I can’t blame him… it’s hard to watch.
Back around 2015, Riley Green took on some random guy in an arm wrestling match down at the Flora-Bama (a place Riley used to play often while getting started in his country music career), and let’s just say… it didn’t end well for the mystery man.
Riley took the guy down in a few seconds flat, and in a video he shared on Instagram of the exact moment over a decade ago, you can see (and hear) the snapping of the arm. And not that I’ve ever found myself in a late night arm wrestling match like this, but I think Riley Green is the last person I’d want to go up against if I were to ever find myself in that situation.
If he hasn’t heard anything by now, my guess is that he’s probably safe… and truthfully, by the way he talked about it and the look on his face as he remembered that fateful day, I think he still enjoys that story quite a bit himself:
“I think the most popular Flora-Bama story I have is when I broke a dude’s arm in there years ago, arm wrestling. There’s still people who work here that bring it up. I’m hoping everybody will forget about it ‘cuz I’m afraid the guy’s gonna find me and sue me, but I think enough time has passed that we’re probably okay.”
And this week, Riley is the guest on Theo Von’s This Past Weekend podcast, where he told Theo about his early days performing around his home state of Alabama, which included many wild nights at the Flora-Bama. Riley recalled a three-week stint where he played there every afternoon from 12-4 while college kids were on spring break, and he would then party all night after he was done playing.
Needless to say, Rily joked that it took 10 years off of his life:
“I’ve played Flora-Bama forever. $150 a show, play four four hours, you get one free drink per break and you play 45 minutes at a time. I remember John McInnis that owns the FB is a good buddy of mine, and he asked me to come down and play at spring break every day for three weeks.
It was like Alabama spring break one week, LSU one week, LSU folds love it up there. I had to set my own tent up on the beach. I would be in the shade for about an hour then I’d have to move it. Nobody down there listened to me. I played every day from 12-4. at tailgating tent… I had to set my own speakers up and everything. I would play from 12-4 every day, the I’d go back across the street to the river house where they would keep the bands.
The bands would come in and play that night, then I would go party with them. I did that every day for three weeks, and it about killed me. Definitely took ten years off my life… stating up all night. I would mosey down to the beach, get there in time to play at noon the next day.”
Then, he told Theo about the famous arm wrestling story, and
“There’s some pretty epic stories down there. I broke a guy’s arm one time, arm wrestling at the Flora-Bama. I didn’t do it on purpose, it wasn’t for money. I was playing a show, and I took break, and I go over on the side, and these guys were like, you’re a pretty big old boy, let6’s arm wrestle.
For whatever reason, that’s what we grew up doing. My dad and his brother and all them. I beat two or three guys, and they were like, we’re gonna go get somebody. They brought this dude over, he was probably 40, you know, and he’s all jacked up.
Somebody videoed it and his arm just snapped… you gotta listen to it, though. You’ve gotta have the sound up.”
They brought up the video for Theo, and his reaction was priceless because the look on his face said it all… he was horrified, and couldn’t watch it again:
“Oh my bog, bro. Stop. That’s enough, man. Sorry. Oh my God, dude.”
If you’ve never seen it before, you can watch it here, but fair warning… it’s pretty gnarly and the sound is even worse:
A word to the wise… never arm wrestle Riley Green.
Theo’s reaction is priceless, and you can watch it here:
