How Strong Was Ken Patera Really?

[@StrengthUniverse]

Huge thanks to Abhinav Kumar for helping with research on Ken. Thanks Abhinav! I hope you guys enjoyed the video! If so please take a moment to hit like and leave a comment. Thank you👍

[@da90sReAlvloc]

You should do how strong was viv Graham (he was a body builder and monster from Newcastle upon Tyne) there is footage of him in the gym on KZbin

[@mauricegilliam7102]

Ken was pretty strong😂

[@gbody2617]

​@@mauricegilliam7102- What's so funny weenie?

[@plaidchameleon25]

After Mr Patera's legal problems/prison time in Wisconsin, he was put in work release/parole in my hometown, New Richmond, WI. He got a job as a trainer in the gym I used in Hudson, WI and I had a number of training sessions with him before he was finished all his required time and went back to wrestling. The man absolutely knew everything there was to know about strength training and weight lifting and several of wrestlers friends who lived in Minneapolis, MN (less than an hour away) would stop in from time to time to talk and train with him. I never connected with him after that, but guided me in my strength training journey and corrected a lot of my mistakes with form and intensity. I'm forever a fan.

[@madtownangler]

Was he the guy that wanted some McDonalds after they had closed?

[@plaidchameleon25]

@@madtownangler, yep that was him. I asked him about it once. He answered my questions politely but with a barely contained rage and after that I learned to never bring up the subject again.

[@unklecorky2181]

@@plaidchameleon25 That's a really interesting story. Very cool he was your personal trainer for a period of time. Was that McDonald's thing that scandalous? I know it was for wrestling fans obviously but I am not sure if you are or not.

[@matthewelliott2213]

That style of power clean and then "locked-knee" press--essentially a military press--is absolutely nuts. 84 records--Ken is a legend in the PNW.

[@charlessavoie2367]

Ken Patera's presses were not military presses!

[@matthewelliott2213]

​@@charlessavoie2367 understood in a strict sense--but look at 3:34 and tell me that form isn't bananas...

[@charlessavoie2367]

@@matthewelliott2213 I dream of doing half as much. But there was a "torso push" involved, not completely strict and you get get this that or the other highlighted and there was still torso (back) movement helping send the weight up. Contrast to Bill March at the Nationals in Chicago in 1969, 228 pounds bodyweight, 390 pounds went up using shoulders and arms ONLY and NO body movement!!

[@douglasroseveare7295]

@@charlessavoie2367 Who cares? His knees were locked and his back moved it was still obviously mostly arm strength that pushed the weight up and he was lifting crazy weights for that era. Patera is underrated in the strength arena.

[@charlessavoie2367]

@@douglasroseveare7295 I am impressed by Ken, but how much less could he do without the back action? "Who cares" is a nullity!

[@MOOSE-qw4mx]

My late father-in-law wrestled and trained with Ken during his time in the NWA. He said that he was the strongest, kindest man he ever met in the locker room. The man definitely deserves to be one of the strongest men of all time.

[@asimhusain8087]

I didn't know he was that nice he frightened me

[@iamatlantis1]

@@johneveryman6296 Hulk Hogan was my fav NWA member. His rhymes and lyrical content were the most relatable. No one could flow like 'ole Hogan.

[@frankie3791]

Hogan had bars true but he bit them from superstar Billy Graham...Ken is the Emcee Ren of the group writing for people but not getting his full cred

[@Mikegee63]

​@@johneveryman6296😂😂😂

[@ryangulley2051]

Then putinaski and shaw walk in

[@richardduplessis1090]

Absolutely he's one of the strongest men of all time.

[@MJC-he3zt]

No

[@MJC-he3zt]

Top 1 million maybe

[@richardduplessis1090]

@@MJC-he3zt Seriously, how do you make that calculation?

[@richardduplessis1090]

@@MJC-he3zt You think there are more than 1 million people who can do a standing shoulder press with 500lbs? Laughable. You only have to look at national records to understand how exception that is. There won't be a million people capable of squatting 700lbs either: nowhere nea, and 1 5oolbs shoulder press is much more exceptional than a 700lbs squat.

