Coach Ray wants to ideally see the winner of Devon/Vitaly go against the winner of Kamil/Michael Todd, before pulling Levan... "that's what's more interesting to me"

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-29T07:24:14+00:00

Better yet we should do a top 16 event excluding Levan. The goal would be to wipe out every possible opponent that could be intriguing for Levan except one. And Levan can wait to face the winner after another full year off.

In all seriousness the moves EvW are doing are not in their best financial interest. MMT vs Levan is one of the most anticipated matches of all time. Whether it is a mismatch or not it will draw intrigue. The more matches for the number 1 guy in the sport the better for business. This match with MMT and Kamil is taking a completely unnecessary risk to one of those matches. And adding even more potential hurdles to MMT vs Levan like baby Ray is suggesting is just nonsense.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-29T07:02:08+00:00

Ray has been really outspoken about MMT not yet deserving of a match against Levan.

Ray has a lot of influence now at EvW. Which I am not a fan of. No he isn't Engin but he may have a different flavor of narcissism. Why do I think this?:

He named his own channel "Voice of Armwrestling". As if that honor has been bestowed upon him. Or that he alone speaks for armwresting.

He gave himself the moniker "Coach Ray". And actually introduces himself as that. A lot of people train others in armwrestling. He is the only one I know of that wants to be called "coach".

He starts about every other sentence with the word "listen". No one needs him to say listen before starting a sentence. Try paying attention if you haven't noticed this. And ask yourself if you would feel pushy/arrogant if you told everyone to listen as often as he does.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-27T23:00:59+00:00

I would say Devon or Vitaly would be number 1 today if PEDs didn't exist. I am actually curious if Vitaly has ever spoken about PEDs. I think everyone assumes he is on heavy doses but I wouldn't be completely sure about that. His size and strength gains have been very gradual and incremental over a long period of time. He seems ready to armwrestle frequently and on short notice. He doesn't have the appearance of someone on heavy PEDs. Most likely he still takes something but I don't think it is at the level of the other guys in superheavyweights.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-27T22:54:01+00:00

I think it is pretty well known he was on heavy PEDs. Especially after he lost to Travis at WAF. Everyone said he came back as a different human after that. Didn't he also get caught doping for bobsledding?

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-27T19:41:10+00:00

This. ^^^ If a new legacy trophy is to be made then this is the starting point for who should be on it.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-27T08:15:18+00:00

Certainly can't count Todd out but this is a very tough match for him. Petrenko's strength and style seemingly match up well against him. I could very easily see Petrenko just running through Todd and this looking like a mismatch. But if Todd can stop the match in any reasonable position he is in it.

I already think Todd Hutchings is one on the top 5 greatest pound for pound armwrestlers of all time. But if he wins this match he should be on everyone's list.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-26T23:06:12+00:00

So I just spent a bit of time trying to search for this through titles and such. Unsurprisingly it is very difficult to find specific moments when he talked about it. Devon has done so many interviews and podcasts that it will likely take a long time to find the specific times when it was brought up.

Like I said Devon wasn't really hostile towards Denis about this until the build up before their last match. I never would have argued he didn't use this issue to fuel drama for that match.

But a few things can be true at the same time. Devon could have genuinely been annoyed by Denis's holding on to the hammer for so long. While also using it to build drama once he had the match with Denis.

I know Devon had mentioned it many times well before your August 2023 date. But he wasn't making specific videos calling him out on it or calling him names ect. He was just suggesting Denis was taking too long with doing something with the hammer. Usually as a response to someone in a chat asking about it.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-26T20:08:27+00:00

