Both athletes have a unique power, and have won ​​several prestigious titles and awards. There is no doubt that these two pullers are the strongest people in the world. But think about the possible consequences of their potential match, that is, what will happen once these titans of armwrestling confront each other.

As long as the match does not take place, it will be referred to as “quite possible”. This means that the whole world will actively participate in discussions and debates about the likely match, and the interest in these pullers will grow. However, I would argue that the world of armwrestling may witness a day on which the interest in the brightest representatives of our sport wanes. To understand why, let’s imagine that the most awaited match in the world has occurred.

If he won, Denis Cyplenkov would come to the top of world armwrestling. Practically, this would mean that no one would be able to challenge Denis. So the question is: who would like to challenge the best puller in the world to a duel? Maybe Oleg Zhoh would gain weight so as to be able to fight with Denis on the left hand? Maybe John Brzenk, the legend of armwrestling, would return to form? Maybe Richard Lupkes would get a grip on himself, as it was the case during his match against Cyplenkov at the Arnold Classic? Or maybe Andrey Pushkar would finally smash his outspoken opponent’s hand to the table?

One thing is sure – a lot of time would pass before the match could take place. I fear, however, that in the meantime the world armwrestling would disappear as it was the case with boxing. One of the most popular sports practically disappeared from television screens as the audience got tired of constantly watching fights of the same boxing stars. It took boxing a few years to attract the attention of viewers again, but restoring boxing to its former glory has failed. The conclusion is that once the interest in a particular sport expires, viewers tend to direct their attention to other sports, full of spectacular effects, such as the Ultimate Fighting and Muay Thai. Besides, armwrestling has never been number one in sports.

So let’s get back to our fictional future when Denis Cyplenkov dominates the world armwrestling. As you know, the most interesting matches are those for the right to be number one, but when the same athlete keeps winning, the eyes of all turn to struggles for 2 and 3 places.But it’s a secondary phenomenon. Even if a match is exciting, the viewer will be able to predict its result, in this case Cyplenkov’s win. This predictability may cause the interest of fighting with Denis to die a natural death. This scenario is very likely. The only question is how long we will wait for it to unfold.

But let’s come back to reality. When analyzing this situation we cannot ignore the psychological factor, that is, once a group is interested in a particular case, relatives associated with it also delve into the essence of the event. Thus, as long as the match Larratt vs. Cyplenkov is expected, it will remain topical.

Imagine we’re in the U.S. An American is browsing the Internet in search of information on both athletes - Devon and Denis. Let’s assume that Cyplenkov is famous, but not as famous as Larratt. And here’s what may happen. Denis is analyzing his rivals, studying their style of fighting and suddenly spots a puller who’s ranked very high, for example, let it be Ivan Matyushenko. The American viewer learns more about the athlete, perhaps even becomes his fan, after all such situations happen in real life. Then he tells his friends about the new idol. I remind you again about the psychological aspect. Thus, our imaginary character can talk with his friends about Ivan Matyushenko’s past matches and accomplishments.

However, I do not think you have to wait for the match to attract the attention of fans and viewers. Conventional wisdom has it that we should always act with moderation, and armwrestling is no exception.
On the one hand, the outcome of the situation may be that a new contender for first place will emerge. On the other hand, it may take too long for him to enter the armwrestling stage and as a result, the interest of armwrestling matches may wane. There is a third option, which I have not mentioned yet: the victory of Devon. It is unlikely that he would easily beat Cyplenkov, so fans would want the two pullers to lock arms on the table again. The match would be interesting until a new armwrestling star entered the stage. Exactly the same scenario could unfold if Denis defeated Devon.

My conclusion is that armwrestling will not die as long as the match is even and unpredictable and, the chance for a rematch is likely.
Across the ocean much noise can be caused by a comeback of the best pullers including Alexey Voyevoda, Rustam Babaev and Arsen Liliev. Come what may, we have to wait. Wait and believe that it will do the athletes and our sport good.

Artur Grigorjan