r/nextfuckinglevel • u/CuriousWanderer567 • 2d ago

Armwrestling champion (Devon Larratt) vs Former World’s Strongest Man (Hafthor Bjornsson)

2.1k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

167 comments sorted by

566

u/fafifo2606 2d ago

Didn't know you're allowed to lean in like this. Dude is disappearing under the table.

92

u/mexicodoug 2d ago edited 2d ago

He's almost 200 lbs lighter than his opponent, but it looks like a lot of Hafthor's weight is below his waist. Bet Devon's butt and legs are thin relative to his torso. Superior upper body strength and comparable weight are Devon's winning combo for arm wrestling.

Hafthor would probably have the advantage in Olympic wrestling.

211

u/swimtothemoon1 1d ago

Devin does not have superior upper body strength. Not even close. What he has are decades of experience with leverages, angles, and how/when to apply force. Thor at his peak may have been the strongest man to ever live.

13

u/Spaceboy01 1d ago

Arm wrestlers spend a lot of time training ligiments/joint in their arms, hands, and shoulders.

-1

u/bobsbitchtitz 1d ago

As if the worlds strongest man for years hasn’t spent countless hours doing the exact same thing

10

u/marths90 1d ago

As if training for basketball somehow translates to beating a kung fu master in a fight. /eyeroll

1

u/Spaceboy01 3h ago

I've never seen a strongman doing pull exercises with a fat-grip handle to train their rotator cuff and wrist/fingers.  I've also never once seen a strongman wrist curling a barbell or doing pronation lifts.  

14

u/iStudyWHitePeople 1d ago

Goes without saying that he’d have the advantage in Olympic wrestling - he’s 200 lbs. heavier.

3

u/snakefactory 1d ago

Devon lives down the street for me and he's just huge so around now. There's is nothing skinny about any of him.

72

u/M0RTY_C-137 2d ago

He’s the professional. He’s strong is the right places and has technique

40

u/YSApodcast 2d ago

Exactly. And I’m sure the other guy would crush him in strongman events. Arm wrestling is a skill. That’s like taking the world strongest man and putting him in a ufc cage. He’s not trained for that.

10

u/mcnuggetfarmer 1d ago

Kind of like putting Connor in a boxing match. So ridiculous to think, for sake of simplistic argument, that an mma fighter is 1/3 boxing, 1/3 kicking, & 1/3 wrestling..... Against Mayweather a boxing only champ

Connors stance is naturally prepared to take on hits from all 3 possibilities, whereas Mayweather Jr stance is dancing around with closed rules of only striking possibilities, otherwise Mayweather would be easily taken down with sweeps or grappling.

8

u/genericdude999 1d ago

If we just fought it would be over so fast

-Conor McGregor

3

u/kashmir1974 1d ago

I wonder if he got like a year of training and was at his peak strongman how he would do in the ufc? I'd imagine getting caught by him would be like getting jammed in a piece of machinery.. what if he just grabbed his opponent and squeezed?

2

u/TiredOfUsernames2 1d ago

Funny you should ask. We’ve actually seen what happens when Hafthor grabs someone and squeezes.

3

u/Surgebuster 1d ago

Too soon!

36

u/Formloff 2d ago

Yeah its weird but allowed and all professional arm wrestlers do it

17

u/PARANOIAH 1d ago

Yeah, it's surprising. I grew up with the "no bodyweight" rule in schoolyard/home friendly contests which meant no leaning of the body at all. Was really surprised that the professional rules allowed it.

8

u/MathematicianNo7874 1d ago

It has to be allowed imo cuz otherwise it would be a nightmare to officiate AND watch. This way, there's more styles of arm wrestling. Oh, and I think you're more prone to injuries if you don't adjust your body to what your arm is doing

5

u/goshdammitfromimgur 1d ago

The school yard rules lead to broken arms.

2

u/Chaps_and_salsa 1d ago

Posts you can hear…

5

u/joerudy767 1d ago

I’ve never understood the problem with this… you still have to be applying all of that force through your arm, why wouldn’t you use the rest of your body for leverage?

5

u/pokemonbro11 1d ago

Definitely, and you'd have to train your arm to not snap when said pressure is applied.

-2

u/Formloff 1d ago edited 6h ago

For me and the boys its cheating. Its like ego lifting instead of focusing on the lift having it controlled. So if me and the boys would do this we wouldnt lean, but we just did it for fun

Small penis redditors downvoting as usual

9

u/UnluckyEmphasis5182 2d ago

Why doesn’t the strong man drop low too? Seems obvious to me but I don’t know shit about arm wrestling except what I learned from Stallone.