[@MJC-he3zt]

@@richardduplessis1090 2 guys i went to high school with in a town of 5000 people could squat more than 700. He's not one of the strongest men of all time

[@charleskoegler2284]

Ken was a true legend absolutely one of the strongest men of all time God bless

[@xhuntarianx]

Of course he's one of the strongest men of all time he set 84 records some of which still stand over 50 years later. First American to over head press 500 lbs. 100% he's a legend in the strength world.

[@fitness]

How many other strength athletes have been top-tier competitors in the throws for track and field, Olympic lifting, power lifting, and strongman? He’s gotta be one of the most well-rounded strength athletes ever.

[@Duke-bv5wh]

Don't forget the fricken hurdle that gets me the most

[@rfjohns4452]

Gary Gubner, Ernie Pickett,Al Feurbach are a few but remember strongman more recent and competitors are picked no walk-ins. Yes Olympic lifters did come more from field events when there was the Olympic Press.

[@davidparkin9017]

Yes, he deserves recognition. Back injuries can just shut down your whole body. And the wrong shoes in a tug of war can make a difference. His standing press was amazing.

[@abhinavkumar547]

Speaking about whether Ken Patera was one of the strongest man in his time or not the answer is yes he definitely was. Just look at what his contemporary strength experts have said about him : Jim Schmitz, the greatest weightlifting coach of USA, who coached USA for Olympics at 4 different years ( 1972,1980,1988 and 1992) and has trained 11 olympians - including three athletes who have clean and jerked 500 lbs and two athletes who have snatched 400 lbs. When he was asked to describe some of the best qualities of each of the following olympians he has trained, he said " ken Patera was the absolute strongest, Bruce Wilhelm trained the hardest, Thanh Nguyen had the most natural talent, Ken Clarke had the most determination and Mario Martinez had the most success". The winner of the first two wsms, Bruce Wilhelm who beat Patera at the 77 contest, has said enequivocally that Patera was the strongest human being in the planet and that no one was stronger than Patera and Jon Cole that he ever saw compete in his live career. Bruce further called Patera as the second strongest man of all time just behind Paul Anderson who Wilhelm believed cannot be compared with anyone. Patera was an idol of Wilhelm and when he started weightlifting, Patera was the reigning king. Bruce has written a whole book on the biography of Patera titled Ken Patera story where he has called him as the titan of strength. He was certainly the one to write the life of Ken Patera as no one was closer to Ken and knew about his lifting and athletic career better. Bruce was in almost constant contact with Ken during his Olympic lifting and professional wrestling careers. In his interview with big Loz, Wilhelm recalled how he was in complete disbelief when he beat Patera and won the overall competition as he thought that Patera would win the whole thing and specially dominate the first event, which was the awkward overhead barrell press. As it turned out, Patera was not in competitive shape and suffering with a back injury, Bruce won the first event and the overall competition. He was definitely the stronger man during that contest. I firmly believe that Ken Patera and Jon Cole would have been top 2 in no particular order at that inaugural wsm competition if all the athletes that competed in that contest would have been in their respective primes at the same time competing against each other due to Patera and Cole's diversified backgrounds in so many different sports of powerlifting, weightlifting, track and field, shot up, javelin and discuss throws. What better than the biggest rival of Patera, Vasily Alekseyev of Russia who is widely regarded as the greatest Superheavyweight weightlifter of all time and won two gold medals at 1972 and 1976 Olympics as well as won consecutive 8 world Championships from 1970-1977 and remained undefeated until his injury. Alekseyev was widely regarded as the world's strongest man during 1970s and sports Illustrated called him the same in his 1975 edition of featuring him. Alekseyev along with all the fellow Russian lifters and medias were in so much awe of Patera's strength and size ( Patera in his prime was built like a grizzly bear with those humongous arms, shoulders, chest and large sculpted legs that all looked like granites of pure muscles. He looked so different in his prime than when he was a pro wrestler.) that before the 72 Munich Olympics, Alekseyev admitted in an interview that Patera was stronger than him and that he has good chance to beat him for the medal. As things turned out, it was not in the fate of Patera to win the gold medal at Olympic as shortly a day before, the infamous terrorist attacks took place where dozen of innocent Isralieites jews got killed in a massacre. Patera saw the murder live in front of his eyes from the distant balcony and it emotionally and mentally unstabled him. The worse thing happened when Olympic Committee shortly after the attack announced that the weightlifting competitions that was about to happen next day was cancelled which shocked Patera more. To cope with his pain, he went to night clubs and bars and kept partying , drinking and chasing all the German girls throughout the whole night. The effect of continuous pounding took its toll on the pelvic and back areas of Patera and as a result he suffered injury. The next day, Olympic Committee announced that they have decided to resume the weightlifting competition and Patera injured, tired and somewhat still in drunk state couldn't manage to perform as everyone expected from him.

