World Muscle Power Classic
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The World Muscle Power Classic (WMPC) (sometimes known as the World Muscle Power Championships) was one of the most enduring annual
strongman Strongman is a competitive strength sport which tests athletes' physical strength and endurance through a variety of heavy lifts and events. Strongman competitions are known for their intensity, pushing athletes to their physical and mental limit ...
competitions, running for twenty years and in that time attaining the position of the second most prestigious strongman contest in the world, after the
World's Strongest Man The World's Strongest Man is an international strongman competition held every year. Organized by American event management company IMG, a subsidiary of Endeavor, it is broadcast in the US during summers and in the UK around the end of Decemb ...
. It was notable for that reason and for the quality of the strength athletes it attracted, which included every winner of the World's Strongest Man competition from 1980 onwards including Jón Páll Sigmarsson, Geoff Capes and
Bill Kazmaier William Kazmaier (born December 30, 1953) is an American former world champion powerlifter, world champion strongman and professional wrestler. During his illustrious career, he set over 40 powe ...
from the 1980s right up to the five time WSM champion Mariusz Pudzianowski and four time WSM champion Žydrūnas Savickas, both of whom were never able to capture the WMPC title.


History

The World Muscle Power Classic (WMPC) first took place in 1985, with the by then established World's Strongest Man having made the popularity of strongman competitions such that this second world title was viable. In a sport notorious for the difficulty with which organisers are faced in making an event enduring, the WMPC stood side by side with the World's Strongest Man for almost twenty years and in that time saw many other events come and go. From the outset it attracted the very best athletes in the field and the final placings in that inaugural 1985 competition saw Jón Páll Sigmarsson, Geoff Capes and
Bill Kazmaier William Kazmaier (born December 30, 1953) is an American former world champion powerlifter, world champion strongman and professional wrestler. During his illustrious career, he set over 40 powe ...
on the podium, all previous winners of the World's Strongest Man and who between them won that title nine times. The event was organized and produced by Douglas Edmunds and later the Reeves brothers. For its inception until 2002, the event was held in Scotland, home of the Highland Games, which has a claim to be the progenitor of
Strength athletics Strength athletics is the collection of strength sports which measure physical strength, based on both: non-standard and historical implements as seen in Strongman and Highland games, and standardized and calibrated equipment as seen in Powerlifti ...
. The quality of the entrants continued unabated, attracting the very best in the world, and the competition quickly became regarded as the second most prestigious title after World's Strongest Man. The events twentieth century years saw it have a distinctly Highland Games touch. In 1998 for example, there was an opening ceremony started with a parade and several bag pipe bands played as the "World Highland Games Competitors" and the "World Muscle Power Classic Competitors" entered the field together. The competitors lined up in front of the Chieftains table and
Jouko Ahola Jouko Ahola (born 1 December 1970) is a Finland, Finnish former Strongman (strength athlete), strongman, powerlifter and actor. He is a two time World's Strongest Man winner, a two time Europe's Stron ...
, then World Strongest Man was given the title of honorary chieftain. He was dressed in a kilt and officially started the Games by banging the sword on the shield to the four winds. By the late 1990s, although regarded highly still, the WMPC profile appeared to dip. In 1998 for example it was advertised that the winner was guaranteed a place at the World's Strongest Man competition, whereas in the 1980s and early 90s it was much more than a qualifier for the more prestigious competition, but a second world title. The profile of strength athletics in general waned in the late 1990s with less coverage on television and many events suffered, including WMPC. In 2000 there was no event held. However, in 2001 it returned. At this time a
Strongman Super Series The Strongman Super Series, known from 2001 to 2004 as the ''IFSA World Strongman Super Series'', from 2005 to 2008 as the ''World's Strongest Man Super Series'', and reverting in 2009 to the ''World Strongman Super Series'', is a sequence of grand ...
had emerged, an attempt to heighten the profile of the sport once more, and although the WMPC did not feature as part of the point scoring events on that tour, it was advertised as the Scottish Grand Prix. In 2002, the WMPC, also referred to as the Aberdeen Grand Prix, was part of the
Strongman Super Series The Strongman Super Series, known from 2001 to 2004 as the ''IFSA World Strongman Super Series'', from 2005 to 2008 as the ''World's Strongest Man Super Series'', and reverting in 2009 to the ''World Strongman Super Series'', is a sequence of grand ...
in that year. Although still known as the WMPC, being part of a Super Series was a far cry from its grander position in the 1980s and 1990s. It fell from the list of Super Series events in 2003, and no event was planned in Scotland. At this time, the town of
Dolbeau-Mistassini Dolbeau-Mistassini () is a town in northern Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Mistassibi River, Riviere aux Rats and the Mistassini River, on Lac Saint-Jean. Dolbeau-Mistassini is in the Maria-Chapdelaine Regional County Municipality and ...
,
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
stepped in. Here, a reputation had been building for a number of years as a host venue for quality strength athletics and they jumped at the chance of hosting a reinvigorated WMPC. It lasted for two years in this venue but 2004 was its last outing. At this juncture the world of strength athletics had been damaged by the split between IFSA and the
World's Strongest Man The World's Strongest Man is an international strongman competition held every year. Organized by American event management company IMG, a subsidiary of Endeavor, it is broadcast in the US during summers and in the UK around the end of Decemb ...
with more than one organisation claiming to be the only official worldwide body. An unfortunate casualty of the rift was the WMPC.


Results

* (except for third place in 2001 fromsamson-power.com/archived_news.htm
/ref> )


Multiple time champions


Events

Events were held over two days, and over the years the events changed although popular events included: *The Wench *The Tree Trunk Lift *The McGlashen stones *The Log press *The Basque circle *The Anvil Hold *The super yoke *The Carry and Waddle


See also

*
List of strongman competitions A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...


References

{{World Muscle Power champions Strongmen competitions