Evan Singleton is a 6’ 6” (1.98m), 160kg (350lb) former professional wrestler and rising star of strongman, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. Known as “T-Rex,” Evan wrestled as Adam Mercer in the WWE, before injury forced him to retire. Wrestling’s loss has proved to be strongman’s gain and the charismatic American is hotly tipped to make a big impact at World’s Strongest Man sometime soon.
A former amateur freestyle wrestler, Singleton has stated on several occasions that he fully intends to win World’s Strongest Man, in a similar fashion to fellow countryman, Phil Pfister, who took top honours in 2006.
Evan is known for his larger-than-life contest persona and tyrannosaurus rex bone tattoos on his hands, which motivate him daily to dedicate himself to winning the sports biggest prize and become, like the T-rex, the undisputed king of his environment.
Singleton was an amateur freestyle wrestler in high school and achieved an impressive national ranking. After graduating, he signed for the WWE, but his career was cut short due to a serious head injury which left him unable to exercise at all. After a brief spell in bodybuilding, Evan came across a man log-lifting at his local gym in Lancaster, struck up a conversation and within two weeks had decided this 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 1,000lb (453.5kg) in competition have served to signal the arrival of a genuine World’s Strongest Man contender. Singleton seems to be riding an upward curve and there could well be even greater success for him in 2023.
Evan’s 2019 North American Open title, won in Martinsville, Indiana, marked his arrival on the world strongman scene and served as a launchpad for his rapid progress in the sport.
In 2021 Singleton claimed victories at the Giants Live World Open, in Manchester, as well as the Arnold UK. On both occasions Evan defeated 2020 World’s Strongest Man, Oleksii Novikov, and in Manchester he joined the illustrious 1,000lb deadlift club.