[@StrengthUniverse]

Hey, pleased you managed to post this in the end. Excellent points that demonstrate the high esteem that Kens peers had for him. It's a shame that Ken wasn't able to capture an Olympic medal, if not for the incident you accurately described he was certainly capable of finishing on the top 2 steps of the podium

[@Donantonio26]

I met Ken a few years ago, and he told me the story of him being in the first WSM. One of the organizers was a friend of Ken and wanted him to do the contest due to his name value and the attention that would draw to the contest. Ken, however, hadn't been training for five years by this point and only did the event to make his friend happy. He came in third without taking it seriously at all.

[@billybarr7443]

Stop telling lies lad

[@tchlin]

​@@billybarr7443absolutely needed comment, not.

[@skybluemarshall]

​@billybarr7443 It must suck to live such a boring, sheltered life, that meeting someone famous seems utterly impossible to you. My friend and I had funny encounter with Quentin Tarantino at a movie theater once, where we all laughed together. I guess that must make me sound like the biggest liar in the world to someone who never leaves their house.

[@billybarr7443]

@@skybluemarshall just stop telling lies lad

[@houstontrapper9452]

I actually met him as well back in about 2005 or so. He definitely was a good guy and was happy to talk wresting with us. He had a big ol dip of Copenhagen in his mouth and his black lab was waiting in his truck. I can remember the size if his calves were bigger than my legs. Lol.

[@PinnaclePete]

A very detailed biography on Ken. Well done! There's no doubt in my mind that Ken Patera, had he been in his prime, would have won that first WSM in '77. He had not only superior Olympic lift numbers to Bruce, but also very impressive powerlift and track & field numbers! Jon Cole, also past his best years, would have been up there too. Being reminded how Ken looked in his Olympic lifting days with the eyeglasses made me think of Alex Karras with a similar look as an Olympic lifters in the movie, "The 500 Pound Jerk." (free on YT) A few strongmen video suggestions if you haven't done them already: Serge Reding (those quads!) Chuck Sipes Mike Dayton

[@StrengthUniverse]

Thanks Pete, pleased you found it interesting and thanks for the suggestions

[@bradreid6057]

Hard to say regarding Patera vs. Wilhelm. Wilhelm lifted in the drug-tested 1976 Olympics (placed 5th) while Ken lifted (no totaled) in the last un-tested '72 Olympic Games. He infamously answered, when asked who would win, him or Russian Vasily Alexeyev, by saying something to the effect "whoever has the best drugs." Another compare. Wilhelm, too, was about equal to Bruce in field event exploits in high school and college. Finally, Wilhelm was also a dominant "real" wrestler compared to Ken's pro-wrestling both of which certainly require lots of athleticism. ***One last interesting tidbit: Both Ken and Bruce came from athletic families. Some of you might know that Jack Patera of pro football playing and coaching fame is Ken's older brother. And Bruce's little brother, Steve, was a dominant collegiate shot put and discus thrower and part of a famous threesome weightmen group at Kansas.

[@abhinavkumar547]

@@bradreid6057 Look at what Bruce himself has said about the strength of Patera. Patera in his prime was stronger than prime Bruce Wilhelm. Bruce has called Ken the world's strongest man in his time and the titan of strength.

[@archclement2902]

You know your weightlifting and weightlifters! Serge Reding was one of Alekseyev main competitors. He died to young. Mike Dayton did some insane stunts.

