Tony Kitowski: “I am officially moving up in weight”

January 23rd 2017

The defending 2016 left and right arm champion in the men’s 165-pound class has announced he is planning to battle through the 2017 campaign as a 195-pound-class puller.

“Iron Arm” Tony Kitowski, a 33-year-old beverage salesman out of Wisconsin, blew through the 165s at the World Armwrestling League’s 2016 Championships last summer before hoisting two WAL Hammers of Champions.

Now, the married father of four says he’s stepping his weight up in the name of cementing his legacy.

Kitowski said the move has nothing to do with new WAL rules in 2017 that mandate a puller must compete twice in a weight class before the Championships.

“To put it all in a handbasket, I am more about pride than I am about money or any of those other things most people look up to,” he said. “There has never been anybody to place first in multiple weight classes. I want to be the first guy to do that.”

Kitowski admits he has a big road ahead of him, battling 195-class titans like “Toddzilla” Todd Hutchings, Mike “The Chemist” Selearis and “The Fury” Craig Tullier, among others.

“It may take me a year or two, but I’ll get there,” he said. “Guaranteed.”

Kitowski said he’s eating a lot more and walking around with a bit of a belly, but he’s also hitting the weights to build up muscle groups he ignored while pulling with the 165s.

He said speed won’t be as much of a factor in the heavier weight class, but that the strength of the low to moderate-end 195s is a bigger challenge than the rank-and-file 165s.

It will mean longer, tougher brackets, Kitowski said.

“The matches I blew through in the 165-pound division, I might have to work harder to put those opponents down” in the 195 class, he said. “The average guy’s a lot stronger in that weight class.”

To hear from Tony himself, watch this.
 

Great news! We're currently working on an all new line of WAL gear.
Check back here or on Facebook for updates soon. Thank you!