With each new feat of strength, Hooper demonstrates why he is such a powerful force.
In the current strongman pantheon, Canada’s Mitchell Hooper is unquestionably the strongest. The athlete is the World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion and has finished on the podium in at least 10 consecutive strongman competitions. (Note: He’s only competed in 11 professional events.) The superstar is preparing to add more to his trophy case soon.
On July 12, 2023, Hooper appeared in a video on 2016 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) Lawrence Shahlai’s YouTube channel, There they will document part of their preparation for the 2023 Shah Classic (SC). The competition will take place August 19-20, 2023 in Loveland, CO. Shahlai helps coach Hooper in the video, and the workout sees Hooper polishing his bench press, log lift, sandbag throw and chest press. At approximately the 13:10 mark of the video below, Hooper successfully locks out a 210-kilogram (463-pound), three-rep bench press for a new personal record (PR).
While the 2023 SC is an entirely bench press-centric event, Hooper’s upper-body milestone performance is an excellent sign for his chances in the competition. In the only SC appearance of his career in 2022, the strong man finished third to two-time defending champion Trey Mitchell (2021-2022) and the competition’s famously eponymous rival Brian Shaw (second place).
According to Hooper, the bench press was not usually one of his strengths in the past.
“I was probably the most nervous about this one (bench press event) at the Shaw Classic,” Hooper explained. “I don’t think I’m a good bench presser. I think most of my overhead power comes from my legs.
Hooper had a three-competition winning streak to start the 2023 strongman season that was snapped with a third-place finish at the 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic (GLSC). The athlete will no doubt want an emphatic way to put himself back in the winner’s column at the 2023 SC. A Hooper win would prevent the iconic Shaw from winning his last strongman contest.
Hooper didn’t appreciate falling short in the 2023 GLSC:
“Next is third place [at the 2023 GLSC] He sits with me, next to me [expletive] Hate it,” Hooper said. “Losing doesn’t really sit well with me.”
Here is the list of strong contenders in 2023 SC including Hooper:
2023 Shaw Classic Roster
On the overall 2023 SC roster, Hooper is one of the favorites along with Mitchell and Shaw. Dark horses could include former two-time WSM champion Tom Stoltmann and 2020 WSM champion Oleksiy Novikov.
Whatever happens at SC in 2023, Hooper has firmly established himself as a household name in the strongman. Part of what makes him so great is that he pushes full throttle for another victory regardless of his well-earned reputation.
Featured Image: Official Big Loz on YouTube
