By: Michael Bennett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Ridgetown Independent News
Sam Knowler continued on his meteoric rise in the arm wrestling world by defending his championship belts at the Arm Melter 34 competition in Tweed earlier this month.
The 18-year-old Ridgetown arm wrestler won both the left and right arm divisions in his 154-pound weight class.
Knowler won all three matches against challengers Kyle Adams and Charbel Mechaanany.
In his 176-pound Supermatch competition, Knowler won one of four matches against Bryce Zachariah, an accomplishment against the highly respected and experienced National champion.
Knowler also moved up to compete in the 180-pound class in the Open Division, where he placed second in left arm and third in right.
With his performance in Tweed, he moves on to the Arm Melter 35 tournament on March 21, where he will defend both titles in his weight class and compete in the supermatches.
Knowler is currently in first place for the Arm Melter Armswrestler of the Year with the most accumulated points in the series to date, as he continues to succeed above his age and weight class.
Before Knowler goes to the next Arm Melter event, he will be in Columbus, Ohio, for the Arnold Classic competition against some of the best arm wrestlers in the United States.
Knowler qualified to go to Columbus based on his performance at the Ottawa Open in November, where he competed in the Men’s Open 165-pound division, despite being a youth competitor.
Knowler won the left arm division and placed fourth in the right arm.
Knowler is a two-time reigning Canadian champion, having swept the left- and right-hand titles in the U-18 and Senior divisions in Regina in 2025.
Knowler won the Ontario championships in left and right in the U-18 70-kg class in Belleville last May after finishing second in both in his first provincial tournament in 2024.
He also won double gold in the Youth Division and a third title in the Pro Division at the North American Championships in Las Vegas in March 2025.
Knowler also represented Canada at the 2024 World Arm Wrestling Championships in Greece, where he placed seventh in right-hand and 12th in left-hand.
Knowler will compete in the Ontario Provincial championships in Hamilton on the May 16-17 weekend and the Canadian National championships in Moncton, N.S. June 26-29.
Knowler has already qualified for this year’s IFA Worlds in Japan, Sept. 21-27.
He qualified for the 2025 IFA Worlds in Azerbaijan but opted not to attend due to ongoing conflicts in the Asian nation.
