Young Cree arm-wrestlers take their place at the table

The 1987 Sylvester Stallone film, Over the Top, tells the story of Lincoln Hawk, a struggling truck driver and father who uses competitive arm-wrestling to rebuild his life and reunite with his young son.

Faced with the daunting task of defeating arm-wrestlers with considerable physical advantages in his quest to claim the championship and prize money that would allow him to achieve his dream, Hawk is the ultimate underdog. And in consummate Stallone fashion he ultimately beats the odds.

While Over the Top enjoyed a limited run on big screens across North America, it had a lasting impact on a Cree teenager. Three decades later, John Bosum is one of the Cree Nation’s best known and successful competitive arm-wrestlers.

Originally from the Chibougamau area, Bosum currently resides in the Montreal borough of LaSalle. He has trained with some of the top arm-wrestlers in the world and participated in events across Canada.

“I always loved the sport. I started training at the age of 12,” explained Bosum in an interview with the Nation.

“When I was 14, I had gotten pretty strong. Back then, they had Indian Day in Chibougamau, and there was an [arm-wrestling] event. One of the organizers asked me to enter the men’s category, and I placed second.”

Following that experience, there was no looking back for Bosum, who did his early training with former world champion Ken Taylor of Waskaganish.

“I introduced myself to (Taylor) because I was so eager to learn about arm-wrestling, but I didn’t start to arm-wrestle competitively until I was 25 or 26 years old.”

News traveled fast of Bosum’s training activities with Taylor, who twice won at the North American Arm-wrestling Championships, and was proclaimed world champion in 1977.

Bosum’s much-anticipated competitive debut would come at the Quebec provincial championships, where he roared onto the arm-wrestling scene with a second-place finish.

It has now been almost eight years since Bosum last stepped up to the table in a major competitive event, taking home second-place honours in the left-hand class and third-place in the right-hand class at the 2009 Mike Gould Classic.

Today, Bosum’s focus is on his young son, Casey, who is following in his father’s footsteps, and quickly making a name for himself in arm-wrestling circles.

“The reason I am still training is because of my son. I started pulling him when he was three years old,” said a clearly proud Bosum.

“Once he got the idea of how to pull, he didn’t stop, and today he is really strong.”

Now 14 years old, Casey has enjoyed success taking on all comers, including the wrestling team at his high school, as well as his gym teacher.

“His gym teacher gave him a friendly challenge, and could do nothing to him. So now, they call him ‘The Beast’,” continued Bosum, who can be found training nightly with Casey at a gym in west-end Montreal.

Bosum looks forward to the upcoming season of arm-wrestling tournaments, including the Quebec provincial championships in May and the 2017 Canadian Arm-wrestling Championships, which kicks off in Halifax June 30.

But the priority for Bosum is to get involved in competitions that welcome youthful competitors like Casey, as well as promoting the sport at the grassroots level, both in Eeyou Istchee and elsewhere.

Casey is no stranger to competition. At the tender age of 10, he placed third in the youth category at the 2013 Mike Gould Classic and finished sixth among 12- to 14-year-olds at last year’s Quebec provincial championships, and expects to take part in this year’s provincial and national tourneys.

“He has a great future,” says current World Arm-wrestling League (WAL) heavyweight champion Devon Larratt.

A longtime friend of the Bosum family, Larratt has spent time in Eeyou Istchee conducting clinics designed to introduce Cree youth to the sport, while assisting existing arm-wrestlers with advanced training techniques.

“I have known Casey since he was a young boy. He is dedicating himself hard, and training hard. And it’s very encouraging to see someone find their passion at that age,” said Larratt, who is top-ranked in the world by the WAL among heavyweights in both left- and right-handed competition.

“When an athlete does a sport with passion throughout their formative years, the result is something that most adults have a hard time ever attaining; the speed at which they make decisions, while avoiding getting hurt because they are building strength in their bodies as they develop.”

The younger Bosum currently has plenty of company, with an estimate of over 100 athletes in Eeyou Istchee competing in arm-wrestling at some level.

Among them is Tanner Petawabano, who has had a breakthrough over the past two years, finishing first among 15- and 16-year-olds at the 2015 Eastern Ontario Arm-wrestling Championships, followed by a first-place finish in the Super Heavyweight Youth Division at Arm Melter 26 last August in Brockville, Ontario.

Jimmy James Neeposh finished just behind Petawabano in third place at Arm Melter 26, following his second-place finish a year earlier in the Eastern Ontario Championships.

Despite signs of growth, Bosum continues to face obstacles in his efforts to bring a major arm-wrestling event to northern Quebec.

“What I am trying to do is organize a tournament that is not just for Aboriginals, but that is open to everybody,” Bosum explained.

While companies like Air Creebec and Hydro-Québec have sponsored arm-wrestling events in the past, Bosum is currently struggling to get the funding he needs to make his vision a reality.

“It would be nice to have events in Val-d’Or or Chibougamau, someplace where everybody can get to, and there are a lot of arm-wrestlers who have expressed interest.”

Larratt agrees. “I’ve been up to many of the northern communities in the past to conduct seminars and clinics, and have known John for a long time, ever since he started arm-wrestling,” he said. “Everybody needs to come together and make a plan, and believe in what John is trying to accomplish, and see the good in it. Arm-wrestling is a sport and a culture that could take seed and grow well in northern communities. It is a tough game, but it is so easy to get into.”

Indeed, those factors have contributed to continued growth that has resulted in expanded media coverage of events in the US, including live coverage of championship events on ESPN.

But for the dedicated athletes, Larratt says arm-wrestling means much more than just television coverage and championships – it is also about community.

“The club scene in arm-wrestling is so much fun. Yes, there are competitions and awards to be won, but behind that there is a community that develops, with 40 or 50 people turning out just to participate in practice and spend time together.”