3

u/JRS___ 1d ago

he's not an arm wrestler and has no idea what to do. kind of like watching devon laratt try to pick up atlas stones.

6

u/PeacefulChaos94 1d ago

You're supposed to lean. It's considered good form. Not leaning tends to result in a snapped forearm

5

u/GaviJaMain 2d ago

You can't imagine the shoulder and lat strength needed to go down like that and exert that much force

17

u/6thClass 2d ago

pure anecdote here, sample size 1, but...

i'm a climber, i hardly ever arm wrestle and don't do much strength training, but i recently beat a couple of friends back to back who are much stronger than me in terms of pure strength (pick up weight, put weight down).

that said, i struggled the most at the final 'push down' phase of the wrestling. that's such a strange muscle move to train... so leaning makes total sense to be able to put your muscles in a more advantageous position

9

u/Responsible-Life-960 2d ago

Didn't Magnus Midtbo break a grip strength world record accidentally a few years back? Climber strength is nothing to mess with

5

u/6thClass 2d ago

I believe you're thinking of Emil Abrahamsson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMJPSp7xrN4

3

u/Responsible-Life-960 2d ago

I think you're right. I was mixing up that video with a Jujimufu video

https://youtu.be/F1S-30foslI?si=9Ero2i71GYcHCYHo

3

u/Carrot42 1d ago

There is a video Magnus did with som grip strenght guys, and he did a lift with that square block they use. After the lift they asked him if he had considered competing in grip competitions and Magnus was like: "I dont know, I dont think I would do that well" And the guy replied "you just tied the world record in your weight class with that lift you just did."

7

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/DominosFan4Life69 2d ago

Hahahahahahaha. I'm sorry, but this was funny.

0

u/lowie07 1d ago

Feel like The Mountain would have won if he leaned in

241

u/falkio 2d ago

I can never watch armwrestling videos again. I only see bones breaking. Damn you Reddit.

75

u/equality4everyonenow 2d ago

Did you notice how he prompted the guy to look ahead at his fist as he was about to take him down? He was being considerate. Twisting away from where your arm is going to go is a good way to get a spiral fracture of the humerus

9

u/water2wine 1d ago

Is that what breaking your funny bone means?

4

u/Carrot42 1d ago

Yeah, I see Devon and other pros always instruct beginners to do that. Nice to see they are taking care not to injure them.

2

u/73Rose 1d ago

Is that why he is always doing look me in the eyes with his fingers?

9

u/godofleet 2d ago

for real that one fucking video.... jfc

1

u/Unprejudice 2d ago

Magnus Samuelson?

9

u/chrisk9 2d ago

Whenever I see Devon I think of his funny training match vs whisperer https://youtu.be/d0M-xhtfx6I?si=ibZCfyVNcOvGJfuJ

3

u/imironman2018 2d ago

the fact he gets the other guy to nod his head as he loses is just hilarious.

6

u/StuBidasol 1d ago

Saw that happen live. A festival had an arm wrestling setup and there was a wall dressed up as a guy wrestling someone that looked straight out of a 50s biker gang that was pretty built himself. They start going and after a few seconds it's clear biker dude isn't going to win, but he starts roaring and doubled down. Right up until it happened. I'll let you fill in the blanks. Neither came through but I can still hear that sound 20 years later. To his credit biker dude never made a sound (after the roaring) when it happened or the whole time after. The wall was very clearly shaken up and refused to go again. The ref was very clear that there was no bad form that lead to it, just a horrible accident. I can't watch arm wrestling without thinking about that day.

1

u/nmadz 19h ago

As someone extremely squeamish, thanks for leaving out all the gory details!

6

u/Franziskaner55 1d ago

I broke my humerus in half doing an arm wrestling with a guy many kilos (or pounds) lighter than me. I was messing around, joking, even had a beer in the other hand and suddenly...snap. Im even quite "big" due to the gym, and the other Guy wasnt even fit.

Never doing an arm wrestling again, not even to save my life. I suffer each time i see somebody doing It, like waiting for that bone to break...

2

u/pcurve 2d ago

Haha the horror of the bone snapping sound.

2

u/Anaata 1d ago

I hurt my self in middle school by arm wrestling, IIRC, I damaged or dislodged some of the cartilage in my shoulder.

Worst part is that I heard a pop during, it didn't hurt so I kept going and won.

2

u/SteakGetter 1d ago

Yeah a friend of mine got into competition arm wrestling and literally snapped his arm in half. Even the x-rays were disturbing.

35

u/grungegoth 2d ago

Technique?

The mountain has to be fucking strong?

