Champions Results (2001)
      • Ultimate Armwrestling (Las Vegas) Results (2004-2006)
      • Ultimate Armwrestling Championship (UAC) Results (2009)
      • USAA National Pro-Am Results (2000-2009)
      • USAF Unified Nationals Results (2000-2009)
      • US Open Results (2003)
      • World Armsport Federation Results (2000-2005)
      • World Armwrestling Federation Results (2000-2009)
      • WWC Results (2000-2005)
      • World Challenge (2009)
      • Zloty Tur/Nemiroff Cup Results (2000-2009)
    • Renaissance Results >
      • A1 Russian Open Results (2012-2015)
      • AAA Nationals Results (2010-2018)
      • Arm Wars Super Series Results (2010-2016)
      • Arnold Classic Results (2010-2019)
      • EAF European Championships Results (2010-2019)
      • IFA Results (2019)
      • Mike Gould Classic Results (2010-2015)
      • Moldova Open Results (2018)
      • NYC Big Apple Grapple Results (2010-2019)
      • PAL Results (2010-2019)
      • UAL Results (2010-2016)
      • USAA National Pro-Am Results (2010-2019)
      • USAF Unified Nationals Results (2010-2019)
      • WAL Results (2014-2019)
      • WAF Results (2010-2019)
      • World Challenge (2010-2012)
      • Zloty Tur/Nemiroff Cup Results (2010-2019)
    • Contemporary Results >
      • Arnold Classic Results (2022-Present)
      • EAF European Championships Results (2020-Present)
      • East vs. West Results (2021-Present)
      • IFA US Nationals Results (2021-Present)
      • IFA Worlds Results (2020-Present)
      • King of the Table Results (2021-Present)
      • Mr. Olympia Power Armwrestling Results (2021)
      • Over the Top Down Under Results (2022)
      • PAL Results (2021-Present)
      • Total Armwrestling League Results (2020-Present)
      • USAA International Pro-Am Results (2020-Present)
      • USAF Nationals Results (2022-Present)
      • WAF International Challenge Results (2021)
      • WAF World Championships Results (2020-Present)
  • YouTube
  • Miscellaneous
    • Armwrestling Amusement Devices
    • Armwrestling Matches in Professional Wrestling
    • 1975 NFLPA Arm Wrestling Championship
    • 1975 Esquire Gala Celebrity Tournament
    • A Legendary Tale
    • The Origin of the Wheelbarrow Contest
    • Legendary Powerlifters Who Could Also Pull
    • 1981: A Good Year!
    • The Bill Soberanes Wristwrestling Statue
  • About
THE ARMWRESTLING ARCHIVES

The Bill Soberanes Wristwrestling Statue

Picture

There are very few armwrestling statues on public display in the world. The most famous one is probably the wristwrestling statue in Petaluma, California, commemorating Bill Soberanes as the founder of organized wristwrestling. It’s been on display since 1988, just a block from where the first wristwrestling tournaments took place at Gilardi’s Corner. This is the story of how the statue came to be.
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The Bill Soberanes wristwrestling statue wasn’t the first wristwrestling-related representation to dot the Petaluma landscape. A wooden Snoopy sign was erected on the same small strip of land on the northeast corner of the East Washington Street-Petaluma Boulevard intersection around 1971 announcing Petaluma as the home of the World’s Wristwrestling Championship. That sign was put up to recognize the impact that the Peanuts comic strip had on increasing public awareness of wristwrestling as a sport and of Petaluma as its birthplace. Charles Schulz penned an 11-strip story arc of the beloved beagle preparing to compete in the World’s Wristwrestling Championship. It was published in April 1968 and proved to have the biggest impact on helping to grow the tournament, until ABC started airing footage on television a couple years later.
Picture
The original wooden Snoopy sign

With its wooden construction, the Snoopy sign was never considered to be a permanent landmark, and by 1977 some people, including mayor Helen Putnam, were already suggesting that it eventually be replaced by a statue of the beagle.

Though the idea was occasionally raised in the following years, not much was done until the sign started to show more evidence of wear by 1987. Bill Soberanes and Bill Rhodes, the 1971 lightweight world champion and active member of the Petaluma community, were among the biggest advocates for the installation of a new permanent statue. Their original idea was a granite pedestal with a bronze plaque on it, with a pair of hands locked in a wristwrestling grip and Snoopy on it. The monument could also be used to recognize the efforts of those who helped develop the sport in Petaluma.

