Devon Larratt Addresses the Baku Event Controversy: "There is No Baku Event"

Initial Confusion and Vitali's Repost

The discussion around the Devon vs. Vitali match gained traction following an Instagram post by Vitali Laletin, where he reposted a fan's story from August 15th that mentioned a new champion would be the "owner of Devon's grave" and showed Vitali training. This repost led to speculation that the match might be confirmed for the Shaw Classic. Devon Larratt himself made a video discussing this, expressing hope that Vitali would come, though he acknowledged it was not an official announcement from East vs. West. The livestream host, Pradeep, noted that Vitali likely read the post, including the August 15th date, before sharing it, suggesting he took it casually, much like Devon himself might repost fan hype. However, Devon clarified in the livestream that Vitali's repost was just from a fan and did not mean he had confirmed his travel to the USA.

The "Baku Scenario" According to Devon Larratt

Devon firmly asserted that any claims of a Baku event are "complete propaganda". He stated that both Robert Baxter and Dexter Tan, owners/management of East vs. West, have told him that the reports from Elmar (the "Baku guy") about the event's status are "an outright lie".

Devon provided a detailed timeline of his understanding of the Baku situation:

• Initial Confirmation: Baku was confirmed "months ago" for August 9th, then changed to August 2nd. Devon had his match against Vitali planned for this date.
• Engin's Departure and Communication Breakdown: Approximately four days before the previous East vs. West event in Chicago, Devon was made aware that Engin Terzi had quit East vs. West. At the same time, he learned that the Baku venue "had not corresponded with East vs. West in months or weeks," and Robert Baxter had attempted to establish contact without response, indicating Baku had "ghosted" them. All previous connections to Baku were reportedly through Engin.
• Scramble for a New Venue: With no communication from Baku, East vs. West began "scrambling to get a venue for the failed Baku event". There were attempts to secure venues in places like Romania.
• Brian Shaw Deal and "Manipulation": Devon believes that someone likely leaked information about negotiations with Brian Shaw, leading to an external party (not employed by the company) prematurely releasing information about Baku, which he views as a "manipulation tool to damage East vs. West promotions". The deal with Brian Shaw was made after Baku failed to meet a firm deadline for communication.

Devon summarized that Baku "never really was officially on" after Engin quit and communication ceased, and the talk about it coming back on was "a lot of manipulation done by the East".

Allegations of Manipulation and "Enemies of the Sport"

Devon openly accused Engin of being the source of this "dirty shit" and manipulation, stating that Engin sold the company, and his current actions are "damaging it to some degree". He believes Engin is "withholding the league hostage" and "stopping athletes from competing". Larratt went as far as to say that anyone "destroying the sport... is an enemy of the sport". He criticized European athletes for "whining and complaining and talking about quitting," calling them a "bunch of sissies" and suggesting they are being "used as pawns" due to their loyalty to Engin.

Commitment to Shaw Classic and Future Outlook

Devon reiterated his unwavering commitment to the Shaw Classic on August 15th, where he intends to compete in both right and left arm matches. He stated he has "made a personal promise" and does not plan to go back on his word. He believes the Shaw Classic offers "greater success for arm wrestling" than Baku and views Baku as "completely unprofessional".

While he is prepared to face Vitali Laletin at the Shaw Classic, he acknowledges the difficulty of pulling Vitali two weeks after a potentially "very difficult" right-handed super match against Alex Kurdecha. He stressed that the narrative of him "ducking Vitali" is "not true," asserting that he "is going to pull Vitali".

Regarding the broader European situation, Devon suggested that many European athletes quit and conducted a "smear campaign," making it unlikely for East vs. West to contact them. However, he affirmed that "of course we want the best," and if top European pullers are available and haven't publicly quit, they would be contacted. He specifically mentioned that Morozov, Ermes, and Levan have been called by the organization.

Devon's message to athletes is to focus on themselves and the fans, as East vs. West "has done you no harm" and is the "best place to arm wrestle". He stressed the importance of building and growing the sport, lamenting attempts to "separate, to fragment, to lessen what we've achieved". He maintains that "arm wrestling is going to continue to rise and do great things".