By: Michael Bennett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, 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 Saturday, 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 armwrsetler, 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 earlier this 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.
Stuckless trained with Sam Knowler in London, and is friends Janice and Scott.
“We wanted to bring the tournament to a neutral site, since it’s an international event,” Stuckless said. “The Knowlers hosted the practice session, and I thought this (Yeck’s) would be a nice place for an event; the location really works well.”
Knowler trains at the London club, where the entire family has become good friends with Stuckless and many other club members.
Stuckless said Janice has been extremely helpful in doing much of the legwork in Ridgetown for the tournament’s setup and promotion.
“Janice has been a big supporter of this,” Stuckless said.
There will be an advance weigh-in on Friday, April 10, from 5-8 p.m. at Yeck’s Station 11. The weigh-in time on event day is from 8-10 a.m., with the first matches starting at 11 a.m. The tournament will be broadcast on the Queen of the Table’s YouTube channel. There is no registration fee to enter – or watch – the excitement. 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.
There are still sponsorship opportunities for local businesses and organizations to help cover tournament expenses, since all proceeds are being donated to the two charities. The sponsorship packages range from $150 to $500-plus.
“When you support this event, you’re not just placing your logo on a banner, you’re aligning your brand with a movement that highlights athleticism, confidence and female leadership,” Stuckless said. “Your sponsorship will help elevate opportunities for female athletes, support event production, and build a platform that champions representation in strength sports.”
Anyone interested in a sponsorship opportunity can contact Stuckless by email at ginastuckless@gmail.com or queenofthetablearmwrestling@gmail.com
Information will be updated on the Queen of the Table Facebook page.
