Koch and Former Flame's TV Battle

Finance pundit and TV host, David Koch, met his match over the weekend despite being brave enough to go head-to-head with female beefcake and former ‘Gladiator’ Linda Byrnes (aka Flame) in a televised arm wrestle.

Byrne, who starred as Flame in the 1990s TV ratings winner, Gladiators, is now a fully qualified financial planner and was appearing on Channel 7′s Sunday night airing of Where are they Now?

Kochie must have been confused after receiving a special Financial Planning Association award for his contribution to consumer finance during Financial Planning Week in late May, only for one of the industry’s own to deal him a crushing blow on national television the following week.

burningpants put a call in to Byrnes (Flame) to find out more about her role as a planner.

She described the on-air dual as a proposal put forward by one of the show’s producers, and to Kochie’s defence, Byrnes said the tussle was not as one-sided as it may have appeared, and Kochie’s level of fitness made for a worthy contest.

“He was tough…not at all easy to beat,” she said.

Koch presents the show with his Sunrise co-host Melissa Doyle, and was encouraged into going head-to-head with Flame on Sunday night’s program.

One of the segments reunited the stars of Gladiators, including the muscled leotard attired, Flame, who challenged Koch to a conventional all-in arm wrestle.

Losing none of the form that helped her reach the pinnacle of physical training, Byrnes demonstrated the raw strength that saw her widely regarded as the premier female gladiator on the now-defunct series.

The former business and finance dynamo was quick to praise his victor following the defeat, and left few wondering she’s lost none of her alter ego’s competitive streak.

Given Kochie’s own status as a business and finance dynamo – in a twist of irony – Byrnes has also forged a career, post-Gladiators, in financial services, establishing two finance consulting companies, Prof Advantage and Beyond Strategies.

She also works in a business development role for First Capital Group, and is a qualified financial planner.