Broken bones common for arm wrestlers

MISHAP: Ben Ross (left) and Wendell Sailor just before the shocking mishap on Australian television show The Footy Show. PHOTO/YOUTUBE

ONE of my favourite things about live television is the possibility of a good blooper.

It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I usually get a good chuckle out of watching a funny mistake on live telly.

It might be as simple as someone trying to be a goon in the background during a cross over at a sports game. But the only thing about bloopers is sometimes they're not that funny or entertaining at all.

Sometimes they're just shocking.

Certainly the worst mishap I have seen in recent memory, on live television, was the arm wrestling debacle on The Footy Show on Thursday night - a popular Australian television show.

Former professional rugby league players Wendell Sailor and Ben Ross were going head-to-head in an arm wrestling competition which went terribly wrong.

Ross' upper arm snapped on live television under the weight of Sailor's massive biceps.

The video shot around social media quicker than a Rory McIlroy drive.

I must admit I struggled to watch it yesterday morning when I got into work. The scenes were even bad enough for Sailor to say, "I'll never arm wrestle again".

I couldn't help but contact our very own arm wrestling champion in Rotorua yesterday, Maateiwarangi Heta-Morris, to get his reaction.

Heta-Morris has held New Zealand, Australasian and Oceania arm wrestling titles in the past and recently finished third at the prestigious Arnold Classic in Melbourne.

He said broken arms were a common injury in the sport.

"That is the most common injury," he said. "I've broken about seven people's arms myself."

Heta-Morris said, after seeing the video, one of the main causes of Ross' broken arm was bad technique.

"He was pushing with his arm instead of pulling. You don't really want to push you want to pull to the side instead," he said.

"That can happen [breaking your arm] when you push to the side because it puts all that strain on the bone.

"In the video it is quite hard to see but you can see he is pushing to the side. He is pushing a lot more than he is pulling."

He said the best way to avoid that kind of injury was to twist your wrist so your palm faces you.

"If you have a straight wrist that is a lot more strain on the humerus bone but if your palm is facing you, you are in more of a safe position."

Heta-Morris said while it was a bad injury - and an awful feeling breaking someone's arm - the mishap on The Footy Show had given the sport of arm wrestling a lot of exposure.

"That was the biggest exposure Australian arm wrestling has had which is actually good for us."

He said he felt for Ross but he would heal.

"My reaction when I saw it was just pretty much, 'Oh well hopefully it will be a quick recovery for him but any exposure is good exposure'."

Interestingly, Heta-Morris said the world's most famous arm wrestler John Brzenk had broken his arm during a match as a child, and he healed up even stronger.

Heta-Morris said he had not broken his arm yet, a record he hoped would not change. "I've heard some clicks and pops but never really broken anything."