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ABC Shows World Wristwrestling Championship Footage During LLWS Coverage Because, Why Not?

The Little League World Series continued today on ABC, with Goodlettsville, Tennessee taking on Petaluma, California. In the bottom of the third inning with Tennessee leading 4-3, ABC cut to some retro footage tangentially related to the game, but directly related to our viewing pleasure: the World Wristwrestling Championship.

Your very brief history of wristwrestling: Way back in 1952, Bill Soberanes, a young journalist, founded wristwrestling as an official sport and headed up the inaugural World Wristwrestling championship (one word, because, why not) which took place in Petaluma. In 1969 our ABC friends became their official broadcasting partners. (Wristwrestling is the same as armwrestling, although it’s difficult to determine when the title switch was made.) Today, tournaments occur all over the world with participants broken down by weight, handedness and gender.

For a handy list of the wristwrestling/armwrestling rules, click here. A few highlights, before you dive into the video, which features one of those championships and an exhausted guy named Bill Sherman:

Competitors are allowed one minute total to arrive at table. Competitors will receive call number one, then call number two thirty seconds later. Failure to report will result in loss.

What if you’re peeing, or something?

Stickum, rosin, or chalk is permitted. No ammonia/smelling salts or any other substance will be allowed in competition area or at table.

NO PEDs.

Without prejudice, any competitor wearing an artificial limb may not remove the limb to weigh in.

Wouldn’t that just be cheeky.

There are really too many gems to cover, so let’s go over a few: the kneeling referee, who just can’t quite reach the cookie jar, and happens to look like Will Ferrell from behind. The hair. Of everyone. And mustaches. Oh god, the hair and mustaches. The screaming grandma. And of course the winner, Bill Sherman, who passes out after his glorious victory, and might just be John. C Reilly. Good job, good effort.

Video via CJ Fogler

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