John Brzenk
John Richard Brzenk is a former professional armwrestler from the United States, who is often referred to as "the greatest armwrestler of all time". Over his career, he has won more than 500 championship titles.
Biography and accomplishments
John Brzenk's father, John Brzenk Sr., was an arm wrestler, and Brzenk says he gained some of his forearm size through genetics.Brzenk started his amateur career in the classroom, where he arm wrestled students across tables for five years. When he was in eighth grade, he broke his arm while armwrestling his father's friend, and has stated that this breakage increased his tendon strength significantly. Over the years, Brzenk has often been called "The Giant Crusher", "The Golden Boy", "G.O.A.T.", and the "Perfect Storm" for his ability to pin opponents twice his size.
Brzenk started his professional career in 1982, at the age of 18, where he won his first world title on ABC's 1983 Wide World of Sports. From 1982 to 2015, he only lost a single supermatch, and only a handful of people had beaten him in tournaments. Most of these losses occurred later during that time, when he was older. Two of his most prominent losses were to Alexey Voyevoda in 2004 and Devon Larratt in 2008, both of whom are considered legendary arm wrestlers.
Aside from arm wrestling, Brzenk works as a mechanic at Delta Air Lines. He says the job is non-physical so his arms get plenty of rest.
During his career he has competed for upwards of US$80,000.
Brzenk won championships in a number of different weight classes, including four world championships in the heavyweight division, and the middleweight world championship.
He also had an uncredited cameo in the 1987 Sylvester Stallone film Over the Top, and was the subject of the feature documentary Pulling John, directed by Vassiliki Khonsari and Sevan Matossian. The documentary chronicles Brzenk's legendary arm wrestling career by following him intimately for four years, during which he competes in global tournaments and ponders retiring from the sport he loves.
After defeating Marcio Barboza in the 2015 WAL Heavyweight Right-Handed Championship, Brzenk took an extended period of time off from armwrestling due to injuries.
Arm wrestling comeback
In 2018, Brzenk lost an attempted comeback match against Travis Bagent in Moldova. On July 31, 2021, Brzenk returned to arm wrestling full time by defeating Chance Shaw in a supermatch. On December 11 of the same year, Brzenk faced right-handed heavyweight title holder Devon Larratt at King of the Table 2. Despite Brzenk defeating Larratt in one of his most recent matches before his layoff from armwrestling, a bigger, stronger Larratt proved to be too much for Brzenk, who lost by a score of 4–0.On February 10, 2022, Brzenk made his debut at the international arm wrestling tournament East vs West 2 by defeating Khadzimurat Zoloev. This win allowed him to reclaim, at the age of 57, the world's top ranking in the 225 pound division. On May 21, at East vs West 3, Brzenk had a match against Zurab Tavberidze. Brzenk won this match by a score of 3–2.
On August 6, 2022, at East vs West 4, Brzenk was defeated in a right-handed supermatch with Kazakhstan armwrestler Kydyrgali Ongarbaev. On November 19 of the same year, in the next installment of East vs West, Brzenk defeated Oleg Petrenko in a right-handed supermatch in dominant fashion, 3–0.
On January 21, 2023, Brzenk participated in a fifth consecutive installment of East vs West, losing a hard-fought supermatch to Irakli Zirakashvili by a score of 3–2. The next month, on February 25, Brzenk had his toughest test to date, a match at KOTT 6 against Super Heavyweight Denis Cyplenkov, the former world #1 who had not had a match in four years due to health issues. Despite the long layoff, Cyplenkov did not look like he had lost any of his physical or table ability, defeating Brzenk by an almost effortless 6–0 score. On August 12, 2023, Brzenk lost 0–4 to Todd Hutchings at the AWC Reloaded event.
On September 23, 2023, Brzenk went against Alexey Voyevoda at King of the Table 8. This was a rematch of their historic first match in 2004, which Voyevoda won. Circumstances were different this time, as Voyevoda had not competed in years and was not as dominant as he had been. Brzenk won the match 4–2.
Brzenk announced his retirement after his match against Yoshinobu Kanai.
