By Michael Bennett
Local Journalism Initiative
The Ridgetown Independent News
Some of the best women armwrestlers in Canada and the United States will be in Ridgetown for a special one-day tournament.
The Queen of the Table all-women’s armwrestling tournament will be held on April 11, at Yeck’s Station 11 restaurant.
There will be two 12-woman round robin classes starting at 11 a.m., followed by a double-elimination tournament later in the afternoon to crown the top three finishers in three weight classes.
“All-female tournaments are pretty rare,” said Gina Stuckless, Queen of the Table promoter and a member of the London Armwrestling Club. “There used to be a lot, but there haven’t really been any for about the last 10 years.”
Female armwrestlers do compete in tournaments, but are treated more like undercards at tournaments spotlighting male competitors.
“We don’t get many options,” Stuckless said of the mixed tournaments. “It’s usually an open weight class; sometimes we’d get lucky, and there would be two weight classes.”
The Queen of the Table round-robin will have two weight classes – under-160 pounds and over-160 pounds, while the second half of the tournament features three weight classes – under-150 pounds, 151-175 pounds, and over-176 pounds.
The round-robin portion of the tournament will be right-handed competition only, with cash prizes and rings awarded to the top finishers.
The double-elimination will feature right- and left-hand competitions, with the top three in each class winning cash and custom crystal trophies.
The tournament has also been officially designated as a qualifier for the 2027 Arnold Classic, an international strength sports event held annually in March in Columbus, Ohio.
Ridgetown’s Sam Knowler, a provincial and national championship armwrestler, won a gold medal in the left arm competition and a silver in the right arm in the 154-pound weight class in the 2026 Arnold Classic in Columbus last month.
In fact, Knowler had a hand in the Queen of the Table coming to Ridgetown.
The Knowler family – father Scott, mother Janice, son Sam and cousin Ben – hosted an armwrestling practice session at Yeck’s Station 11 last September that drew around 40 athletes from across southwestern Ontario – including Stuckless.
There is no registration fee to enter – or watch – the excitement April 11. Competitors and spectators are asked to bring non-perishable food items, which will be donated to the FreeHelpCK Food Pantry in the Br. 243 Legion. You can also bring household items, personal hygiene products, or phone chargers to be donated to the Chatham-Kent Women’s Shelter.
There will also be a donation jar for cash donations, as proceeds from the 50-50 draw will also go to the Women’s Shelter.
Anyone interested in a sponsorship opportunity can contact Stuckless by email at ginastuckless@gmail.com or queenofthetablearmwrestling@gmail.com.