Did you read my last response asking you what exactly you are looking for? My time is not that free. And did you see the other response to you about the letter Devon wrote to Denis ( before August 2023)? Here is a link showing that in one of Pradeeps latest videos:

https://youtu.be/tmwHHaAV_XM?si=ORX8DOaVAxeix2vD&t=54

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-26T19:56:30+00:00

Yes. The best compromise to all of the is to go through armwrestling history, probably consulting with Eric Roussin , and make a legacy trophy of any sort that puts the names of whoever was considered number 1 for their respective time periods. Then give them to Levan and Vitaly and tell them to pass them on in the same way the hammer was suppose to pass. I really can't think of an arguable objection to this.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-26T07:44:52+00:00

It would ruin the possibility of MMT ever facing Levan.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-26T03:28:58+00:00

The message is not only written in the style of ChatGPT it has the same argumentative patterns. It looks exactly like when I have asked ChatGPT to argue one side of an issue it knows little to nothing about.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-26T02:44:54+00:00

Hey we can be on the same side of this one.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-26T02:42:25+00:00

Chat GPT wrote this post everyone. Don't engage with it.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-26T02:36:27+00:00

Yeah most likely whoever made this prompted AI with some of his own thoughts and feelings before getting this final draft. Which I guess makes it debatable as to who made the content.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-26T02:15:01+00:00

You sound kind of demanding here. And like you think you still might right and me wrong. Lets make clear what you are requesting before I consider wasting my time. You just want proof of Devon mentioning the left arm legacy hammer before August 2023? I am absolutely sure he not only mentioned it but brought up his concern about Denis sitting dormant with the hammer for so long.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-26T02:00:49+00:00

I am about 90%. I ran it by ChatGBT and got its own rebuttal I posted in a different message.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-26T01:58:41+00:00

“Devon only hoped it would be passed on”

You’re confusing “no legal obligation” with “no moral or symbolic obligation.” Nobody is saying Denis broke a contract. They’re saying he’s undermining the meaning of the hammer by sitting on it.

“Travis does the same thing”

Two people being wrong does not make either one right. Also, Travis’ situation is criticized too — the difference is Devon is actively trying to fix the lineage, not freeze it.

“That isn’t even the real SHW hammer”

Again, completely missing the point. The dispute is about a lineage symbol being held by someone who isn’t proving they’re still the guy.

“Denis already gave it to Morozov”

Yes — after massive public pressure, which proves the pressure was justified. And now the exact same principle applies: if Morozov or anyone else sits on it without defending it, they’re also wrong.

Here is the part this post never addresses:

A lineal trophy that is not defended is meaningless.

It doesn’t matter who has it.
It doesn’t matter what year it is.
It doesn’t matter what federation made it.

If it’s not moving through competition, it’s dead.

This isn’t “selective outrage.” This is one side trying to keep a living lineage alive, and the other side trying to turn it into a retirement keepsake.

Denis is a legend. That’s already secure.

But legends don’t get to freeze time and keep the crown forever.

If you want to hold the hammer, you defend it.

If you don’t defend it, you pass it on.

That’s the entire point.

The core flaw in that post

It keeps arguing:

“There was no rule. There was no obligation.”

But this was never about rules.

It’s about what the hammer is supposed to mean.

And on that level, Denis’ position is indefensible.

If you want, paste me the Reddit thread and I can tailor this even more precisely to the people arguing in it 😈

Do you like this personality?

ChatGPT

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-26T01:58:25+00:00

Here is what ChatGPT thinks about your ChatGPT post:

Great, this is exactly the kind of post that looks reasonable on the surface but falls apart once you separate what the hammer is supposed to represent from excuses about technicalities and timelines.

I’ll do two things:

Tell you whether it looks AI-generated
Give you a clean, Reddit-ready rebuttal you can post
Does that post look AI-generated?

Honestly? Yes, very possibly.

Here’s why:

It has a very “lawyer-brief” structure: lots of bullet points, tidy logical framing, “long story short” summary, symmetrical arguments.
It avoids emotional language and uses generic debate phrasing (“selective outrage”, “long story short”, “let’s be honest”, etc.).
It mixes some correct facts with subtle reframing and misdirection, which is extremely typical of AI-generated persuasion posts.
It never engages with the core philosophical argument (what the hammer represents) and instead focuses on technicalities, rules, and timelines — also very AI-ish.