Gradually, the focus of the statue changed to be more squarely on Bill Soberanes, rather than on Snoopy, to recognize him for his efforts to develop the Championship, which had grown to become the city’s biggest publicity generator. The Civic Tribute to Bill Soberanes Committee was formed, and approval for the statue from the Petaluma City Council was sought and received on June 20, 1988. The statue would stand approximately 5 feet high and 3 ½ feet wide, and would need to be funded entirely through private donations. A bronze sculpture of two men engaged in a wristwrestling match would sit atop a granite pedestal, embellished with a plaque featuring a likeness of Bill Soberanes and some text to describe a few of Bill’s major contributions. The sculpture would be made by local sculptor Rosa Estebanez, who had previously been commissioned to do similar projects for the city. The council’s only other stipulation was that the statue be movable, should improvements be required to the property or if the statue were ever to be moved to a different location.

One of the remaining hurdles was securing the close to $16,000 required to build and install the statue. But Mr. Soberanes’ great reputation, developed through decades of community involvement, made finding sponsors a snap. In fact, 18 local dairies each donated a calf for a livestock auction, with all proceeds going to the statue fund.
​
Bill Rhodes provided Rosa Estabanez with a picture of one of his wristwrestling matches (believed to be from the 1971 Championship and with an unidentified opponent) to serve as an example of what the sculpture could resemble. She decided to do a simplified version, leaving out the non-competing hands. 
Picture
The picture upon which the sculpture is based

With funding secured, construction arrangements were made. Everyone worked toward the unveiling date of October 8, 1988, the day of the 1988 edition of the World’s Wristwrestling Championship. The project moved ahead on schedule.
Picture
The cement foundation being poured for the pedestal
Picture
Sculptor Rosa Estebanez (middle) poses next to the statue foundation
Picture
A slab of granite being pasted onto the side of the concrete pedestal

In addition to the statue, it was decided that Bill Soberanes should be honoured with a special supper at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium (site of the annual championship) on the evening of Friday, October 7. This would allow 400+ people get together and officially thank him for his various contributions over the years. The special evening was attended by friends, relatives, politicians, entertainers, and various sports celebrities. World Wristwrestling Championship figures Jimmy Payne and Dave Devoto were just two of the many individuals who shared stories about Bill.

Saturday, October 8th, 1988, was declared “Bill Soberanes Day” by the city and a crowd of 150 gathered for the 12:30 PM unveiling. Bill received a big cheer when he was introduced, but he didn’t offer much by way of an acceptance speech, saying just “Thank you, thank you very much”. He then joined sculptor Rosa Estebanez to finally remove the brown tarp from the statue. The crowd let out a communal “Ooooh” while many pictures were taken. It was the first time Bill had seen the statue and he said that he thought it was wonderful and beyond his wildest expectations.
Picture
Bill Soberanes poses in front of the statue with his wife Jane at the unveiling
Picture
The finished product

Bill Rhodes, one of the key people involved in the project, had only one minor complaint about the statue. He felt Rosa made his arms too small! Rosa had a reason for this: she didn’t want kids who saw the sculpture to think that big arms were a requirement for wristwrestling.

You may be wondering whatever happened to the wooden Snoopy sign was removed when the statue was erected. It was given to Mr. Soberanes. In later years, he was approached by various collectors asking if he would sell the sign, but he considered it one of his prize possessions and refused to part with it.
​
The Bill Soberanes wristwrestling Statue remains in the same location more than 30 years later. The elements have caused some damage to the pedestal over time, and it has undergone some minor repairs. Armwrestling tournaments haven’t been held in Petaluma since 2002, but hopefully this statue will continue to be preserved for posterity so that everyone remembers that the town is the birthplace of organized armsports. Without Bill Soberanes’ efforts, it’s hard to imagine where armwrestling would be today.
Picture
Close-up of the plaque




Researched and Written by Eric Roussin
Copyright Eric Roussin and The Armwrestling Archives. Original content found on The Armwrestling Archives may not be reproduced without written consent.