Resolution criteria

The match will take place at East vs West 23 in Cologne, Germany on April 18, 2026. Resolution will be determined by the official match result published on the EVW Sports website (https://evwsports.com/) or Gold's Arm (https://www.goldsarm.com/). The winner is whoever wins the majority of rounds in the best-of-5 format. If the match is cancelled or does not occur, the market resolves N/A.

Background

Brian Shaw is a four-time World's Strongest Man champion standing at 6'8" and weighing over 400 pounds. He ventured into armwrestling in 2024 upon retirement from strongman in 2023. Shaw has one prior arm wrestling match, having beaten Eddie Hall in late 2024.

Leonidas Arkona is a physically gifted athlete in the European arm wrestling scene known for his hybrid training style blending bodybuilding, powerlifting, and functional strength, with arm wrestling technique honed under top-tier European coaching. Arkona is a powerlifter with a 2,000lb total and holder of Germany's strict curl record, with wins over Larry Wheels and "Schoolboy" Aleksandr Beziazykov.

Considerations

Shaw enters as the physical giant while Arkona stands as Germany's undisputed arm wrestling titan with a home-soil edge. Arkona has competed in the Munich venue six times previously and understands every nuance of the environment, with the familiar setting and supportive crowd combining to create optimal conditions. Arm wrestling is not just about brute strength—it's a strategic game of speed, angles, tendon conditioning, and explosive coordination.

This description was generated by AI.