THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH OVER THE TOP: PRO ARMWRESTLER REACTS 

Over The Top was in my opinion a very special "feel good 80's" movie, and a excellent arm wrestling film, that gets you pumped up every time you watch it! It wasn't just a generic "arm wrestling film", but a story of perseverance, family love, accomplishment and incredible courage. They SIMPLY DONT MAKE movies like that anymore!

If Devon were in this movie it would take at least 30 min of footage just to set a grip.

This film is the arm wrestling equivalent of the Rocky franchise, it gets you pumped to wrestle, lift weights and scream! 😂 Thank the Lord for making Stallone 💪🙏🏽🤣

Loved this as a kid. Me and my friends/brothers thought it was unlikely for a guy that size win the tournament We never knew John Brzenk then lol

This movie came out when I was in elementary school…Me and the rest of kids were all arm wrestling in the lunch room and in the library.

In the movie they said the final 4 went to single elimination

This film really gave this sport its credentials. In 88, when the biggest World Gym in Canada opened near Montreal, there was a professional arm wrestling table. Obviously everyone was trying it, everyone was suddenly an expert and everyone was trying the thumb thing. I tell ya, the 80s, Arnold and Stallone, the fitness madness, clothing and hair fashion... I'm so happy to have experienced it!

"back to my youth" is right. I remember arm wrestling my dad every time I watched this movie. Great memories.

My dad arm wrestled you in texas back in the early 90s in texas he said you won the tournament and he came in 2 or 3rd. 30 years later you're still one of the best.

i'm surprised no one else had the idea to do this. Great video concept

Great breakdown… watched this a year ago for probably the 10th time with my 11yr old son and we both loved it!

Stallone was peak 80s. Gotta love this against all odds working man finally wins type stories.

They should make a second movie: Over the Top 2.

Arm wrestling is back in popularity, so we need a remake with Chris Hemsworth. The main opponent is Levan Saginashvili (or Dwayne Johnson?). There will definitely be a John Brezenk cameo again. The remaining arm wrestlers should be intermediate opponents (MMT, Larratt, Tsyplenkov, Kurdecha and others).💪😎

Bull Hurley only losing the one time is a huge oversight. I've always tried to make sense of the flaw by imagining Hurley forfeited a loss when he punched Stallone, even though you can't hear the refs saying anything about fouling out.

Irrespective of the fact that it was a tournament turned into a movie the impact it had on its release was huge! It’s a cult that got a whole generation interested into Armwrestling, including myself! You are no exception Michael. Legends like yourself and John have been, are and will be an inspiration for generations to come ❤ Desperately waiting for your comeback 💪🏽

Oh wow I didn't know Bull Hurley was a real arm wrestler

Great movie. But I don't think I've ever seen a match last that long. 😂 Dudes pulling for like 5 minutes. Don't nobody got that endurance for a single round.

finally someone does this

It’s a movie!!! Made to entertain… but the impact that had all over the globe UNMATCHED ❤

7:46… they announced at that semi finals that it was single elimination at that point…. But im still wondering why the quart of oil being consumed wasnt mentioned…

These movies are the best. They bring me back to a time when I was small and everything was a new experience. I miss those days.

This was my comfort movie when I was a kid. My parents split up just before this movie came out. And the first weekend my dad came to pick me and my brother up for a visit. He took us to the drive in to watch this! So, watching it made me feel closer to my dad!

He passed away 18 years ago but I always said my pep could have beat all of them. Thank you so much monster for the joy you just gave me

I loved this video. I still get all pumped up when I hear the tournament music in the movie!!

Enjoyed that, thanks Mike. You’re such a likeable dude!

Great stuff Michael...I love this movie too totally gets me excited to Armwrestle 💪 ..Have a great Day Michael

Watching this movie and going to school with Bagent, I was all in. Then I went to my first practice with some of the Bagent squad, and F that! My arm hurt for three weeks. You guys' joints are just built differently. On a side note, I participated in "Pulling John" off camera during the gym scene. Glad to see you guys getting some recognition you deserve.