Physical statistics
Height: 5'11"Weight: Varies between 190 and 253 lbs, depending on competition classesStyle: VariesBiceps: 18.25inForearm:- * Right: 16.5in
- * Left: 13.5in
Notable matches
| Year | Opponent | Result | Hand | Outcome | Event |
| 2025 | Yoshinobu Kanai | Loss | Right hand | 0-3 | East vs West 17 |
| 2024 | Leonidas Arkona | Won | Right hand | 3-0 | East vs West 14 |
| 2024 | Krasimir Kostadinov | Loss | Right hand | 0-3 | East vs West 11 |
| 2023 | Sasho Andreev | Loss | Right hand | 0-5 | East vs West 10 |
| 2023 | Alexey Voevoda | Won | Right hand | 4-2 | KOTT 8 |
| 2023 | Todd Hutchings | Loss | Right hand | 0-4 | AWC Fight Night 2 |
| 2023 | Denis Cyplenkov | Loss | Right hand | 0-6 | KOTT 6 |
| 2023 | Irakli Zirakashvili | Loss | Right hand | 2-3 | East vs West 6 |
| 2022 | Oleg Petrenko | Won | Right hand | 3-0 | East vs West 5 |
| 2022 | Kydyrgali Ongarbaev | Loss | Right hand | 1-3 | East vs West 4 |
| 2022 | Corey West | Won | Right hand | 3-2 | Monster Factory 2 |
| 2022 | Zurab Tavbaridze | Won | Right hand | 3-2 | East vs West 3 |
| 2022 | Pavlo Derbedyenyev | Won | Right hand | 3-0 | Kentucky Muscle 2022 |
| 2022 | Engin Terzi | Won | Right hand | 3-0 | Hardanger Open 2022 |
| 2022 | Khadzimurat Zoloev | Won | Right hand | 3-0 | East vs West 2 |
| 2021 | Devon Larratt | Loss | Right hand | 0-4 | KOTT 2 |
| 2021 | Paul Linn | Won | Right hand | 3-0 | Virginia State Championships |
| 2021 | Dmitriy Kachan | Won | Right hand | 3-0 | Texas State Championships |
| 2021 | Chance Shaw | Won | Right hand | 3-1 | Dave Patton Classic |
| 2019 | Derek Smith | Won | Right hand | 3-0 | NAL Qualifier 2019 |
| 2018 | Sergey Patrikeev | Won | Right hand | 2-1 | WEA Grand Prix 2018 |
| 2018 | Petro Marharint | Loss | Right hand | 0-2 | WEA Grand Prix 2018 |
| 2018 | Aliaksandr Yankovski | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | WEA Grand Prix 2018 |
| 2018 | Travis Bagent | Loss | Right hand | 0-2 | Moldova Open Cup 2 |
| 2016 | Yoshinobu Kanai | Loss | Right hand | 0-2 | 2016 Japan Open in Sendai |
| 2015 | Andrey Pushkar | Loss | Right hand | 0-3 | A1 Russian Open 2015 |
| 2015 | Khadzhimurat Zoloev | Won | Right hand | 3-0 | A1 Russian Open 2015 |
| 2015 | Soslan Gassiev | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | A1 Russian Open 2015 |
| 2015 | Marcio Barboza | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | WAL Championships |
| 2015 | Devon Larratt | Won | Right hand | 2-1 | WAL Championships |
| 2015 | Matt Mask | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | WAL Western Region |
| 2015 | Tom Nelson | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | WAL Western Region |
| 2015 | Tom Nelson | Won | Left hand | 2-0 | WAL Western Region |
| 2015 | Matt Mask | Won | Left hand | 2-0 | WAL Western Region |
| 2015 | Matt Mask | Won | Right hand | 3-2 | UAL 9 |
| 2015 | Marcio Barboza | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | WAL Championship |
| 2015 | Devon Larratt | Won | Right hand | 6-0 | WAL Championship |
| 2014 | Michael Todd | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | UAL 8 |
| 2014 | Dave Chaffee | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | A1 Russian Open 2014 |
| 2014 | Andrey Pushkar | Loss | Right hand | 0-3 | A1 Russian Open 2014 |
| 2014 | Alexey Semerenko | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | A1 Russian Open 2014 |
| 2013 | Ryan Espey | Won | Left hand | 4-1 | Mayhem in the Mall 2013 |
| 2013 | Marcio Barboza | Loss | Left hand | 0-2 | UAL 4 |
| 2013 | Marcio Barboza | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | UAL 4 |
| 2013 | Krasimir Kostadinov | Loss | Right hand | 0-5 | Super Matches in Turkey |
| 2012 | Vasilli Dautashvili | Loss | Right hand | 2-4 | PAL Armfight #41 |
| 2012 | Terence Opperman | Won | Right hand | 5-1 | PAL Armfight #41 |
