Powerlifter turned bodybuilder turned strongman Larry Wheels added “arm wrestler” to his resume on Saturday, May 28, 2021. Unfortunately for Wheels, he hasn’t yet seen the same level of success in this sport as the others. The strength sports star took on the Aleksandr “Schoolboy” Beziazykov (aka Toproll) at King of the Table, a pay-per-view hosted by CoreSports, and came up short, losing all six matches. King of the Table took place the same day as the exhibition fight between Hafthor Björnsson and Simon Vallily, which fans could stream for free simply by signing up to CoreSports streaming service.
The rematch between Wheels and Toproll was undoubtedly one of the biggest draws of the entire card, as was the appearance of prolific arm wrestler Michael Todd. Both men are right-handed competitors. In their previous showdown, Schoolboy also defeated Wheels. Wheels wanted redemption now that he has had more training and competitive experience. The event was streamed on pay-per-view by CoreSports, and it was sanctioned by the World Armwrestling League (WAL).
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If you’re unfamiliar with the sport of arm wrestling, here’s a quick primer: Arm wrestling events feature a series of individual matches to determine a winner. Once the hands are clasped together, the referee commands the contestants to close the thumb, then the fingers, then they are given the “go” command to start. If the two athletes can’t maintain a proper grip, a strap is used to secure their wrists in place. Whoever makes the other man touch their hand or wrists to the pad located on the end of the table wins.
Even though Wheels has powerful arms, Toproll established his dominance early in the contest. He swept Wheels 6-0. Toproll’s skill and experience were glaring — Wheels just couldn’t overcome it. Schoolboy was so confident in his abilities that he even gave Wheels a chance to take him down in the final two matches of the series. None of the six matches took longer than 15 seconds.
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At only 21 years of age, Toproll is considered by many in the sport of arm wrestling as the future of that sport. Wheels, best known for his powerlifting career, has improved his skills in this sport significantly over the last several months. However, that improvement didn’t translate to results at the table on the big day. Both men shook hands in an act of good sportsmanship after the contest was over.
The main event of the evening featured Michael Todd — who has worked with Wheels at different times leading up to this event — against Devon “No Limits” Larratt, a matchup among right-handers that was considered among the biggest in the sport’s history. Todd defeated Larrett in 2018 by a count of three victories to two. This served as the rematch. This time, Larratt defeated Todd in another shutout, 5-0.
At this time the article was written, neither Wheels nor Toproll has commented on the event, and it’s not clear if and when Wheels plans to compete next.
Featured Image: @coresportsworld on Instagram
