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Find out what’s ‘Pulling John’
How does one confront his hero?
How about with hand chalk and a curled bicep, because that’s what the world’s most promising arm wrestlers need in their battle to dethrone John Brzenk.
Brzenk serves as the centerpiece of the arm wrestling documentary “Pulling John,” which debuted at SXSW. His prowess in pulling (the term commonly used by competitors when referring to the actual arm wrestling) has made Brzenk a legend, the Jordan or Gretzky of his sport. He tussled with Sly Stallone in 1987’s “Over the Top,” he’s held off all challengers for 25 years, and pullers across the globe speak of Brzenk in almost worshipful tones.
But time has crept on Brzenk, and a pair of promising pullers (Russia’s Alexey Voevoda and West Virginia’s Travis Bagent) seeks to take advantage during the 2004 world championships. Filmmakers Vassiliki Khonsari and Sevan Matossian delve into the background of Voevoda and Bagent during their hunt for glory, but they never stray too far from Brzenk. He shows humility compared to Bagent’s bluster; his grounded persona contrasts with Voevoda’s vaguely spacey Slavic spirituality.
To their credit, Khonsari and Matossian avoid favoring Brzenk and villainizing his competitors, although Matossian admitted after the film that they had grown fond of Brzenk and were rooting hard in the shadows.
Brzenk’s toughest foe is a familiar one for any athlete. Times change, and age saps away the ability. Brzenk’s strength hasn’t slipped since he took over the sport, but his cat-quick reflexes have dulled in the film. He relies on his will and wiliness as much as his muscle, and that makes for some anxious times during the tournament.
The filmmakers culled “Pulling John” from more than 600 hours, but they do not delve into the circumstances that made Brzenk particularly vulnerable in 2004. Tendonitis had plagued the champ for several years and had triggered thoughts of retirement. Brzenk admits during the film that he was “seeking a second wind.”
That second wind has apparently blown in. After struggling for a few years, Brzenk currently again sits comfortably atop the world of arm wrestling. It’s a fitting postscript but not one revealed in “Pulling John.”
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