Mitchell Hooper Thinks Tom Haviland Can Win the World’s Strongest Man
Australian social media sensation Tom Haviland stands at a colossal 6’8″ and is working toward a body weight of 400 pounds while maintaining a visible six-pack. Unlike his contemporaries, Haviland avoids the limelight, training at his home gym and outdoors without putting his face on camera.
Haviland’s training videos received the attention of podcaster Joe Rogan, who argued that Haviland might be the strongest man in the world. Haviland has trained with the 12-time Australia’s Strongest Man champion Derek Boyer but has never competed in a pro strongman contest.
On Jan. 30, 2024, the reigning World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Mitchell Hooper published a video on his YouTube channel wherein he compared Haviland’s best lifts to his own to determine if Haviland could outperform him if Haviland competed at the 2024 WSM contest, scheduled for May 1-5, 2024 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Check it out below:
“Haviland is not just a great deadlifter and bench presser; I’ve seen him do everything,” Hooper said. “I can’t pick out one thing he can’t do really well.”
7 Lifts Comparing Haviland vs. Hooper
Below is how Haviland and Hooper stack up across seven lifts:
1. Yoke Walk
In one of Haviland’s Instagram posts, he carried a 1,200-pound homemade yoke on his shoulders. Hooper has lifted up to 1,350 pounds on the yoke, surpassing Haviland’s best.
Hooper highlighted that Haviland’s equipment was not as stable, implying that Haviland could likely achieve higher numbers with a better kit. However, Hooper concluded that he would likely outperform Haviland in a yoke event in a strongman contest.
2. Bicep Curls
Haviland has a 235-pound barbell biceps curl personal best. Hooper admitted he cannot curl anywhere close to Havliand’s PR, conceding this lift to tie the comparison one to one.
3. Zercher Carry
Haviland performed a 626-pound Zercher carry for two sets of 30 seconds of continuous walking.
“This is basically Conan’s wheel. For context, the WSM weight of the Conan’s Wheel is 440 pounds (200 kilograms),” said Hooper. “I’ve gone up to 500 pounds on the Zercher [carry], and this is another 100 pounds and some off pounds on top of that.”
Hooper called it a “big 50/50” chance on whether he could match Haviland’s personal best on the Zercher carry. Hooper assessed lift three as a draw.
4. Stone to Shoulder
Haviland has lifted a 275-pound stone-to-shoulder, walked five steps, performed a set of squats, moved it to the other shoulder, and repeated for another set.
“I find it hard just to stabilize while standing [with a stone on the shoulder], never mind squatting,” Hooper said. “But at 120 to 125 kilograms, I think it would be manageable for me.”
Hooper ended this comparison in a draw as well. Predicted record after four lifts: 1-1-2.
5. Deadlift
Haviland pulled a 926-pound deadlift without a suit or a specialized deadlift bar. Hooper hoisted a 981-pound deadlift at the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic, which Hooper won, suggesting a close comparison but leaning towards a draw due to the conditions of Haviland’s lift. Predicted record after five lifts: 1-1-3.
6. Squats
Haviland performed a 692-pound squat for multiple reps. Hooper’s best squat is about 810-815 pounds for a double in knee sleeves, making this another close comparison that Hooper suggests yet another draw. Predicted record after five lifts: 1-1-4.
7. Clean to Zercher Catch and Squat
Haviland has successfully completed a Zercher catch and squat with weights up to 485 pounds. Hooper accepted he could not clean 485 pounds, indicating Haviland would outperform him in this lift.
“Haviland has got head-to-toe strengths,” Hooper said. “I can’t pick out a thing where I go like, ‘he’s not even close.’” Hooper’s predicted record against Haviland after seven events: 1-2-4.
Hooper concluded that if Haviland were to fully commit to training for the World’s Strongest Man competition, Haviland would not only Haviland contend for the Finals, but potentially win the coveted title.
Hooper’s next strongman contest will be the 2024 Arnold Strongman Classic, slated for March 1-2 in Columbus, OH, where he will defend his title against former ASC and WSM champs Martins Licis and Hafthor Björnsson. Two-time WSM winner Tom Stoltman and 2020 WSM Oleksii Novikov are the other top contenders in the lineup.
Featured image: @tom_haviland on Instagram
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