THIS IS SOOO ENTERTAINING LMAOO I love this new content!! Also I noticed old school arm wrestling used to have that circular pads like in the movie, then it changed to square? When/why did that happen?

You Hawk?? I'm the Smasher!!!!!!! "Nice name" 🤣🤣🤣🤣loved this movie haha

That was such awesome commentary! I was obsessed with this movie when I was 8 years old. Then my dad and I drove a Uhaul truck across the country when we moved from South Carolina to Washington. This movie, and that 3,000 mile moving haul made me understand America. When you said you beat the real life Bull Hurley, that is like the best way to get peoples attention who have seen this movie.

Loved the movie but the other BS I noticed in the movie was that he was an OTR truck driver, driving a day-cab. LOL And sleeping in the day-cab overnight! LOL

Great show, I was 7 at the time and remember it well. Anything that Sly did in the 80’s was GOLD! Great video Monster team!

Never thought about the double elimination at the end. Your right. Still one of my favorite movies of all time. The guy that breaks his arm in the movie is from my home town and that was a real match and a real arm break.

Hey Michael and Rebecca! I know It wouldnt exactly be the same, but you should do something similar to this (watch along, commentary) with the Pulling John movie. Especially since you know John/Travis, and you've pulled both of them. Now that, would be awesome.💪 P.s. good to see you recovering after being sick for a bit there.

Thats it, they need to make a sequel to settle this tournament. Stallone still has guns, maybe bring Levan in to play Bull Hurley.

Way to break down that 4th wall. Wasn’t paying attention to those little details until you brought it to light. I’m sure there’s some of this in the pulling John movie

I liked the AMC series “Game of Arms”. I would like to see videos of pro arm wrestlers commenting on that series.

Everyone loves this movie but yet Stallone never talks about it and it wasn’t a box office hit-doesn’t make sense. The movie had heart ❤️

I give the movie a 10 because there's no other arm wrestling movie like it. 💪

Awesome insight! Thank you for this! It's super interesting to hear a legend break down a legendary movie.

How about the platform shoes ?? .....I know arm length helps but I would think being taller and having your center of gravity a little higher on the table would help. I always thought someone like Toddzilla could benefit being a couple inches taller....Are you allowed to wear lifts ?

You guys should do a 2024 arm wrestling movie

I have never watched your channel or you for that matter. I started watching arm wrestling when Schoolboy showed up in NYC asking people to challenge. No one beat him. So I started to watch the channel and subbed. Now that I just watched this, you are now my second sub in this universe. I'd like to know how to strengthen to do this. This channel looks like a good place to glean wisdom from knowledge. You are, after all, a living legend. Thank you. As for Over The Top ? I was estranged from my father but in a different way so this really hit home for me. I was a few years older than the kid in the movie when it came out too. So to me? It all looked real. It's only now, decades later, after watching Alex Toproll's channel, and now yours, that I can see what was and what wasn't. Again, thank you. One question though? When I watch arm wrestling I automatically tense up my arms as if I am the one doing it. Is that normal?

Richard Lee Zumwalt Jr. (September 24, 1951 - March 19, 2003) was an American professional arm-wrestler

"You ain't got a prayer in Vegas!"

This had to have been my favorite movie when I was a kid. I remember watching this movie on repeat. When I was older and had young Nieces that would watch Disney movies on repeat, my Parents would remind me that I did that with, "Over the Top".

I'm glad you brought up the differences between this movies strap and the real strap. I was expecting the movie strap when i was watching Pro Arm wrestling and was surprised how less flashy the real strap used is compared to over the top!!!

The only thing that i remember from this movie is grizzly drinking the engine oil. Lol

Michael - So glad you make this video! Great trip down memory lane. This was one of my brother's and my favorite 80s movies. Super impressive that you beat Zumwald in a real competition. If they ever make a sequel, you gotta be in it!