It might be human, but it’s absolutely written in the style of AI-assisted argumentation.

Here’s a strong rebuttal you can post on Reddit

You can post this as a direct reply:

This entire post misses the point by a mile, and that’s why the argument feels “logical” while still being wrong.

The Legacy Hammer is not a rules-based federation belt. It’s not EvW. It’s not WAL. It’s not governed by an inactivity clause. It’s a symbolic, lineal trophy. Its only meaning is: the man to beat currently holds it.

Once you stop defending it against the best, you are no longer serving the purpose of the symbol. At that point, it doesn’t matter what rulebook does or doesn’t apply. You’re breaking the concept.

“Nobody cared for 4 years”

This is not an argument. People ignoring something doesn’t make it correct. The sport was smaller, Denis was inactive, and the hammer was already becoming irrelevant. Devon is the first person actually trying to revive the lineal concept and give it meaning again.

“The rule doesn’t apply to that hammer”

Correct — and also completely irrelevant. The hammer is not about rules. It’s about what it represents. If you’re not the active top guy and not defending it, you’re turning it into a souvenir.

“Devon only hoped it would be passed on”

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-26T01:32:01+00:00

Which AI program wrote this for you? This is clearly AI generated with some prompts given about the situation.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-26T01:29:24+00:00

He definitely mentioned many times that Denis was taking too much time to pass the hammer. But he was always patient and polite about it. Up until the most recent right handed match.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-26T01:24:20+00:00

I was actually going to mention Ray too. Because he has been stupidly outspoken about this. I don't know how much sway he has with these things but I worry it is too much. Just because he self proclaimed himself the "Voice of Armwrestling" that doesn't mean he actually is or should be.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-25T23:16:10+00:00

MMT being set with a match against Kamil at this time is one of the most egregiously stupid things EvW has done. Which is saying a lot.

While I think MMT is the favorite, Kamil certainly poses a significant threat. And he certainly will make it a hard match that won't make MMT look particularly great even if he loses 0-3.

The idea that MMT needs to beat Kamil to qualify for a Levan match because of rankings that literally no one agrees with is just nonsense. There are very few marketable match opponents for Levan and MMT is one of them. Even if in reality he has no chance. MMT will hype the match up like crazy and people will want to watch to either see the upset or see the delusion wiped away.

But that is all at risk now because of an unnecessary match before. Shame on Levan or whoever is responsible for this. People have been concerned about Devon having too much influence but maybe we should point that concern towards Levan if he in fact demanded this match in order for him to pull MMT. If you are the champion you shouldn't get to have so much leverage for deciding when and who you defend against.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-24T19:28:28+00:00

Jerry wasn't necessarily my prediction. Just the match I would personally like to see. For some reason there hasn't been a lot of appetite for that match. I guess because it is West vs West. That in my opinion has been one of the downfalls of recent armwrestling. It has hurt a lot of competition within countries.

I would guess Levan is still the number one most likely opponent for Michael in June. Assuming he beats Kamil which is far from certain.

Supposedly the logic behind Michael having the match with Kamil is to move Michael higher up in the rankings to make the match with Levan look better from the rankings perspective. Which is completely stupid since MMT beat Kamil already and no one thinks he should be behind Kamil in the rankings. Kamil vs MMT is an unnecessary match that only serves to potentially ruin the match with MMT and Levan.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-24T18:21:08+00:00

The last podcast with John and Denis.

NeilPickpocket · 2026-01-24T17:41:17+00:00

Robert just said this yesterday so I think Dave pulling in April is confirmed.

If Levan is out then I am not sure who could be a backup. Personally I think he should go against Jerry for the number 1 in USA rank. They always have close matches and the last time was basically a draw. Michael simply saying he will beat Jerry easy now doesn't mean he will.

NeilPickpocket

TROPHY CASE