[@PinnaclePete]

@archclement2902 Some people thought Serge was stronger than Vasily. Serge would rise out of his cleans like he was lifting an empty bar! Mike Dayton's act was just CRAZY!!! I wonder how long he did it before he retired. And poor Chuck Sipes - great physique, great strength, but he committed suicide.

[@joedaniels4646]

He was my favorite wrester as a teenager and I eventually got into pro wrestling and was heavyweight champion of a Independent federation known as the WWA which pulled talent from the NWA and we wrestled on the same card one night in upstate NY. I was so happy to get to meet and talk with him. He was a total gentleman! He is the world's strongest man in my book!

[@imreadydoctor]

His HS bench was more than my current bench. What a beast!

[@MaxiFlanagan]

Dude what an athletic beast

[@tonys4039]

Those shoulder press numbers are ... wow

[@dklipper9939]

Ken Patera was an absolute savage, genetically gifted.

[@neon_necromunda]

and responded to steroids very well

[@FIGGY65]

@@neon_necromunda. He was a billionaire of strength genetics, and if one put his “use of steroids” on a 10 scale for comparison sake ( quantity/duration) , he’d be about a -1. He didn’t really need them, and his use was rather quite casual at best.

[@TVTruther]

Anyone who can clean and press (not a jerk) over 500 lbs in a official competition puts you into a league of only a few amongst billions....

[@FIGGY65]

And he’ll remain as the first ( and only) American to hold this record because of it being dropped from the “Olympic three” later on 👆🏽

[@mikestansbury2510]

when i was a kid, ken was a heel in the nwa and i ran into him chatting with some drunk guy. i watched for a bit and the drunk got belligerent and the security came and took him away. ken(who was supposed to be a bad guy) looked at me and smiled and said "don't end up like that guy!" blew my mind. it was one of those rare moments in an empty cow palace(or oakland colliseum) back when the wrestling events weren't as popular and you could actually hang out with the wrestlers when they came out of the dressing room. tito, and rock n roll buck zhumov and greg gane and jim brunzell were who i usually ran into, but a nice heel? stuck with me ever since.

[@tonyjones1560]

IKR? I met Superstar Billy Graham not long after he won (or stole) the WWWF title from Bruno Sammartino. I’m nearly 61 and still recall how kind and patient he was with me. He was (still is) my all time favorite wrestler…

[@mikestansbury2510]

love hearing stories like this. wrestling now just isn't as fun as it was back then. where a kid could walk to the dressing area and just hang out waiting for these wrestlers to come out a door and chat.@@tonyjones1560

[@stevespatola763]

I recall Jen putting Andre off the ground and slamming him to the mat. It staggered him, but he continued the match. That was in Oakland's Kaiser Auditorium in the early 80s.

[@genosim63]

His size and strength since he was very young is phenomenal. The thing that needs more mention is his all around athleticism, such as track and field. In his prime he was absolutely historic.

[@patrickkelley6212]

Damn right he deserves to be considered one of the strongest men of all time!!!!😀

[@Caje-zf8md]

Patera became a national hero of mine when I first became interested in weight-lifting as a young adolescent. I rooted for him while watching ABC's Wide World of Sports as he competed against Alexeev and Redding, but unfortunately his lifts fell short. When Alexeev and Redding were dueling it out with the 500 lb. overhead press, Patera was struggling with a 485 lb. clean and jerk. It's unfortunate that the US has lost interest in Olympic weight-lifting and in the super-heavyweight division in particular.

[@Babyfaceref]

I also met Ken when I wrestled he was a very nice and humble guy. As an athlete I can't imagine what he would have accomplished with modern sports medicine and training. In the time frame that Kenny competed he was the dominate athlete. His athletism is one in a million. I'd highly recommend Kennys autobiography. He led one interesting life!

[@jtropfenbaum7931]

Watched him when I was at Loprinzi's Gym , Portland Oregon. Very impressive 300 + pounder and drove off in an Austin Healey Sprite !

[@bjs001001]

Oh yeah he does. I had the pleasure of meeting him a few years back and he is a great guy on top of being an incredible athlete. All you can do in this life is set or break records. If your records are broken, that's life. But to set that many records he deserves to be with the top athletes of all time.

