Evan Singleton

{{Short description|American strongman and professional wrestler}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Evan Singleton

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|10|9}}

| height = 198 cm

| weight = 159 kg

| sport = Strongman, Wrestling

| medaltemplates = {{CompetitionRecordSport | Strongman}}

{{CompetitionRecordCountry | {{USA}} }}

{{CompetitionRecordCompetition|Arnold Pro Strongman World Series}}

}}

Evan Singleton is an American strongman competitor and former professional wrestler who carries the nickname T-Rex.{{Cite web|url=https://lancasteronline.com/sports/penn-manor-alum-evan-singleton-makes-worlds-strongest-man-debut-this-week/article_760943a6-22f5-11eb-be9b-fbb7561aec42.html|title=Penn Manor alum Evan Singleton makes World's Strongest Man debut this week|first=JOHN WALK | Sports|last=Writer|website=LancasterOnline}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/sacramento-tourism-worlds-strongest-man-competition/103-e646cd9e-8373-42af-9f1c-14d2dd61be3f|title=Sacramento flexing tourism muscle with World's Strongest Man Competition|date=June 14, 2021|website=abc10.com}} In the WWE, he wrestled under the name Adam Mercer.

Singleton has won 5 Strongman competitions: 2019 Giants Live North American Open in Martinsville, Indiana, Giants Live 2021 World Open in Manchester, England, 2021 Arnold UK in Marston Green, England, 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic in London, England and Giants Live 2023 World Open in Manchester, England.{{cite web |last1=Roger |first1=Lockridge |title=Evan Singleton Wins 2021 Giants Live Strongman World Open |url=https://barbend.com/2021-giants-live-world-open-results/ |website=barbend.com |access-date=9 January 2022}}

Professional wrestling career

{{Infobox professional wrestler

|name = Adam Mercer

|birthname =

|image =

|alt =

|caption =

|names =

|height = 6 ft 6 in

|weight = 255 lbs

|birth_date =

|birth_place = Lancaster, Pennsylvania

|billed =

|trainer = CZW Wrestling School

|debut = March 24, 2012

}}

When he was 18, Singleton signed for World Wrestling Entertainment and competed under the name 'Adam Mercer'.{{cite web |title=World's Strongest Man Athlete Evan Singleton Didn't Know What Strongman Was Until 3 Years Ago |url=https://barbend.com/evan-singleton-only-training-strongman-3-years/ |website=barbend.com |access-date=7 January 2022}}

=Florida Championship Wrestling/NXT=

Singleton joined WWE's developmental promotion Florida Championship Wrestling, before it became solely known as WWE NXT as Adam Mercer during March 2012. At 19 years of age, Mercer was the youngest NXT member in the program's history. Despite his impressive physical credentials, Mercer wrestled a sparse series of matches, most of which were losses to notable up-and-coming wrestlers including Big E. Langston, Brad Maddox and Erick Rowan. Mercer participated on August 1 in a losing fatal four-way tag match, teaming with Chad Baxter, against The Ascension (Conor O'Brian and Kenneth Cameron), Jason Jordan and Mike Dalton and Brad Maddox and Rick Victor.

Mercer's last match in WWE/NXT was on September 27 in a squash match against Erick Rowan. During the match, Mercer sustained what he described as a "serious head injury", causing him to retire. He later joined Vito LaGrasso's lawsuit against the company in 2015,{{Cite web |date=2015-01-20 |title=Former wrestlers sue WWE over concussions |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/12200121/former-pro-wrestlers-evan-singleton-vito-lograsso-sue-wwe-concussions |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}} though the lawsuit was thrown out by a judge in 2018.{{Cite web |title=WWE Files Motion To Dismiss Lawsuit From Big Vito & Adam Mercer {{!}} Fightful News |url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/wwe-files-motion-dismiss-lawsuit-big-vito-adam-mercer?amp |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=www.fightful.com}}

Strongman career

After his wrestling career ended, he had a brief spell in bodybuilding{{Cite web |title=Singleton, Evan |url=http://www.musclememory.com/show.php?s=Evan+singleton&g=M |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=www.musclememory.com}} before coming across a man log-lifting at his local gym in Lancaster, struck up a conversation and within two weeks had decided strongman was his sport.

Evan’s professional debut was North Carolina’s Strongest Man and in 2018 he made his first Giants Live appearance at the North American Open. A year later he returned to record his first large contest victory.

In 2020 he made his competitive debut at World’s Strongest Man after attending the previous year as an alternate and equipment tester. A biceps injury prevented him from progressing from his heat. More bad luck followed in 2021 when, once again, his WSM aspirations were thwarted by food poisoning.

