Many of the men’s weight classes exploded in 2025. Let’s take a quick look at what’s been happening.
59kg Weight Class
The 2024 world champion in the 59kg class, Wascar Carpio, kicked us off at Sheffield in January. He matched his best over total with 638kg, setting the bar high for the rest of the class.
The next 600+ total we saw came from Ivan Campano Diaz, lifting at the European Classic in Spain in March. He hit 607.5kg, his biggest total yet, on his way to his second open European title.
A new name joined the conversation in April at French junior nationals - Valentin Dupuy-Noel. He broke through the 600kg barrier for the first time, putting up 603kg - 12.5kg more than at his previous competition and with several years still left in the juniors.
Next stop, Classic Worlds in Germany, and Wascar was not in attendance to defend his world title. The 2022 world champion Antoine Garcia fought hard but his 610kg could not stop Ivan from stampeding towards victory with 637.5kg.
In July, Indonesia’s Wahyu Surya emerged from a cloud of Instagram hype and showed that the hype was real at the Asian/Pacific/African Championships. He broke the deadlift world record, recently set by Wascar at Sheffield, and totalled 641.5kg, going straight to the top of the 2025 table.
Antoine and Ivan met again at The World Games in China in August. This time Antoine hit 625kg but Ivan was ahead again with 642.5kg
Only a couple of weeks later, at Junior Worlds in Costa Rica, there was a ding dong battle in the 59kg class. The deadlift world record fell to Allan Duong Dingh Hy in the sub-junior category but it didn’t stand for long. Bodie LaCoe smashed it as part of his junior world title campaign, and he needed it, as his 623kg total was only half a kilo ahead of Valentin Dupuy-Noel.
66kg Weight Class
Our first entry in the 66kg class goes to Kjell Bakkelund. He stunned the world by dropping into the 66kg class for Sheffield 25, laying waste to the record books and adding an incredible 45kg to the total world record with 770kg.
At Powerlifting America nationals in April, Avery Jackson and Jonathan Garcia went toe to toe. Avery emerged victorious with 720kg, a scant 2kg ahead of Jonathan, and he took the fight to Kjell at Classic Worlds in June.
Kjell wasn’t in as great shape in Germany, and was starting to look a bit tired tired and gaunt. He still managed to hit 742.5kg though ahead of Avery’s 700kg.
At The World Games in August, Joe Jordan, after a year’s absence from the platform, won gold in the lightweight class, getting 720kg, just 2.5kg ahead of Kyota Ushiyama.
Joe followed this up with an outstanding performance at SBD Austin in November, pushing him up to 737.5kg.
74kg Weight Class
One name stands tall in the 74kg class - Austin Perkins. He has the highest GL points score amongst all the men in the IPF at 126.32 and he dominates the weight class. He started the year by extending the total world at Sheffield to 843kg - 43kg up from where it had been a year before.
However, at Powerlifting America nationals, Elliott Sykes broke through the 800kg barrier for the first time with 800.5kg. He still has a few years left in the juniors but he is already hitting bigger numbers than most in the open.
At classic worlds in June, Austin wasn’t really challenged and coasted to an 842.5kg total. But Elliott was on a charge and claimed his second junior world title in Costa Rica with 815kg. He’s still a chunk behind Austin but he is moving fast.
Austin competed again in October, at the Avancus Houston meet. He had a phenomenal meet, going nine for nine and hitting 858kg to keep Joe Borenstein at bay.
83kg Weight Class
The 83kg class saw a huge shake up in 2025 with some top lifters moving up into the class and others growing out of it. At Sheffield Ade Omisakin did not have his best day but still hit 850kg. 2024 world champion Jurins Kengamu was just ahead with 852.5kg. But bragging rights went to Russel Orhii who was on fire and put up a massive 870.5kg total.
In April, all eyes were on Powerlifting America nationals and some huge totals went up. Two time world champion Delany Wallace hit his biggest total yet with 867.5kg. Taylor Atwood had finally moved up to the 83s and he hit 876kg. But the big news at this event was Joe Borenstein being the first person in the class to total 900kg.
At classic worlds, Ade’s charge was blocked when deadlifts didn’t go his way and he finished on 842.5kg. Jurins was a little ahead on 857.5kg but Joe stormed to victory with a dominant 890kg.
Of the three, only Jurins travelled to China for The World Games. He had the meet of his life, going nine for nine and securing his biggest total yet at 872.5kg.
In October, Joe competed at the Avancus Houston meet and he was flying. He rolled out a 904kg total for overall second place and the biggest total ever seen in the 83kg class.
93kg Weight Class
There were two 93kg lifters at Sheffield and they were closely matched. Emil Krastev hit the biggest total of his career with 917.5kg, ahead of the 2024 Sheffield winner, Gustav Hedlund on 915kg, setting up an exciting re-match at classic worlds.
In April, one message came through strong and clear at Powerlifting America nationals - Jonathan Cayco is back! After missing worlds in 2024, the two-time world champion had clearly not been resting on his laurels as he scored by far his biggest ever total with 919.5kg.
The three of them met in Germany and it was a closely fought battle for supremacy. Gustav had the biggest squat, Jonathan the biggest bench and Emil the biggest deadlift and at sub-total, it was anybody’s game. Emil got out in front with his second deadlift and claimed his first world title with 910kg.