[@ApothecaryGrant]

Ken Patera got me into weight lifting . I never pressed 500 lbs but I did manage to bench press it . At 5’9” that was pretty good and I owe it all to him and Bruno Sammartino .

[@StrengthUniverse]

500lb bench is something the majority will never achieve; congrats!

[@ApothecaryGrant]

@@StrengthUniverse Thanks . It something I am really proud of .

[@UncleGo67]

Definitely deserves a Place on Any List….✅✅✅👍👍👍💪💪💪

[@fluffyfeetbmf]

Ken is absolutely one of the strongest men ever, and he was a great wrestler. The strongman stuff came too late, and it’s a shame. Thanks for another great video.

[@StrengthUniverse]

Well said

[@samuelsontraining]

What an outstanding video. Your videos are getting better the more you produce them. Great research, presentation and occasional humour but ultimately, the respect you keep within them. I'm fairly well educated on strength athletes but new nothing of Ken prior to WSM (it was his hair on the bar neck bend that made me remember him). A proper renaissance man within strength. Given his varied participation, injuries and the early days of strength competition, it's without doubt that he'd be chomping at the bit of the known greats.

[@StrengthUniverse]

Thanks mate, pleased you enjoyed it. It's a shame WSM didn't start 5 years earlier

[@nickcompton5981]

All his achievements are extremely impressive. Especially when u consider the era he achieved them.the 60 and 70s had to be very difficult to make any kind of living from weight lifting. It's not like today how anyone can make videos of themselves and share with the world.

[@LeonCalhoun-d9b]

Super impressive guy with the weights even more super he wasn't afraid to get into the ring with Andre the Giant that takes Guts and ❤ and yes he inspired me to lift weights as a child Thank you Ken Paters Olympic Champion..

[@abhinavkumar547]

@@LeonCalhoun-d9b Why would he fear Andre when he was actually overall stronger than him.

[@UncleTermite]

@@abhinavkumar547Andre could lift over 2,000 pounds off the ground without training fir it not so sure about that .

[@abhinavkumar547]

@@UncleTermite Lol that was not real buddy

[@gurnblanston5000]

Insane lifts!!

[@roderickreilly9666]

That rack press of 535 is especially phenomenal. Isn't it the heaviest such effort yet?

[@abhinavkumar547]

Nope Patera's best push press from the rack actually was 552 lbs witnessed personally by Bruce Wilhelm and Bill starr. I believe it is the heaviest such effort in the history that is verified.

[@Ease54]

@@abhinavkumar547 I recall the pic in Strength& Health, which attributed the bar as 560.

[@abhinavkumar547]

@@Ease54 Not sure he ever did 560 , but everywhere he has been credited as doing upto 550 lbs .

[@roderickreilly9666]

@@abhinavkumar547 : but that's a push press. Phenomenal but I meant strict press.

[@ecnumber1fan]

Enjoyed the educational vid. Thank you

[@StrengthUniverse]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@conorolaf1762]

Yes, Ken Patera is most certainly one of the strongest men in history. Soviet Gold Medal Olympian Vasily Ivanovich Alekseyev said Ken Patera was the strongest man in the world.

[@tonyjones1560]

IJS, we can trust Alekseyev’s assessment 100%. Ken Patera was real deal strong!

[@g-man2507]

Extremely gifted freak of nature.

[@1980bwc]

Kenny was a freakishly powerful dude! As we say down here in Tennessee, He was tougher than a pine knot.

[@vancouvercomedyuncensoredv8240]

First American to clean and press over 500 LBS. A lift I believe most current day world strongest men would fail to make

[@lazur1]

In competition, I believe only he & Alexyev in history.

[@strengthandbulkMadness]

He might be the first 500 lbs clean and press in the world but it was done at a National weightlifting competition.

[@thebarbelllifestyle1478]

​@@lazur1Serge Reding as well did over 500. Those three were the best pressers in history.

[@FIGGY65]

@@strengthandbulkMadness. And he is the first , last and will be the only American to hold the US record , because of the discontinuance of said lift😎👆🏽.

[@miguelayala428]

Wonderful video thank you for sharing, I shared to my Facebook.

