It's that time of the year again. WSM 2015 in Malasyia is about to kick of. In honour of Benedikt Magnusson's first trip to the big show we're made a quick list of who we think are the 5 strongest men, who competed in strongman at a high level, to never grace the sport's biggest contest.
5) Andy Bolton
The deadlift king. The first man to deadlift 1000+ lbs in competition. He's been succeeded but will never be overshadowed. Multi-time WPC powerlifting world champion. He competed at the World Muscle Power Championships in the 90s and graced the stage at the inaugural Arnold Strongman Classic. Legendary.
4) Andres Gudmundsson
One of the Icelandic giants, Gudmundsson was a major player on the strongman and highland games stage in the 90s. He won the World Strongman Challenge in 1994 over such names as Manfred Hoeberl and Gary Taylor. He was a multi-time competitor at the Highland Games World Championships and to this day still holds 3 Braemar Stone throwing world records. He was overshadowed by Jon Pall Signmarsson and Magnus ver Magnusson and suffered a severe pec tear before the WSM extended a heat system that then allowed more than one competitor per country. He made a comeback in 1999, reported winning Iceland's Strongest Man and being named to an IFSA Grand Prix event before his injury recurred.
3) Brad Gillingham
6 time IPF World Powerlifting Champion. If that isn't enough to make this list, I don't know what is. He has a miriad of other powerlifting titles stretching back to the 90s and holds a bunch of the IPF world deadlift records. On the strongman front, he had two respectable finishes at the Arnold Strongman Classic. His brother Karl was the strongman, and he competed at WSM 3 times. What it would have been to see them go head to head at the big contest.
2) Mark Higgins
No one was screwed over by the one representative at WSM per country more than Mark Higgins. First stuck behind Geoff Capes then Jamie Reeves (two champions) and missing out to Adrian Smith and Gary Taylor after that. He won back-to-back World Strongman Challenges, three-peated at the Le Defi Mark Ten International, stood on the podium at three Europe's Strongest Mans, and won the first World Strongest Team title with Geoff Capes. He beat the likes of Bill Kazmaier, Jon Pall Sigmarsson and Magnus ver Magnusson yet he never made it to World's Strongest Man.
1) Mark Henry
Usually if someone billed themselves as the Strongest Man in the World without winning the title, there would be hell to pay. Rightly though, no one questions Mark Henry. Powerlifting World Champion and Record holder, Olympian, and the first Arnold Strongman Classic Champion. There is not much to be said after that. His marquee showmanship is what stole him from strength. The WWE's gain was our loss.
