Michael Todd gets title shot in East vs West 24 in Little Rock

By AI, Created 11:17 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – East vs West 24 brings a world-title armwrestling card back to the U.S. on June 6 at Little Rock’s Statehouse Convention Center, headlined by Michael Todd’s challenge of champion Oleg Petrenko. The event streams worldwide on pay-per-view and features multiple title bouts and top-ranked international matchups.

Why it matters: - East vs West 24 puts a world-title armwrestling event in Arkansas, giving Michael Todd a home-state shot at the right-arm light heavyweight belt. - The card also carries title implications across multiple divisions, making the event one of the sport’s biggest U.S.-based matchups of the year. - Fans can watch worldwide through pay-per-view, expanding the reach of a traditionally niche combat sport.

What happened: - EVW Sports announced East vs West 24 for Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. - The main event features reigning right-arm light heavyweight world champion Oleg Petrenko against Arkansas native Michael Todd. - The event is presented by EVW Sports and will stream live worldwide on pay-per-view at evwsports.com. - EVW Sports said limited tickets are also available worldwide through the same website.

The details: - Robert Baxter, CEO of EVW Sports, said the promotion is bringing EVW back to the USA with one of its strongest cards. - Baxter said Petrenko is entering Todd’s territory and described the event as a major clash with super heavyweight action and multiple world-title implications. - Todd said Little Rock is his backyard and said he intends to bring the title home. - Petrenko said he respects Todd but plans to defend his title and keep the belt. - The main event is billed as a showdown between Petrenko’s championship and Todd’s experience, technical skill, endurance and finishing power. - Ermes Gasparini, ranked No. 3 in the world, meets No. 8 Artyom Morozov in a right-arm super heavyweight bout. - Todd Hutchings, America’s only reigning world champion, defends his right-arm middleweight world title against No. 5 Bogdan Stoica. - Alex Kurdecha, ranked No. 6, faces No. 9 Tobias Sporrong in a left-arm super heavyweight matchup. - Irakli Zirakashvili, ranked No. 8, takes on No. 9 Yoshinobu Kanai in a right-arm light heavyweight bout. - Corey West, a Russellville, Arkansas native, faces Pavlo Derbedyenyev for the No. 1 left arm super heavyweight spot in North America. - Craig Tullier meets Janis Amolins in a right-arm welterweight match. - Justin Bishop faces Danil Ustinov in a right-arm lightweight bout. - Adam Wawrzynski meets Peter Celes in a right-arm middleweight matchup. - Ryan Belanger faces Jason Merlo in an all-American right-arm middleweight bout. - Courtney Huycke faces Nastasia Pastorkova in a right-arm lightweight women’s match.

Between the lines: - EVW Sports is leaning on a homecoming angle, with Todd and West giving Arkansas fans local ties on a card built around international stars. - The lineup mixes title defenses, rankings-based matchups and stylistic contrasts, which raises the stakes beyond the main event. - The promotion is positioning the event as a statement return for armwrestling in the U.S. market.

What’s next: - Ticket sales and pay-per-view access remain available through evwsports.com. - EVW Sports said more details are available on its website and on the promotion’s Instagram and YouTube channels. - The event is set for June 6, 2026, in Little Rock, with the main event expected to anchor the broadcast.