[@StrengthUniverse]

Thanks Miguel, much appreciated

[@michaela3562]

Thank you for the video! Ken Patera was and still is Awesome!

[@Eparker09]

Very cool highlight.

[@VisualTedium]

The strongest Big Mac attack that's for sure

[@Tomm5997]

Brian Shaw definitely deserves a video discussing whether he's the strongest of all time.

[@Tomm5997]

His Yoke and Frame WRs are so underrated.

[@roadstar499]

Wow very impressive athletic career...a true champion imo...

[@andrew98115wl]

Nice one! We appreciate all the work you put into these videos!

[@StrengthUniverse]

Cheers Andrew

[@richbrake9910]

In 1973 Patera was the first person in history to do a standing shoulder press with 500 lbs.

[@halihandro]

Love these videos. They must take so much time to make. Thanks for the effort sir.

[@StrengthUniverse]

Glad you like them!

[@Brian-uy2tj]

If he had been born 30 years later with his potential and modern training he would have been right at the top of the field.

[@Austin11ification]

I've read stories that he once incline benched 572x2 and "made it look like a feather." And did heavy pulls with 750+ don't quote me and on third rep jerked the bar so violently that it bent and couldn't be used anymore and now hangs in the York barbell hall of fame

[@JBBooks-rl3ec]

Yet another great video!!! I remember watching some of those competitions on tv as a young lad!!! Thank you sir for the memories!

[@StrengthUniverse]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@noyb12345]

And this was the reason why they gave Henry so much leeway for his strength competitions decades later💪💯

[@justaguyfromreddit]

love your narrating style! These videos are short documentaries!

[@StrengthUniverse]

Cheers Martino

[@ThouSwell-zx3fd]

He was best known for being one of the first guys to lift 500 lbs over his head.

[@kevinbrooks1104]

Kenny is a great representation from the great northwest. Respect and admiration to the world's strongest man thanks for the memories

[@gurnblanston5000]

His won alot of grip contests as well. Crazy strong.

[@418cjpaul]

that was a very good video! if the WSM had been held from 1970-1972 there is no doubt in my mind he would have won easily!

[@StrengthUniverse]

Thanks paul, No doubt in my mind he would have won at his peak

[@mikes62soupcan]

I like when you mention John Kuc.

[@thespanishflyangelmiguelto1797]

Absolutely One of The Strongest Men on Earth A Great Athlete and Wrestler no Doubt gotta give props where it's due !

[@soleadoc]

An injury can knock a lot out of you. You can still feel and look strong, but your body just won’t let you anymore.

[@WJHandyDad]

Ken Patera definitely worthy of having a video on your channel. Would be interesting to see some other pro wrestlers on here too. Can't remember if you've done Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan already.

[@StrengthUniverse]

He certainly is. I've done videos on: Andre, The Great Khali, hulk Hogan, Warrior Animal, Ultimate Warrior, The Rock, John Cena, Brock Lesna, Kane, The Steiners, Warlord, Big E and several others wrestlers

[@PinnaclePete]

​@StrengthUniverse Maybe consider doing Bruno Samartino. He was one of the first holders of the world bench press record! Like the Warlord, Tony Atlas and Dino Bravo also claimed a 600 lb. bench.

[@WJHandyDad]

@@StrengthUniverse maybe for April Fools one year you can do "How Strong was WJ Handy Dad Really?"

[@billb6283]

Something that stood out to me is how well Franco Columbo...a 5'5" bodybuilder, did competing against these big guys, in the strongman competition. He was also a good friend and trained with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[@Nicholas-dreamlove]

YES! I do. Ken Patera's strength is terrifying!

[@VinceAdamsTraining]

I trained with Ken several times back in the day, I can tell you he was pretty strong.

[@sammyspero3648]

Wow! He was blessed before he started!!!

[@Total_Body_Fitness_USA]

At first glance I thought it was Richard Simmons that started bodybuilding!