Shortly afterwards, at the Pan American Championships in the Cayman Islands, Russel Orhii launched his 93kg career and broke the total world record with 918kg, taking the record from Emil.
A few weeks later in September, the 2024 junior world champion Will Ball competed at a local meet, the Origins Invitational. His best total up to that point was 794kg but, in Chicago, he registered an incredible 920kg total, not only the biggest of the year, but the biggest total ever seen in this class.
105kg Weight Class
The 2024 world champion Ashton Rouska was the only 105kg lifter at Sheffield. Deadlifts were not his friend at that meet and he put up a pretty subdued (for him) 895kg total.
At the European Classic in March, three lifters went north of 900kg. Regin Stergakis took 900kg and Emil Norling 912.5kg. But out in front it was Corentin Clement, with a lifetime best total of 920kg.
Things did not go to plan at classic worlds though. Both Corentin and Anatolii Novopysmennyi bombed out and left the field of battle early. Regin improved his total to 910kg and Emil pushed up to 935kg. But it was two Americans that were at the top of the podium, both attending their first open world championships.
Keenan Lee put in a great performance with 950kg for the silver medal but Anthony McNaughton blew the opposition away with a blistering 975.5kg, collecting a bench press world record and absolutely decimating the total world record along the way.
Anatolii found some consolation in August at the World Games. He had a perfect run and won the Heavyweight gold with 937.5kg. A couple of months later, he was at Ukrainian nationals and posted a lifetime best total of 950kg, including a 375kg squat, so the three time world champion isn’t done yet!
Regin competed again in Costa Rica and won his second junior world title, hitting a 922.5kg total.
In November, Ashton Rouska returned to the platform at SBD Austin and he was on great form, hitting PRs on squat (381kg) and total (953kg).
120kg Weight Class
The 120kg class absolutely blew up this year! And Nonso Chinye was everywhere. He started the year with the European Classic in Malaga, Spain and it was there that he finally nailed a 400kg deadlift on the platform. This gave him a 965kg total and his first open European title.
Only a few days later, Josh Ngoka competed at British Junior nationals. Previously a super heavyweight, he has managed the trick of losing a chunk of bodyweight while still adding kilos to his lifts and he hit 945.5kg.
In April, Devin WIlliams matched that number exactly at his national championships.
Rondel Hunte also lifted at this meet, as a guest. In a heavily anticipated return to the IPF platform, Rondel did not disappoint. He got a 1010kg total, the biggest ever registered in this class, and made a statement of his intentions for the 120kg class.
The 120kg session at classic worlds was one of the most exciting of the whole event with athletes rising and falling through the rankings with incredible speed. Devin Williams’ bench world record helped him jump up to third place, totalling 950.5kg.
But it was Nonso and Etienne El Chaer who were fighting for gold. Etienne pulled a gutsy 390kg for a 962.5kg total and Nonso loaded up 400kg for the win. Unfortunately, Nonso hurt his shoulder pulling what should have been a surefire weight for him, and he was left in second place with 952.5kg.
Josh faced off against Joseph McDonald at junior worlds in September. Joseph had recently put up 945kg at classic worlds and he had pushed his lifts up considerably since then. He made his final deadlift and put himself in the lead with 965kg. Josh came out for the 385kg he needed. He got it to the top but his grip went and he finished on 957.5kg.
Nonso didn’t have to wait too long for redemption. At Avancus Houston in October, he deadlifted an unbelievable 415.5kg, giving him a 988kg total.
Finally, Bobb Matthews returned to competition at SBD Austin in November. He’s been missing all year but it was worth the wait for this performance. He had a perfect run and put up the biggest total of the year, and of all time, with a storming 1010.5kg
120+kg Weight Class
It’s hard to see past the shadow cast over the super heavyweight class by one man: Jesus Olivares. 2025 was no exception.
Jesus kicked the year off at Sheffield. He wasn’t quite on top form, missing one squat and two deadlifts, matching his 1112.5kg total from worlds the year before.
At Euros, Viktor Holinei broke through in the open class. He switches, seemingly effortlessly, between classic and equipped. He hit 993.5kg for his first open European title, ahead of Cenk Koçak who totalled 975kg. Viktor went on to win the European equipped and World equipped too!
At classic worlds Cenk improved his total to 997.5kg, just 2.5kg in front of Ajay Sharma, who was making his long awaited debut at worlds. But there was never any doubt that it would be Jesus Olivares who carried away the top prize for the fifth year on the run with a 1070kg total.
Temur Samkharadze lost more than 30kg in bodyweight in 2025 and was still bringing his strength back up to par at worlds. He seemed to have found his footing at World Games though, taking the gold medal with 990kg, 30kg up from his performance in Germany. At 130kg bodyweight, it will be interesting to see what he does next.
These numbers all paled in comparison once Jesus took to the platform at SBD Austin in November. Finally he managed to put together a total that was more representative of his capabilities. He looked in great shape, hitting a squat PR and matching his best deadlift for a 1153.5kg total, the biggest the IPF has ever seen on the classic side.
A great way to finish the year!