| 2012 | Dmitry Trubin | Loss | Right hand | 0-6 | PAL Armfight #41 |
| 2012 | Chris Chandler | Won | Left hand | 5-1 | UAL Demons of Destruction |
| 2011 | Terence Opperman | Won | Right hand | 4-2 | South Africa 2011 |
| 2011 | Terence Opperman | Draw | Left hand | 3-3 | South Africa 2011 |
| 2011 | Chris Chandler | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | UAL 2 |
| 2011 | Adis Turcinhodzic | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | UAL 2 |
| 2010 | Jerry Cadorette | Loss | Right hand | 1-2 | UAL 1 |
| 2010 | Rob Vigeant Jr | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | UAL 1 |
| 2010 | Chris Chandler | Won | Left hand | 2-0 | UAL 1 |
| 2010 | Rob Vigeant Jr | Won | Left hand | 2-0 | UAL 1 |
| 2010 | Arsen Liliev | Loss | Right hand | 2-3 | Istanbul International Friendship Night II |
| 2009 | Ron Bath | Won | Right hand | 3-0 | 2009 ROTN |
| 2009 | Rob Vigeant Jr | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | 2009 ROTN |
| 2009 | Travis Bagent | Loss | Left hand | 2-3 | 2009 ROTN |
| 2009 | Tom Nelson | Won | Left hand | 2-0 | 2009 ROTN |
| 2009 | Denis Cyplenkov | Won | Right hand | 5-1 | PAL Armfight #37 |
| 2009 | Tim Bresnan | Won | Right hand | 3-0 | NEAC VI |
| 2008 | Michael Todd | Won | Right hand | 6-0 | Arm Wars "Deep Water" |
| 2008 | Devon Larratt | Loss | Right hand | 0-6 | Arm Wars "Deep Water" |
| 2008 | Denis Cyplenkov | Won | Right hand | 5-1 | PAL Armfight #37 |
| 2008 | Dmitry Kochiev | Won | Right hand | 4-2 | PAL Armfight #34 |
| 2007 | Andrey Pushkar | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | Nemiroff World Cup 2007 |
| 2007 | Ion Oncescu | Won | Left hand | 2-0 | Nemiroff World Cup 2007 |
| 2007 | Taras Ivakin | Won | Right hand | 4-2 | PAL Armfight #30 |
| 2007 | Ion Oncescu | Won | Right hand | 5-1 | PAL Armfight #29 |
| 2007 | Giorgi Gelashvili | Won | Left hand | 2-0 | 2007 Mohegan Sun |
| 2007 | Marcio Barboza | Won | Right hand | 3-0 | NAL/Vyotech II |
| 2006 | Andrey Pushkar | Won | Right hand | 6-0 | PAL Armfight #27 |
| 2006 | Travis Bagent | Won | Right hand | 2-1 | 2006 JAWA Special East Tournament Match |
| 2006 | Yoshinobu Kanai | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | 2006 JAWA Special East Tournament Match |
| 2006 | Shigeki Kanai | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | 2006 JAWA Special East Tournament Match |
| 2005 | Alexey Semerenko | Won | Right hand | 5-1 | PAL Armfight #17 |
| 2005 | Todd Hutchings | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | Superstar Showdown 2 |
| 2005 | Taras Ivakin | Won | Right hand | 4-2 | PAL Armfight #15 |
| 2005 | Travis Bagent | Loss | Right hand | 0-2 | Ultimate Armwrestling II |
| 2005 | Todd Hutchings | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | Ultimate Armwrestling II |
| 2004 | Devon Larratt | Won | Right hand | 2-0 | SuperStar Showdown |
| 2004 | Alexey Voevoda | Loss | Right hand | 0-1 | Zloty Tur Cup |
| 2003 | Yoshinobu Kanai | Won | Right hand | 2-1 | 2003 JAWA Special Match |
| 1999 | Ron Bath | Won | Right hand | 1-0 | WAF Worlds 1999 |
| 1999 | Devon Larratt | Won | Right hand | 1-0 | WAF Worlds 1999 |
| 1983 | Dave Patton | Loss | Right hand | 2-0 | N/A |
Achievements
- A1 Russian Open
- AAA Stand-Up National
- Arnold Classic
- AWI World
- Carling O’Keefe International
- Forsa Tropical International
- GNC Pro Performance
- GOLDEN BEAR
- Harley Pull
- Main Event
- Mike Gould Classic
- Mohegan Sun PAC World
- Over the Top
- Reno Reunion
- ROTN
- Sands International Wrist Wrestling/Armwrestling
- Sherkston Beaches International
- SuperStar Showdown
- Ultimate Armwrestling
- Ultimate Armwrestling League
- USAA National Pro-Am
- USAF Unified National
- WAF World Armwrestling Championship
- WAL
- World Wristwrestling Championship
- WPAA World
- Yukon Jack National/World
- '''Zloty Tur/Nemiroff World Cup'''