When I was younger I thought it was a travesty arm-wrestling was not part of the Olympics, says champion arm-wrestler 'Monster' Michael Todd

NEW DELHI: Think wrestling and you will think of two wrestlers, with singlets on, trying to execute intricate and complex daavs (moves) to earn points.
But what about Arm-Wrestling? That is a rather popular sport too in some parts of the world.
Arm-Wrestling is a form of wrestling in which two opponents sit facing each other, hands interlocked, and elbows firmly placed on a table surface.They attempt to force each other's arm down and the one who manages to do this is declared the winner. This sport is a combination of power, strength, endurance, technique, and resistance.
The way freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers use various daavs (moves) to win a bout, an arm-wrestler uses different techniques like hook, top roll, and press to win a battle.
Did you know that there is an Indian Arm-Wrestling Federation that is based in Hyderabad?
There are World Arm-Wrestling rankings as well for countries. India is ranked 41st currently on that list. Kazakhstan is currently ranked Number 1.
To know more about this interesting sport that has almost 50 countries in the world rankings list, TimesofIndia.com caught up with Michael Todd, an American professional arm-wrestler, who has won as many as 20 national and 16 world titles. The 49 year old champion arm-wrestler talked about how the sport falls under the category of combat sports, its rules, techniques, strategies, and much more...

You have been arm-wrestling for over three decades now. Tell us, what are the techniques used in Arm-Wrestling? What are the moves and different styles of this sport?
Arm-Wrestling is a combat sport. It's a one-on-one sport. There are three basic moves in arm-wrestling. The first is the most commonly used - turn it into a hook and turn the shoulder behind it. That's a turned neck off the stream and do the shoulder press. The next is to turn it into a hook and drag it off your body. The most advanced move is the top roll where you bring your knuckles high and pull your opponent's wrist towards you, fold them back, and drop sideways. That's the least likely to get you injured and most effective. But it takes skills to execute. When an opponent has a big arm, they probably have a good hook. So, I would recommend going in the opposite direction.

Could you tell us a little bit more about the nuances of this sport?
To be successful in arm-wrestling, you have to understand the three basic techniques. The thing about these three basic techniques is that there are variations to each technique. There are slight adjustments that can be made to the wrist, the hand, the arm, the shoulder, etc. To be good at arm-wrestling, you have to be able to counter each of those moves. A lot of people think it is just about strength. So, many times people say to me, 'oh that guy is so much stronger than you. No. His bench-pressed muscles are stronger, my arm-wrestling muscle is highly developed. Arm-Wrestling is one of those sports - if you know how to arm wrestle, then it just comes down to who is stronger. When both guys know how to arm-wrestler, the one who is stronger comes out on the right side. So, you have to be able to execute techniques, counter techniques, but at the end of the day, it's core strength - it's a strength sport.
What are the big differences between arm-wrestling and mat wrestling? Are there any chances of getting injured?
What's different about arm-wrestling is that although it is a combat sport, you are not getting punched in the face. You could get a broken arm. You could get a torn bicep. But your risk of injury compared to traditional combat sports is a lot less. It is something you could do better as you age. In most sports, as you grow old, by the time you are 40, you are aged out. Arm-Wrestlers start to get to their best around that age. There are guys out there who are good in their 20s and 30s. I won my first National title when I was 27 years old, and then I won for 10 years straight after that. But, I just turned 49, and I still feel I got grooming. I still got a place to go. In most sports, you are not going to see that. You continue to grow better as you grow older (in arm-wrestling).

What made you choose the sport of arm-wrestling?
I have been arm-wrestling for 32 years. I went to my first arm-wrestling competition when I was 17, and my family thought I was crazy. They said, 'you doing what?' I said, 'I am going to arm wrestle with a bunch of people'. And they were like, 'you are going to pay for that?' and I was like, 'yes, I am going to pay the entry fee because I want the trophy'. I did not have any trophies because I did not play any team sports. So, if I went to my friend's house, and he had a big trophy shelf, I did not have that. I kept every trophy I have won for the last 32 years. I love this sport. I chose this sport - not even on purpose. I fell in love after the first competition. I have always been a good athlete. There are a lot of other professional sports (that) I could have played and made a lot more money. But I probably would not have had this much fun.

Do you think arm-wrestling should be made an Olympic sport?
When I was younger, I used to think it was a travesty that arm-wrestling was not at the Olympics. I still feel that to some degree. But I now also feel that the Olympics is not the route for us to become mainstream anymore. I think through social media, through entertainment, and all that we have nowadays, all arm-wrestling needs is to get exposure. The Olympics would have been amazing. It would have been spectacular. I have been on the World stage, had the National Anthem played, have that Gold medal around my neck, and had an amazing feeling. I can only imagine what it would have been like to have that at the Olympics. Right now, I don't see it.
You have been traveling in India for the Pro Panja League. How much craze have you seen among Indians for Arm Wrestling?
I shook a lot of hands since I came here and you guys got some really strong people around here.
What's the story behind your nick-name - 'The Monster'?
I was nicknamed 'The Monster' Michael Todd in 2006 at the National Arm-Wrestling event by Neil Pickup. He is a 2-time middleweight World Champion. We were sharing a room at Circa Circus in Las Vegas. I came out of the shower, and I had a towel around me. I had put on 20-30 pounds since he had last seen me. He was on the phone and I got out of the bathroom and he saw me and he went, 'oh my god, Michael Todd is a monster'. So, the next day he announced me as Michael 'Monster' Todd and that's how it started.