[@phreakwars]

Oh without a doubt. Ken was such an awesome athletic wrestler to watch too. I remember the first time I ever saw a wrestling show was when I was a little kid. AWA had an event at the high school, mom and dad got us all front row seats. Ken was one of the wrestlers on the card that night and I can remember his wrestling style compared to others on the card was just insane awesome. The way he would whip those opponents to the corner and slam them was just awe inspiring. Ken of course, was the "HEEL" and he did his moves and took his bumps with such force that when he slammed that turnbuckle or someone into it, it would actually scare you. This was old small town AWA wrestlin' days, no TV crew, no microphone under the ring to add effect. I'll always remember Ken and Shawn Michaels as 2 of the very first wrestlers I saw perform, don't really remember too many more that day.. I know Bobby Heenan was there, he wrestled too wasn't managing. Buck Zumhoff, Jerry Blackwell, Sheik Adnon', Wahoo McDaniels who was the first autograph I ever got and I don't remember the rest, don't remember the matches well at all, but one thing I'll never forget was how scary and awesome it was to watch Ken. Not only the most memorable match of the night, but the most memorable one in my life.

[@davissinclair4945]

Ken Patera was a true powerhouse and one of the greatest wrestling characters in WWE history. Another wrestling legend and strong man that apparently made Bill Kazmaier say "mercy" was Harley Race. Old time wrestlers will tell you that Race was one of the purest strong men along with Bruno Sammartino.

[@abhinavkumar547]

What is the story behind kaz saying mercy to Harley race?

[@vaughnbrady4454]

​@abhinavkumar547 Harley had inhuman hand strength and could beat anyone (with the possible exception of Danny Hodge) in an interlocking fingers test of strength. Kaz challenged Harley in a friendly way to lock fingers and Harley beat him. My Uncle told me stories about Harley crushing beer bottle caps between his fingers making the scissors motion.

[@abhinavkumar547]

​@@vaughnbrady4454I m sure Harley race would have very hard time beating Andre the giant in interlocking the finger challenge. Andre's hands and fingers were massive. His hands were of the same size of gorilla as noted by Dr. Terry Todd.

[@aaronspratt267]

Great video!

[@StrengthUniverse]

Thanks!

[@FLEXX1959]

Absolutely he should be known as one of the worlds strongest men !

[@RobertEllis-e7p]

I dont think ordinary people have an appreciation for how strong Ken Patera was. This video does, however, shed some light on the subject!

[@brianhays1797]

As a shot putter and disc thrower is high school, those throws are insane! And college is a 16lb shot compared to high school 12 lb!

[@lazur1]

505.5 lb Clean & Press, to this day, 2nd best in history (to the late Alexyev's 507). Patera's the strongest living Clean & Press-er. (Bring the lift back if you think you can beat it:^)

[@walkingboss]

He was the strongest man in the world for a year or two. Very impressive.

[@tylerdean5443]

He also beat the crap out of a bunch of Waukesha wis cops around 1984. They couldn’t handle his size strength and quickness. Did prison time I believe. Great athlete and under rated

[@MarkHermann-u5p]

Fantastic. Athlete. Truly. An. Icon

[@randyhilgeman2819]

Unbelievable 565 lbs bench press

[@UncleTermite]

Not fir nothing but weighing well over 300 pounds he’s supposed to be able to do that ,I’ve seen Tank Abbot bench 600 in a video and he’s about the same weight .

[@dougfredricks2017]

I recall him working the NWA circle for Crockett Promotions and remember him on the CBS Production of the Worlds Strongest Men Competition 📺

[@jahkarl7376]

Really enjoy your videos of these historic strenght athletes. Such a rich history. Jesus bless you.

[@StrengthUniverse]

Thanks, I appreciate that!

[@strengthandbulkMadness]

Most bizarre is that Ken outlived most of his competitors despite heavy drinking, smoking, injuries, prison and wrestling with a hectic schedule.

[@Bosc715]

And heavy roils and eating

[@strengthandbulkMadness]

@@Bosc715Yes, 340 pounds is a lot of weight. He did go off the steroids early. Vince McMahon wanted him to go back after criticizing his physique. Ken was starting to get old. Ken said he didn’t want to go on and ended up retiring shortly after.

