Evan Singleton

Last updated

Evan Singleton
Personal information
Born (1992-10-09) October 9, 1992 (age 32)
Height198 cm (6 ft 6 in)
Weight159 kg (351 lb)
Sport
Sport Strongman, Wrestling
Medal record
Strongman
Representing Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
World's Strongest Man
Qualified 2020 World's Strongest Man
Qualified 2021 World's Strongest Man
Qualified 2022 World's Strongest Man
5th 2023 World's Strongest Man
3rd 2024 World's Strongest Man
Qualified 2025 World's Strongest Man
Arnold Strongman Classic
7th 2024 Arnold Strongman Classic
6th 2025 Arnold Strongman Classic
Shaw Classic
5th2021 Shaw Classic
8th2022 Shaw Classic
4th 2023 Strongest Man on Earth
6th2024 Strongest Man on Earth
1st2025 Strongest Man on Earth
Rogue Invitational
4th 2023 Rogue Invitational
4th 2024 Rogue Invitational
Giants Live
8th2018 North American Open
1st2019 North American Open
5th 2019 World Tour Finals
2nd2021 Strongman Classic
1st2021 World Open
3rd2021 World Tour Finals
1st 2021 Arnold UK
3rd2022 Strongman Classic
9th2022 World Open
1st2023 Strongman Classic
1st2023 World Open
12th2024 Strongman Classic
4th2024 World Open
9th2024 US Strongman Championship
1st2025 Strongman Classic
Arnold Pro Strongman World Series
5th2019 Africa
3rd2019 Forts de Warwick
Official Strongman Games
8th2018 Official Strongman Games

Evan Singleton is an American strongman and former professional wrestler. In the WWE, he wrestled under the name Adam Mercer. As a strongman, he is the reigning Strongest Man on Earth. [1]

Contents

Known by his nickname T-Rex, [2] [3] [4] Singleton has also won 6 more international strongman competitions: 2019 Giants Live North American Open in Martinsville, Indiana, 2021 Giants Live World Open in Manchester, England, 2021 Arnold UK in Marston Green, England, 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic in London, England, 2023 Giants Live World Open in Manchester, England, and 2025 Giants Live Strongman Classic in London, England. [5]

Professional wrestling career

Adam Mercer
Born Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Professional wrestling career
Billed height6 ft 6 in (198 cm)
Billed weight255 lb (116 kg)
Trained byCZW Wrestling School
DebutMarch 24, 2012

When he was 18, Singleton signed for World Wrestling Entertainment and competed under the name 'Adam Mercer'. [2]

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, [6] though the lawsuit was thrown out by a judge in 2018. [7]

Strongman career

After his wrestling career ended, he had a brief spell in bodybuilding [8] 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. [9] [10]

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. [11]

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. [12] At the World's Strongest Man in May, Singleton made the podium, coming in 3rd. [13] This was despite injuring his foot on the first event, the frame carry. [14] 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. In May, Singleton was forced to withdraw from the World's Strongest Man in the heats after picking up an injury during the first event. Two months later, he picked up his 6th international title by winning the Giants Live Strongman Classic at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. Singleton won two of the five events, ultimately finishing 1.5 points clear of second-placed Jaco Schoonwinkel. [15] In August he won his biggest title of his career Strongest Man on Earth at the Shaw Classic, defeating the likes of Lucas Hatton, Thomas Evans and 13 others. [1]

Personal records

Strongman:

Competitive record

Winning percentage:

1st2nd3rdPodium4th5th6th7th8th9th10th12thTotal
International competitions714124421220133

Bodybuilding

YearBodyCompetitionDivisionPlacing
2015 NPC Atlantic State ChampionshipsJunior7th

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2020–2025 World's Strongest Man Himself – Competitor

References

  1. 1 2 Patuto, Greg. "Evan Singleton wins 2025 Strongest Man on Earth: Full Results & Scores". generationiron.com.
  2. 1 2 "World's Strongest Man Athlete Evan Singleton Didn't Know What Strongman Was Until 3 Years Ago". barbend.com. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  3. Writer, JOHN WALK | Sports. "Penn Manor alum Evan Singleton makes World's Strongest Man debut this week". LancasterOnline.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. "Sacramento flexing tourism muscle with World's Strongest Man Competition". abc10.com. June 14, 2021.
  5. Roger, Lockridge. "Evan Singleton Wins 2021 Giants Live Strongman World Open". barbend.com. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  6. "Former wrestlers sue WWE over concussions". ESPN.com. January 20, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  7. "WWE Files Motion To Dismiss Lawsuit From Big Vito & Adam Mercer | Fightful News". www.fightful.com. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  8. "Singleton, Evan". www.musclememory.com. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  9. "Evan Singleton - Giants Live". giants-live.com. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  10. "World's Strongest Man Athlete Evan Singleton Didn't Know What Strongman Was Until 3 Years Ago | BarBend". Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  11. "Strongman Evan Singleton Is Out For The Rest Of The 2022 Season, But His Biceps Surgery Was Successful". BarBend. September 28, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  12. "Evan Singleton, Donna Moore, & Tom Evans Withdraw From 2024 Arnold Strongman & Strongwoman Classic". Fitness Volt. March 2, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  13. "2024 World's Strongest Man Results & Leaderboard | BarBend". May 5, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  14. "2024 World's Strongest Man Finals Event 1 "KNAACK Giants' Medley" Results | BarBend". May 4, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  15. "Strongman Archives - 2025 Giants Live Strongman Classic". www.strongmanarchives.com. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  16. "STRENGTH RECORD, Section 01 - Deadlifts". www.strengthrecord.com. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  17. 1 2 "STRENGTH RECORD, Section 16 - Medleys". www.strengthrecord.com. Retrieved April 12, 2025.