Russia, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin- these are the names flocking the headlines of all the media outlets around the world, and the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has become the focal point of the world. Amidst the news of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Vladimir Putin being the center of attention- the Russian President’s history in arm wrestling has come to the limelight.
“Who won the Cold War?” Vladimir Putin settled the answer on the table
It was the end of the 1980s. The Cold War was coming to an end, and the world had just seen the fall of the Berlin Wall and to the surprise of everyone, was set to witness the fall of the USSR. In the early 1990s, Vladimir Putin was a member of a delegation of young Russian political leaders who would often make visits to California, and would engage in impromptu arm wrestling competitions.
United States Representative Dana Rohrabacher, who is a California Republican, was one of the pullers who had faced the future Russian President on the table, and in a recent interview with Southern California Public Radio earlier this week, recalled his arm wrestling experience with Putin.
As Mr. Rohrabacher recalled, the difference of opinions between the US and Russian politicians regarding who had won the decades-long Cold War, eventually turned into an arm wrestling competition and Rohrabacher himself had a taste of Putin’s brawn- losing to him in just a matter of milliseconds.
“We were having a little but too much to drink I guess, but anyway we all started arguing about who won the Cold War. And so we decided to settle it like men do when they’ve had too much to drink in the pub,” said Mr. Rohrabacher.
“He’s a little guy, but boy I’ll tell ya, he put me down in a millisecond,” the California Republican went on, “He is tough. It’s just bing you know, muscles are just unbelievable. He’s a tough guy and he’s supposed to be a tough guy, and that’s what the Russian people want, but there’s no reason that we shouldn’t try to work with him.” [H/T Dailymail.co.uk]
Highlights:
- Representative Dana Rohrabacher recalls one incident from the 1990s when he and Vladimir Putin faced in an arm wrestling match over which side had won the Cold War
- Mr. Rohrabacher said that Putin defeated him within milliseconds
