President's Bulletin:
Updated 1st December 2025
95 entries for the Left arm & 108 for the right in Pro Nationals were overseen by IFA Master Refs Judy, Paulina & Darius who also helped our referee team develop with a seminar, feedback & advice. Reffing isn't easy - it takes some dedication & perseverance to do it well & our domestic team has grown & improved year on year. Similarly the scoring team have a lot of expectation & hope hanging over them. We are lucky to have their patience & attention. Results for both days are up on the results page.
​
Some cracking matches over the weekend, my favourites:
The Left 95kg final between Adrian Popescu & Matteusz Matuszczak who fought with every fibre to overcome each other. A supermatch between these pair would be interesting for sure.
​
The right 78kg final between Anthony Sandall & Connor Zuccotti was exciting. I first met Connor Zuccotti at a Club Torture training day & remember him entering the Pro Nationals in 2021 as a novice. He came 3rd in the u65kg class (see the results page of 2021 -2024). At his next appearance a few months later I wrongly assumed he would still pull novices - he said, "No, I'm just pulling pros now." That year, 2022 he won his class at Pro Nationals. He doesn't boast, or bore us to death with an internet presence. He turns up, pulls & quietly wins a lot. If he loses, he trains harder & comes back stronger. He is one of the people I really admire. When I started the Warzone back in 2023 a lot of people said it was a ridiculous idea & unfair on the lighter weight guys. Connor said "I could win that." He made the final in the first one at Woodthorpe & is a force in his category - with plenty more time to improve further. Anthony Sandall is someone I've also watched closely since he first arrived as part of Hightower's Spalding Steel Arms team. Always cheerful & calm he's another young chap without any fluff or fanfare, improving each time he appears, taking losses without excuses & the aim to progress. His match against Connor showed he has arrived. I'm sure we will all enjoy them battling fiercely in years to come.
Warzone Graduate Dane Colvin gained bronze in the under 95kgs on right & was another of the original Warzone competitors when it started & a regular attender since. It was good to see him making the progression onto the podium too.
​​
The return of Garry Ricketts was also worth noting & having him & one of our other Hall of Famers Alan Greaves presenting medals was something special.
​​
Sergii Saraiev, Mantas Daunekis & Tom Holland had some notable wars in the Left Overall Warzone with Jim Beech & Mark Waldon showing their mettle too. Getting those five together was something special. The Right overalls had a different dynamic - Murray Whitehead, Jason Brooks, James Price & the ever enthusiastic Iaon Anitulesei all had some fight in them when the rest had decided it was time to pack in & go home.
​​​
Hall of Famer Alan Greaves pulled two names out of the President's Hat this year - Levon Mahseredjian & Dan Sheppard get free entry to anything the PAA puts on in 2026 - they paid a membership which reduces the entry fee of £40 to £25 for the calendar year so it saves money after the 2nd entry.
​​
Lots of laughs too this weekend - I got a mug from a mug, Karolina & I decided to follow the fashion lead set by Oto Fogelmanis & a few johnny come lately's did very well for themselves in the Superheavyweight class. Anyone wanting to congratulate Hamza Mezouari, Tom Wilson, Steve Kirlew & Daniel Gilly might think about buying them each an alarm clock. Perhaps ARMGODS could sell one on their shop page? Two hurt feelings report forms were issued, there would of been more but they have run out. In their absence I gave out the paaethicscommittee@gmail.com contact which can be used to send detailed complaints about me or anything else to.
​​​​
And...relax. Armgods continue their Ultimate Armwrestler series with a big card in two weeks - see www.armgods.com for details of how to watch it. I'll be there hanging about & in the New Year UdezumouUK (or Uzimodo as Chopper Haddock & Odin like to call it) is the first opportunity to work off the excesses of Christmas before the Pinkertons Irish Open & the proper start of the Warzone Season in February. Want to own the 2026 ROADWARRIOR WARZONE belt like Reuben Hughes won this year? Details of it all will be updated & released soon.
​​​​
See you down the road.