There is a video here on YT showing highlights from an 80s arm wrestling competition. It’s almost on the craziness level of over the top, with Bruce Way eating his cigar for real and everyone making funny faces before and after the pulling, just golden times. No one cares about their “(social media) image”, it’s all raw and unapologetic manliness on display.

Great movie for the 10 year old me that watched it when it came out! Hagar and Loggins knocked the soundtrack out of the park!

Oh shit he’s right wow I’ve seen this so many times and never even noticed, brilliant 🤣🤣🤣👍👍👍

This movie needs a remake but with larrat levan and cyplenkov

One thing I realized watching this is that this is one of the few big name 80s movies that oddly didn't kick off an entire subgenre of knockoffs a la Rambo, Terminator, Bloodsport etc.

Super cool movie i loved it as a kid and think its cool it was a real tournament and john won the truck but did not have a cdl so his father took it. Richard lupkes is the only man who hit brutal fast and hard in his day. But he did it correctly. I want to say john did say he gave it to his father for there buisness his dad had. I could be wrong. But remember diesel engines taken care of correctly can be a million mile engine. They just go forever. Kinda cool neat video to see with commentary.

I was a set photographer for Over The Top and had a part as a news reporter.

That strap is still making me think after all these years 😆 One thing for sure tho, hook it up to Levan and someone like Tsvetkov and they'll tear through that strap

Cool vid Mike! This film takes me back. Yall should do a part 2.

Even when I was a kid and knew nothing about arm wrestling, I knew an arm wrestler would never let their arm back like that. It was just for dramatic effect

My brother and I would watch this all the tjme as kids, now my sons love this movie! It is classic!

@7:11 Not sure when this was filmed but Wagner just wrist curled Matt Mask after attempting a flop wrist press 😂 that showed how freaky strong Wagner's bottom two fingers / supination are

Great movie. "I always wanted to be a milkshake Mike" Im a trucker so i criticize all the trucking mistakes there are lol

To bad we didn't have more pullin movies,good video monster

I could see the nostalgia kickin in on your face during that last 2 minutes. I like videos like this.

Finally! I have said this for years. Thank you!

You know another great custody battle movie is? Kramer vs Kramer. But you know what it was missing? ARM WRESTLING!

Did you know the dude in the Yellow shirt is former pro wrestler Scott "Flash" Norton? He also beat Cleve Dean 2:50 off camera. Also, with the new generation of arm wrestlers, how could nobody do a reboot or a sequel? Plenty of female talent as well like Sarah Bachman who is camera friendly. Wouldn't mind seeing Devon Larratt as the villain doing some Rated R trash talking at the final table. So many different personalities that would shine on camera.

You should get a new modern arm wrestling movie going. Not a documentary but a crazy ridiculous movie like this one. That's why I love this movie!

What a great Video i have been waiting for a pro explanation for this Movie for a long long Time. I love this Movie the Soundtrack the Story everything and a sport everyone knew otherwise didn't know much off it as the main Story.

Watching you in that movie brings me back to being a kid homesick from school with my grandfather watching over the top made me feel better every single time thank you monster

“What I do is I just try to take my hat and I turn it around, and it's like a switch that goes on. And when the switch goes on, I feel like another person, I feel, I don't know, I feel like a... like a truck. Like a machine.”

Finally a reaction from a pro. Thank you sir.

We need a sequel

I love this movie! Your breakdown was awesome. Now I need to go back and watch it again with your insights in mind.💪

Todd, this is one of my fav movies, not simply because it involves arm wrestling and I've fallen in love with it over the years (you as well man), but being out of my son's life for fifteen years, I've dreamed of returning into my son's life as an underdog. Excellent rendition of the movie, Mike. And yes, it did take two yrs before John got the truck and yes, he did get rid of this 🏆. For a Vette though? Wow. Would you have sold it or kept?

Hahaha 😂I competed in the Over the Top tournaments in California after the movie. Lake Elsinore,Chino,Fontana, etc. Rick Zumwalt, Bill Hurley,Bob Eazor,and most of the reffs in this movie were there.Bill ate the cigar lit while posing with me. He competed Heavyweight amateur while I was middleweight 1987

So many gaffs that I had absolutely no idea were there! Thank Monster for a brilliant breakdown!!