However, 2021 ultimately proved to be a huge year for Evan. Winning the Giants Live World Open and Arnold UK shows, as well as deadlifting 1,000 lb (453.5 kg) in competition have served to signal the arrival of a genuine World’s Strongest Man contender.https://giants-live.com/athlete/evan-singleton/https://barbend.com/evan-singleton-only-training-strongman-3-years/

In September 2022, Singleton suffered another biceps injury during a training session which put him out of the Giants Live World Tour Finals and Rogue Invitational that were held during October of that year. He underwent surgery to reattach his biceps tendon hoping to recover in time to prepare for the 2023 World's Strongest Man.{{cite web | url = https://barbend.com/evan-singleton-biceps-surgery/ | title = Strongman Evan Singleton Is Out For The Rest Of The 2022 Season, But His Biceps Surgery Was Successful | publisher = BarBend | date = September 28, 2022 | accessdate = March 10, 2023}}

In 2023, Singleton made the World's Strongest Man final for the first time, finishing 5th. Singleton would win two Giants Live shows that year: the Strongman Classic at Royal Albert Hall and World Open in Cardiff. He would also place 4th at both the Strongest Man on Earth Competition at the Shaw Classic and the Rogue Invitational.

In 2024, Singleton would compete at the Arnold Strongman Classic for the first time, placing 7th. He had to withdraw late into the competition with an injury.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-02 |title=Evan Singleton, Donna Moore, & Tom Evans Withdraw From 2024 Arnold Strongman & Strongwoman Classic |url=https://fitnessvolt.com/evan-singleton-donna-moore-tom-evans-withdraw-2024-arnold-strongwoman-classic/ |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=Fitness Volt |language=en-US}} At the World's Strongest Man in May, Singleton made the podium, coming in 3rd.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-05 |title=2024 World's Strongest Man Results & Leaderboard {{!}} BarBend |url=https://barbend.com/2024-worlds-strongest-man-results/ |access-date=2024-11-27 |language=en-US}} This was despite injuring his foot on the first event, the frame carry.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-04 |title=2024 World's Strongest Man Finals Event 1 “KNAACK Giants' Medley” Results {{!}} BarBend |url=https://barbend.com/2024-worlds-strongest-man-knaack-giants-medley-results/ |access-date=2024-11-27 |language=en-US}} Singleton would then finish 6th at the Strongest Man on Earth in August and 4th at the Rogue Invitational in October.

In 2025, Singleton would start his season placing 6th at the Arnold Strongman Classic in Ohio.

Personal records

Strongman:

Equipped Deadlift – {{convert|455|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} (with suit and straps) (2023 Giants Live World Open)
Standard bar Raw Deadlift – {{convert|420|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} (without suit and with straps) (2024 Strongest Man on Earth)
Elephant bar Raw Deadlift – {{convert|427|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} (without suit and with straps) (2024 Arnold Strongman Classic)
Log Press – {{convert|181|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} (2021 Shaw Classic)
Axle Press – {{convert|190|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} (2024 World's Strongest Man)
Medley – {{convert|453.5|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} yoke for 20m course into {{convert|330|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} frame carry for 20m course in 30.21 seconds (2024 World's Strongest Man) (World Record){{cite web|url=https://strengthrecord.com/strongman-world-records/#S16 |title=STRENGTH RECORD, Section 16 - Medleys |website=www.strengthrecord.com |access-date=12 April 2025}}
Medley – {{convert|160|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} per hand farmers walk for 15m course into {{convert|200|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} anchor & chain drag for 15m course in 27.38 seconds (2021 Giants Live World Open) (World Record)

Competitive record

Winning percentage: 16.66%
Podium percentage: 33.33%

class="wikitable"
! style="background: gold;"\|1st ! style="background: silver;"\|2nd ! style="background: #c96;"\|3rd ! Podium ! 4th ! 5th ! 6th ! 7th ! 8th ! 9th ! 10th ! 12th ! Total
International competitions \| 5 \| 1 \| 4 \| style="background: #EEEEEE;"\|10 \| 4 \| 4 \| 2 \| 1 \| 2 \| 2 \| 0 \| 1 \| style="background: #EEEEEE;"\|30

class="wikitable"

! style="background: gold;"|1st

! style="background: silver;"|2nd

! style="background: #c96;"|3rd

! Podium

! 4th

! 5th

! 6th

! 7th

! 8th

! 9th

! 10th

! 12th

! Total

International competitions

| 5

| 1

| 4

| style="background: #EEEEEE;"|10

| 4

| 2

| 1

| 2

| 0

| 1

| style="background: #EEEEEE;"|30

Bodybuilding

class="wikitable"

! Year

! Body

! Competition

! Division

! Placing

2015

| NPC

| Atlantic State Championships

| Junior

| 7th

Filmography

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes
2020–2024 \| World's Strongest Man \| Himself – Competitor \|

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! Notes

2020–2024

| World's Strongest Man

| Himself – Competitor

References

Category:Living people

Category:American male professional wrestlers

Category:American strength athletes

Category:1992 births