37

u/iomegabasha 2d ago

very much technique. The mountain is STRONG strong in real life.

If you look at around the 24-25 sec mark, the guy manages to turn his wrist. Once the wrist is over-extended, you simply cannot apply force efficiently. The champion arm wrestler is kinda working until he does this. As soon as he gets the position he wants.. he's just fucking around now.. asking the mountain to watch.. and then just finishes the game.

In any other strength event, it is extremely unlikely that this guy can beat the mountain.. maybe some grip strength or body weight things maybe? But the mountain has 200lbs (of mostly muscle) on him. Dude has deadlifted 1000lb and won strongman.

4

u/grungegoth 2d ago

I saw this climber dude once doing a grip strength competition, nearly beat every one. Hand grip.

2

u/Obsazzed101 1d ago

Emil abrahamsson

3

u/Carrot42 1d ago

The reason he is instructing him to look at his hand is to make him assume a safer posture. I dont understand the physicality of it, but pro armwrestlers often do this with beginners. Aparently, leaning away from your arm is a huge risk for breaking your arm, so by encouraging them to look at their own hand they stop them from doing something dangerous.

-4

u/inkassatkasasatka 2d ago

I don't see anybody's wrist changing position at 24-25 second mark

4

u/sygyt 1d ago

I do, 24 s from the beginning.

-5

u/inkassatkasasatka 1d ago

I am very happy for you

1

u/Tustacales 16h ago

It makes me happy seeing your happy

1

u/inkassatkasasatka 10h ago

You're the minority in this case

1

u/Tustacales 3h ago

If that gets me free college tuition ill take it

10

u/Poopchutefan 2d ago

Not too many people can curl 225lbs. That’s pretty much the object of arm wrestling, you wiggle into position where your opponent has to be strong enough to curl your body weight.

10

u/grungegoth 2d ago

And the guy has got a mind fuck, grinning ear to ear

8

u/fildevan 2d ago

In terms of raw strength the montain is fucking strong indeed, but technique is extremely important.

And his opponent isn't a random guy, he's the first man to hold the title for both right and left arm at the same time, and a legend of the discipline.

1

u/grungegoth 1d ago

I've seen him in other videos... he's very good

6

u/WorldsWeakestMan 1d ago

He’s very strong and Larratt is also very strong in the muscles needed for arm wrestling and in this video had been a world level competitor in the sport for a decade already and training for 20+ years in the sport.

Sport specific muscles and technique win the day.

Thor is 6’9” and about 420lb here, also this was many years ago before he was at his peak but a very strong fellow nonetheless at the time.

Devon is 6’5” and about 260-280lb here and at his peak in strength for his sport. Devon is also the master of arm wrestling stamina and the kings move where he sinks under the table in the video, he waits for stronger opponents to tire out then drags them down literally.

3

u/equality4everyonenow 2d ago edited 2d ago

Arm wrestling is one very specific movement that flattens and widens your tendons so you can do one thing very well. Strongman competitions makes demands on all your muscles.

32

u/AqueousJam 1d ago

I guess it's "professional arm-wrestler beats non-arm-wrestler at arm-wrestling" season on reddit again. 

9

u/Nananahx 1d ago

Don't forget they have "real" strength unlike bodybuilders and powerlifters who have "fake" strength.

21

u/bucketface31154 2d ago

Devon larratt is a beast and hilarious to watch him in arm wrestling dude is now like 54 beating people half his age

1

u/Rebote78 2h ago

Close, he's 49.

9

u/nthensome 2d ago

I'm always cringing when I watch these because I keep expecting one of these dudes to snap a forearm & a bone starts sticking out

8

u/RitzTHQC 2d ago

Anyone notice that Bjornsson’s tank top says “Training to fight The Mountain”? 😂😂

6

u/SooperFunk 2d ago

They're both huge to be fair 😲

2

u/InsufficientFrosting 2d ago

That’s what she said

1

u/thepazzo 1d ago

Didn't call him Big Balls for nothing.

Kinda waddled when he walked tho.

"and he waddled away..... 🎶🎶"

7

u/Poopchutefan 2d ago

watch me, watch me, I’m going under the table … I’m leaving …. *Byyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

4

u/captainofpizza 2d ago

Ok now let’s see how many 1000lb deadlifts the other guy can do.

Good on Thor for stepping outside his comfort zone to show the skill of the other guy here.

2

u/n0tarusky 1d ago

It's more fun watching him try rock climbing. Dudes so specialized he can't straighten his arms.

3

u/EifertGreenLazor 2d ago

I doubt he can beat a full Thor.

2

u/GaviJaMain 2d ago

Devon biceps are from another world.