[@PhillyBagel]

Patera is absolutely in the conversation when talking about the strongest ever. And slightly off topic but a question comes to mind when I see him wearing glasses. Did he wear contacts in pro wrestling or did he just work “blind” like Stan Hansen?

[@jaydee0187]

Great video Sir.Its well made and very informative

[@StrengthUniverse]

Thank you

[@arthurblackhistoric]

Any man who can clean and press AND clean and jerk 505 pounds has to be in contention when it comes to any conversation about strongmen. Of course he was very much a man of his time. Back then he had to work a full-time job as well as doing his weight training after hours. I remember reading about his 505 C&P and C&J in Iron Man Magazine when he did those lifts way back then and I was tremendously inspired by that. As a wrestler Ken usually played a bad guy, but in real life I read nothing but good things about him. Even that McDonalds incident was a frame up allegedly to enhance his villainous reputation.

[@1vootman]

Which modern day strong man can rack press 500lbs? None. Kaz couldnt even do that. Definitely one of the strongest men ever

[@abhinavkumar547]

Iron biby for sure. Apart from that Andrew richards who is not technically a pro strongman. But both Biby and Andrew are more like a shoulder specialists unlike Ken who had ungodly overall body strength and power. A decade earlier Zydrunas Savickas was also reported to have done 570 lbs push press of the racks and a confirmed seated neck behind the press of 441 lbs for 5 reps. Apart from these guys i don't see anyone capable of pressing over 500 lbs from the rack. Probably some of the strongmen who are great log pressers like Hicks, Luke stoltman, Bobby Thomson and Trey Mitchell can be close to 500 lbs but still none of them r an over 500 lbs overhead presser from rack with barbells , also partly due to the reason that they don't train with standard Olympic barbells shoulder press that much. Eddie hall would be the one who could have great overhead press from rack no. but he also didn't train much in that lift with barbells at his peak. Correct me if I m wrong but i don't recall anyone other than biby that has pressed heavier weight overhead from rack that is verified than Patera who did 552 lbs from press from the rack witnessed personally by Bruce Wilhelm. Savickas was reported to have done 570 lbs but there is no confirmation of that lift except wiki which doesn't cite any links for that no.

[@theoriginalrecycler]

Yes, he makes the list.

[@michaelhighstreet5641]

He will always be one of the strongest men ever Ken Patera

[@sydneysheppard4979]

I saw him on world's strongest man yrs ago..I remember him carrying a full engine block out of a truck!!!💪❤️

[@thewelfaregourmet]

good vid. One correction? No way Patera was deadlifting 700+ lbs for reps with "double overhand" grip. He was an Olympic style lifter and would be using hook grip.

[@StrengthUniverse]

Quite probably

[@FIGGY65]

Ken very famously bent an York Olympic bar, and if memory serves it was doing 736# for 2 or 3. Brad Gillingham has powerlifting competition records as a super with a hooked DOH grip🤙🏼

[@Mr05Chuck]

His brother Jack was the first coach of the Seahawks.

[@MichaelJustice-ng7by]

I watched that 1977 world's strongest man it was one of the past strongman competitions of all time

[@Celtokee]

The reason overhead press was was dropped from the Olympic weightlifting was political. Both Serge Reding (the Belgian) and Ken Patera could out-press Sergei Alexeev.

[@charles2675]

In his time But not at 80 year's old .. bang up I know Ken and I'm from Minnesota To.

[@MichaelHull-rq9fe]

Excellent video

[@StrengthUniverse]

Thanks Michael

[@Yashdeep-dy3vo]

Please make a video on The Great Gama Pehelwan

[@scottpope6210]

This guy had put in 5 lifetimes before competing in WSM

[@priestfan81]

Incredible genetics for strength. With todays training, nutrition and gear protocols, would definitely be a top level strongman.

[@ericlynnes1228]

Great video. Waiting on Jim Neidhart.

[@kermitfrog593]

"My style broke motherfuckin' backs like Ken Patera" - Wu Tang

[@xmoomy]

Absolutely one of the strongest men to ever live!!

[@timambrose6815]

Awesome

[@willyjenkins8756]

What a monster.

[@BobB-zy6vi]

The Real Deal......awesome. So underrated....sooooooo forgotten.