Birmingham is set for a sell-out night of strength history in the making as the Utilita Arena will once again become the undisputed home of strength sport when Giants Live’s Strongman Open returns with one of the most explosive shows in its history. Featuring the legendary World Deadlift Championships alongside four other punishing Strongman events, this is not just a competition—it’s a live sporting spectacle where history is made in real time.
And what a mouth-watering showdown there is in prospect as Iceland’s deadlift world record holder, Hafþór Björnsson, returns to the Midlands to attempt to retain his world crown and extend his own deadlift world record. Standing in his way will be twelve of the world’s finest strength athletes, all capable of pushing him hard and perhaps breaching the 500kg barrier themselves?
In pursuit of Thor’s record is Mexico’s Raul Flores, who has already pulled a massive 480kg. More astonishingly, he recently completed three reps with 470kg in training – a feat that hints at reserves of strength yet to be fully unleashed. At well under 6-foot this Mexican deadlifting machine will be the shortest man in the contest, but his pulling power seems to know no bounds right now and there is enormous excitement surrounding what he can deadlift.
Giants Live has built its reputation on delivering the biggest, loudest and most dramatic Strongman shows on the planet. From roaring crowds to record-breaking lifts, every event is a unique strength spectacle with all the thrills and spills that go hand in hand with the sport. But Birmingham has a special place in Giants’ history—because it is here that the deadlift world record has been broken before, and it is here that it may very well be broken again.
The World Deadlift Championships is the most prestigious deadlift contest in the world providing a stage for some of the greatest strength legends to ever live to ply their trade and captivate the fans with numerous world records over the years. From Eddie Hall’s legendary 500kg breakthrough and the incredible records set by Iceland’s Benedikt Magnússon, to the current King of Deadlift: Hafþór Björnsson, who returns to Birmingham with unfinished business.
Last year, Thor left the crowd and his competitors awe-struck with his colossal 510kg world – the heaviest deadlift of all time – and then went on to win the whole contest and capture his 9th Giants Live victory. The Icelandic giant was the 2018 World’s Strongest Man and is one of the most dominant athletes in Strongman history.
In recent months, he has come agonisingly close to pushing the record even higher, narrowly missing out on two separate record attempts. At the Enhanced Games, 515kg broke the floor but stalled just short of lockout. Another attempt at 511kg followed, again falling heartbreakingly close to completion.
These were not failures in the traditional sense—they were warnings that something even bigger is coming. And now, he returns to the very stage where he has already made history; back in Birmingham, under the Giants Live lights. The question is no longer whether he is capable. The question is whether September 5th is the night he finally does it again, and if anyone else can really challenge him?
The Line-Up
As well as Flores, a stacked line-up of strength talent including three-time World’s Strongest Man Tom Stoltman, are ready to challenge Thor for not just the World Deadlift Championship crown, but the Strongman Open title too. American strength star Trey Mitchell, who was third at this year’s WSM in Myrtle Beach, returns as one of the most consistent and statically powerful Strongmen in the world. A former World Deadlift Championship winner, Trey is a threat for both titles and could well increase his own personal best in the deadlift.
Evan Singleton brings chaos, speed and explosive power to every event. A fan favourite worldwide, Singleton thrives in high-pressure arena environments and is capable of winning any event on the night. His fellow American Bryce Johnson, runner-up to Thor last year, is back to try to turn the tables on the Icelander, whilst Mexico’s Austin Andrade, along with England’s Adam Bishop will be hoping to close the gap and improve on the 470kg deadlifts that earned them joint second last season.
America will be further represented by Nick Guardione, whilst Canada’s James Jeffers returns to the Giants stage following his debut at the World Tour Finals last year. Evans Nana adds further firepower to the line-up, bringing explosive strength and relentless determination to every event.
Completing the line and representing Great Britain will be England’s Paddy Haynes and the Welsh Bull himself, Gavin Bilton. Haynes placed 4th here last year and joined the 1,000lb club with a phenomenal 453.5kg deadlift. He recently claimed the runner-up spot at the Strongman Classic and enjoyed a superb 2025 season in which he made his first WSM final and claimed the England’s Strongest Man title. Bilton is a former runner-up at the Open, placing 2nd in 2023. He’ll be looking to add to his own Welsh deadlift record of 440kg.
The Events
While the World Deadlift Championships is the headline attraction, the Strongman Open is a full test of complete athletic prowess. Five brutal events will push every competitor to their absolute limit:
Event 1: World Deadlift Championships
There is no purer expression of raw human power than the deadlift and no lift that affords the record holder greater bragging rights. No running start, no momentum, no complicated technique – just a colossal weight resting motionless and a man attempting to break its connection with the earth. 400kg will be the starting weight, with the exact increments yet to be confirmed. The competitors will lift in pairs through the early rounds, switching to a single platform once the weights get truly serious!
Event 2: Load & Push
Once the static monsters have battled it out in the deadlift, the Load & Push will offer a change of pace and a chance for the nimbler and more explosive athletes to showcase their speed and endurance. Three implements will need to be loaded into the wheelbarrows: a 120kg Anvil to be carried 10m, a 100kg tyre to be carried 15m and a 140kg Sack to be carried 20. Once fully loaded, the wheelbarrow must be pushed 20m back down the course.
Event 3: Titan’s Toss
Throwing for height or distance has always been an integral part of Strongman and there’s no better event to put the explosivity and coordination of these athletes to the test. 10 sandbags weighing 30lb, placed between 7m and 12m from the 12-foot bar will need to be thrown over in order of nearest first. This event mirrors the variation used at the World’s Strongest Man Final this season. On that occasion, no one completed all ten bags, so if anyone in the field can clear the bar with all ten bags, they will become the first to do so!
Event 4: Dumbbell Press for Reps
The Dumbbell is a test of explosive strength, technique, and endurance. At Giants events this discipline has been more commonly used in the “ladder” format, but here the athletes will need to lift the same 100kg implement for maximum repetitions. Mateusz Kieliszkowski’s 9-reps from the 2019 World Tour Finals has not been bettered since and anyone who can even get close, with three gruelling events already in the books, will be doing very well indeed!
Event 5: Castle Water Stones
Five stones ranging from 120-200kg will need to be loaded onto the platforms in what is the traditional Strongman finale. In Björnsson and Stoltman, two of the sports’ greatest ever stone lifters will be present and what a final heat it would be if the pair were to go head-to-head! Hafthór’s 17.54 sec run from the 2017 Europe’s Strongest Man remains the fastest time ever achieved.
This will be Strongman in its purest form—where one weak event can destroy a title run, and one incredible performance can launch an athlete from nowhere into contention. Every point matters and every second will count. And what makes Giants Live so unique, from a competitive point of view is the shear pace and intensity of the show. Five events in three gruelling hours – and 10,000 fans cheering on every single rep!
If Thor’s 510kg should be bettered, we may not simply be watching another world record but witnessing a moment that defines the outer limits of human strength. The bar is waiting. The giants are ready. The countdown has begun…
If you’re thinking about attending, do not wait! Tickets are selling fast, and this is one of the few nights in sports entertainment where there’s a genuine chance of witnessing a world record being broken in front of your very eyes.
Tickets are available at www.giants-live.com