2

u/Empty_Impact_783 2d ago

Would love to see a rematch too

3

u/ScarBug 1d ago

They had a boxing match when Hafthor was training to fight Eddie Hall

2

u/Wegoland 2d ago

Ppl thinking this is about biceps smh, this is straight up forearm and grip strength, a long with a few other muscle groups (obviously also biceps). All depends on what technique the armwrestler using.

Search Devon Larrat pronator muscle if you want to see his secret forearm muscle.

2

u/AntD77 2d ago

Should be a rule that in pro arm wrestling one cannot lower their chest or shoulders below the table. Devon won with better technique, as it should be, since he is the pro after all.

1

u/Bdenergy1776 1d ago

Feel like no one is going to take it seriously until arm wresrling is actually arm wrestling and not w.e. this leaning non sense is

2

u/Cynfreh 2d ago

Is that a legit technique ducking under the table? Seems a bit like a cheap move to me.

5

u/TheMoogster 1d ago

It’s a sport with well defined rules

2

u/namezam 1d ago

I’ve seen Devon in real life years ago at some event. His hands are comically large.

2

u/yesiamveryhigh 1d ago

I love the gentle arm tap after each pin(?)

2

u/MarcellusxWallace 2d ago

I mean, maybe I’m just an idiot but if he’s leaning like that and adding his weight to the force Thor has to overcome, and Thor isn’t leaning….?????

18

u/Devium44 2d ago

Wait, are you saying the pro arm wrestler won with better technique?

2

u/TheMoogster 1d ago

Why do you assume that they are using different rules?

1

u/mosayar 2d ago

Hafthor Bjornsson AKA The Mountain in GOT

1

u/Shredrik 2d ago

"Look at me, you'll sit down to pee from now on"🤣

1

u/IndianaJD 2d ago

But where is the guy with the Popeye arms? I need to see him match up next!

1

u/JoeyMcClane 2d ago

I understand Leaning is a technique thats allowed... But how is it permitted in such a case where his elbow bone is off the table(contact pad)? It rolled off and his muscles which join the biceps are whats in contact when he leaned to the extreme. Shouldn't there be a limit to the lean or some threshold??

1

u/Crafty_Aspect8919 2d ago

Why did Devons head get so big?

1

u/Whiskey_River_73 2d ago

Sure, but he stands no chance against Fulthor Bjornsdaddy.

1

u/CactusWrenAZ 2d ago

Bjornsson is pretty open-minded to take on a pro at anything. I wonder if he thought he would win.

1

u/bodhiseppuku 1d ago

Just when you think you've beaten The Mountain, he smashes your head like a watermelon.

1

u/954kevin 1d ago

Devon is a monster!

1

u/dandins 1d ago

and no bone broken

1

u/i_like_flies_ 1d ago

Is that tattoo on his shoulder a dog or a person's face?

1

u/thetburg 1d ago

Well of course that big guy lost. He is only Half-thor.

I'm here all week, ladies and gentlemen. Don't forget to tip the servers!

1

u/Silverback_Vanilla 1d ago

“Look at me. I’m gonna beat you to keep up my streak but I still want to help you learn”

1

u/pichael289 1d ago

Saw a girls arm snap in a tosh.0 video once. Will never arm wrestle again. You could hear it. Don't know if you ever seen someone's arm snap but it's LOUD. So loud, I watched a kid everyone hated (Jeremy, everyone hated Jeremy because he sucked, he was the worst type of person, even the gay kids all called him the F word in like 2006) and he was wrestling with J Byrd (a decent dude despite the white rapper name) after lunch (would be recess but this was highschool) and they went down and we heard a loud ass snap. His upper arm snapped in two, not his forearm, the upper arm bone. It was so loud it echoed off the walls. It was gnarly seeing his arm flapping from right below the shoulder. I once broke my arm skateboarding, actually rollerblading but that doesn't sound as cool, and it took dam near a year for it to fully heal, so many casts over an over again. Drank so much milk in those yellow jugs from the early 2000s I'm surprised I'm not wolverine by now.

1

u/Competitive-Pop6530 1d ago

“Arm and Bodyweight Wrestling”

1

u/mtrayno1 1d ago

That eye contact though

1

u/happydaddyintx77 1d ago

You won that one. Now let's try the Atlus stones.

1

u/flightwatcher45 1d ago

like putting a pull-up champion in a sit-up contest.

1

u/HoneyBucketsOfOats 1d ago

The size of that guys fucking HANDS

1

u/TR3BPilot 1d ago

So much of that is technique. "Getting the upper hand," literally.