As someone with joint hypermobility syndrome, it was always hilarious arm wrestling people. I would let my wrist bend all the way to my arm and just hold my arm straight up and down. They couldn’t move my arm bc of the angle. I remember being in a bar about 20 years ago, some dude was a retired professional, like 55-60 years old, just wrecking guys half his age. Big mofo, I walked up and said he couldn’t beat me. he said he didn’t want to hurt me, I laughed and said, u take me down I’d give u 50 bucks. He locked up with me, dude was strong AF, soon as we started tho I let him bend my wrist and he just looked shocked. After about a min he quit. Laughed and said “wtf is wrong with your arm?” Lol. Good times Edit: just to be clear I couldn’t actually take any good wrestlers down, they just couldn’t take me down

I was in 3rd grade when this came out and it was so popular that during lunch time and recess breaks we were holding our own arm wrestling tournaments. And every kid at least once would make that funny Stallone face and yell 😆

Michael you're the perfect person to do this breakdown I love it it's hilarious

I remember watching this movie when it first came out and really enjoyed it. I remember his son in the movie from a Twilight zone episode (the newer one). Thanks for sharing!

Don't forget Cleve Dean also made an appearance.

I’m interested in seeing what that strap was and how it actually works compared to today’s modern strap

I'm not an arm wrestler, never had any interest in armwrestling. I saw this movie one time, just because I was a Stallone fan and instantly became an arm wrestling fan for life. I couldn't arm wrestle my way out of a wet paper bag but I love the sport and been a life long fan because of this movie.

love your videos monster mike!!!!!!!!!!! rooting for you! also would love to see more workout videos and tips and trips to the gym!

Absolutely thoroughly enjoyed this breakdown! I'd love to see you do one on the Korean film Champion (2018)

Mr. Todd, Ty for this video and analysis. I watched this movie in the theater and now have a further appreciation of the subtleties you pointed out.

You are perfect for bull hurley. Chris helmsworth as hawk. False starts, fouls, set ups, all can be used for dramatic effect. Instead of the truck stop match, you can have hawk stop in some state to compete at the state championship tournament and face the championship, who is devon larret. All kinds of possibilities

This movie actually motivated me to enter arm wrestling competition last year I won it was very fun I'm thinking about doing it again

That intro was hilarious and amazing, where did you get the idea to shoot it like a hype man? This guy has some serious charisma! Keep up the great work and keep the humor and witt going! 🎉

My former pastor named Larry Peterson competed at same Vegas over the top event the movie was based on in the Middle weight division. Has anyone here ever heard of him?

great video loved this movie growing up so was cool to see commentary from a pro arm wrestler talking about it

I'm so glad you did this video, that was awesome.

My dad took me to see it he was a champion arm wrestler in early 80s he broke it down the same way rip dad.

Over the Top is a straight classic!

That movie made me love arm wrestling. I had no idea who John brzenk or any of your were . All I know is that I was trying to break everybody's arm in grade school and high school. I'm 40.... Born in 83 so I was pretty young when it came out. I think I might've used the hat trick Stallone did in over the top.

I used to work with a guy named Sam Battles who I guess used to be a national champion around the time of this movie, guy was built like a tank.

i get that the arm pump mighta been dramatic in the movie but the way devon did dennis was even more brutal than the movie stuff and we all saw it 😂

Loved the movie when i was a kid. When it came out i was 11. One thing i always remembered about it was Stallone was so small in the movie. I have Stallone's fitness book "Sly Moves", and in it, he says he weighed 163 lbs in Rocky 3 with Mr.T. He was cut to shreds with like 3% bodyfat . In that same movie there is a scene showing Rocky's weigh-in and Mickey says about 202 lbs, when he was like 40 lbs lighter in reality. Hollywood is about illusions and a fantasy land reality.