In this article the Pull Daily analyst reviews the match between “No Limits” Devon Larratt and the armwrestling legend Ivan Matyushenko, covering the technical and mental aspects of a highly anticipated match that ended in a 4-0 victory for Devon.
Devon Was Not Sure Before the Match
Devon said multiple times before the match that he was not confident he could beat Ivan on the left arm, and that doubt came from his understanding of the game and from the quality of armwrestling Ivan has shown against left arm elites like Alizhan Moratov, Artyom Morozov and Rino Masic, along with his long record in the WAF and other well known international tournaments.
Ivan Was Hesitant as Well
Devon was unsure whether he could deal with the sheer raw strength Ivan brings to the table, yet Ivan looked even less confident than Devon himself, and the way he talked about this match made it clear he did not know how to deal with an open arm toproll of Devon’s caliber. His uncertainty made sense because Ivan relies on cupping to access his strongest lane, while Devon’s entire strategy is to destroy his opponent’s cup with that open arm toproll and his king’s move.
Ivan has rarely lost his wrist, and when he has, he has never managed to win from the bent back position, so he went into this match knowing in the back of his head that Devon would take his wrist and that the only open questions were where and when. The location decides almost everything, because if Devon takes your wrist in the center of the table the match is nearly over unless you change something dramatically, while a wrist bent near the pin pad can still be finished with an extra bit of side pressure.
Ivan Lacked the Technical Versatility
Ivan did cup Devon in the first round and hold him there, but he never went sideways because he feared losing his wrist. Devon capitalized by kicking back his own wrist to engage his pronation, which let him attack Ivan’s cup even more violently.
Had Ivan surged sideways at that point without caring about his wrist, he would have brought Devon extremely close to the pin pad, and from there the only thing that could have finished the job is a flop press, which Ivan did not have. A cupper who will not attack sideways and cannot finish with a flop press has a single lane, and Devon knew exactly how to close it.
Mental Pressure on Ivan
Competing against Devon is never easy, since the trash talk, the mind games, the anticipation around the match and the number of fans cheering for him make it almost impossible to stay mentally calm. Ivan felt that pressure build as the match got closer, and it added to the hesitation already visible in the way he spoke about the match.
What do you think Ivan could have done to give Devon a much better fight? Let us know in the comments.