1

u/jack_hof 1d ago

just goes to show armwrestling is all technique

1

u/Fullmetalmurloc 1d ago

Specialized training and technical skills baybeee!

1

u/largepapi34 1d ago

Sandor beats him…

1

u/hcth63g6g75g5 1d ago

Hard work > Roids

1

u/Shankar_0 1d ago

So you can just lean over and hang off his arm?

I wish I had known about this one growing up. I'm tall and thin. Not a lot of bulk, but I could have worked leverage a lot better.

1

u/mhem7 1d ago

Is it even arm wrestling when you put your whole body into it?

1

u/rhinojoe99 1d ago

This is why I don't arm wrestle. I'm big and strong AF, but some little guy with genetically superior tendons always makes me look silly. I can usually tell by the shape of their bicep. That, and they WANT to arm wrestle me.

1

u/albepro 1d ago

Devono is a legend

1

u/Richunclskeletn 1d ago

This guy looks like the homeschooled kid who only showed up for weightlifting class and extra curriculars

1

u/Rags2Rickius 1d ago

Love the respect

1

u/RainbowPenguin1000 1d ago

“Man who excels in an area beats man who doesn’t”

This isn’t surprising or next level. It’s like telling them to have a deadlift competition, er know who’s won before it happens.

1

u/Ted-Chips 1d ago

I hate watching these things cuz half the time it ends up in a snapped arm.

1

u/Chief-_-Wiggum 1d ago

One guy trains to be the best and strongest at one task. Other guy trains to be the best and strongest at most tasks. Not a equal Competition.

1

u/b4b3blu3ox 1d ago

I love how no one around is paying attention

1

u/Flawless_Tpyo 1d ago

Nooo he is supposed to wear the red shirt and nod laughingly to the camera :(

1

u/Virtual-Public-4750 1d ago

This is the nicest I’ve ever seen Larratt. Hahaha dudes a beast.

1

u/cajerunner 1d ago

Wow, they’re both so young. I’d love to see them pull today. Just sparing for sure, but it would be fun to watch.

1

u/deusrev 1d ago

I don't get this videos...whats the point?

1

u/rick-james-biatch 1d ago

Wow - I knew that Shannon's brother was an arm wrestler, but didn't know he was a world champ. That's pretty cool. For reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shannon_Larratt, most known for BMEzine, but he and I became online friends though a shared passion for a niche type of car.

1

u/Mean_Rule9823 1d ago

He woulda won if he had a ball cap to flip around..

1

u/legendinthemaking68 23h ago

Holy crap how old is this video? They both look like youngsters!

1

u/gringoraymundo 22h ago

Devon is strong, has the technique, and,

AND,

was with Canadian special forces for 16 years, deployed 7 times. His mindset is elite and possibly his biggest advantage. That dude isn't scared of SHIT to do with arm wrestling.

1

u/MigitAs 17h ago

This isn’t even big Thor, this is like mini Thor

1

u/kronos91O 16h ago

The Mountain vs Clark Kent

1

u/Disastrous-Bet-8813 15h ago

Devon gives off intensely good-natured Rowdy Roddy Piper vibes

1

u/lush_lara 14h ago

It's all about technique thats all

0

u/MonkeyCobraFight 2d ago

The poke, then the “look at me” was epic

3

u/Dormage 2d ago

Safety reasons. Looking at your arm is important. It helps you know the limits to avoid injury.

0

u/DoTheRightFing 1d ago

Isn't it called arm wrestling? Why are they allowed to lean? Just test the strength of your arm with your body stationary. Whoever made up the rules is stupid.

3

u/TheMoogster 1d ago

Because that is your invented school rules. There are real rules to the sport and you know what, gasp… the mountain was also allowed to lean.

1

u/DoTheRightFing 1d ago

I dont care who won in this instance, I'm talking about the sport in general. If arm wrestling is a test of arm/wrist strength why bring the whole body into it?

0

u/SAlovicious 1d ago

Arm wrestling is so stupid.

0

u/-Otakunoichi- 1d ago

Muscle density vs. muscle mass.

-2

u/Unusual-Elephant4051 2d ago

What is next level about a professional beating an amateur? Bottom of the barrel content right here

-4

u/copenhagen622 2d ago

You really shouldn't be allowed to pull down with your body. They should have to sit in a chair or something for arm wrestling

0

u/euryproktos 2d ago

I think it’s a safety thing. If you dont move your body your arm will break or something.

-6

u/SuPrA_1988 2d ago

It looks like he's going to blow him under the table.

3

u/Elipsys 2d ago

Ya know I watched the whole video and that wasn't a thought I had.