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Hall sees these strongman stars shining in Myrtle Beach.
One elite strongman will stand tall above his peers by the time the dust settles on the 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) in Myrtle Beach, SC. It might be two-time reigning WSM champion, Tom Stoltman. Or it could be another high-level contender looking to unseat the Scottish superstar before he makes vaunted WSM history. One strongman icon has an idea of what he sees unfolding in South Carolina.
On Apr. 17, 2023, Eddie Hall, the 2017 WSM champion, discussed the prospects for the 2023 iteration of the contest. In the process, he outlined his top three contenders for the title, including Stoltman, four-time winner Brian Shaw (2011, 2013, 2015-2016) in his final WSM appearance, and two-time defending Shaw Classic (SC) champion (2021-2022) Trey Mitchell.
Before he broke down his personal perspective on the 2023 WSM, Hall made one thing clear: there is nothing more monumental for a strongman than winning the prestigious contest. Full stop. It is a genuine dream fulfilled to be officially named the most physically powerful person on the planet.
“To be the World’s Strongest Man is probably one of the most childhood dream titles that people dream of,” Hall explained. “If you ask a man if they want to be the World’s Strongest Man and they say no, they are lying.”
As is the usual precedent, the 2023 WSM will start with 30 competitors before cutting down to 10 athletes for the weekend’s Final on Apr. 22-23, 2023. Hall expressed who he wants to see duke it out for the WSM title when all is said and done.
Hall seemed to like so many of the competitors’ chances that he even threw in an extra name for the heck of it.
“This is my dream Final going in, my top ten,” Hall started. “Tom Stoltman, Luke Stoltman, Pavlo Kordiyaka, Oleksii Novikov, Mitchell Hooper, Trey Mitchell, Aivars Šmaukstelis, Kevin Faires, Adam Bishop, Evan Singleton, Brian Shaw. That is eleven, but whatever.”
As for the format and event schedule for the 2023 WSM, Hall believes this year’s competition favors strongmen who lean on size more than agility and athleticism. Even though he wouldn’t make a concrete final prediction, Hall thinks strongmen of that mold — like Tom Stoltman, Shaw, and Mitchell — are strongly positioned (no pun intended) to win it all.
“I think it is really leaning towards the heavier men this year,” Hall said. “I think it is going to be a heavy, heavy Final. I think that is going to suit the bigger, taller, heavier guys … I’m not going to say who is going to win, because I am friends with all these people. I don’t want to put anyone down. My top three are definitely Brian Shaw, Tom Stoltman, and Trey Mitchell. Just because of the sheer size and body weight of these guys.”
In a strongman field that features just three current or previous champions (Stoltman, Shaw, and Oleksii Novikov), anyone seems capable of winning the 2023 WSM. However, Hall’s thoughts about size and mass being the deciding factors might hold true by the end of the weekend. Fans of the strength sport will find out as results come in until a new (or reigning) victor is crowned.
Featured image: @theworldsstrongestman on Instagram