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Ted Arcidi

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Ted Arcidi
Arcidi in 2022
Birth nameTheodore Arcidi
Born (1958-06-16) June 16, 1958 (age 66)
Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Alma mater
Professional wrestling career
Ring nameTed Arcidi
Billed height5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[1]
Billed weight285 lb (129 kg)[1]
Billed fromBoston, Massachusetts, U.S.[1]
Trained byTony Altomare
Debut1985
Retired1990

Theodore Arcidi[2] (born June 16, 1958) is an American former professional wrestler, actor and powerlifter. He is known to be the first man in history to bench press over 700 pounds in competition, establishing an official world record.[3]

Early life

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Arcidi was born in Buffalo, New York, and grew up in Concord, Massachusetts. The son of a nurse, Anne Arcidi and orthodontist, Doctor Joseph M. Arcidi. Ted was raised Roman Catholic and attended parochial schools with his 6 siblings, 3 brothers and 3 sisters. Throughout elementary and high school, Ted was active in all sports, particularly Ice hockey.[4] Ted received a BS from Norwich University and went on to Graduate School at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.[5] While he was obtaining more science credits to get into dental school he taught junior high and high school biology. That was cut short when his power lifting talent was good enough to compete at a world class level.[4]

Powerlifting/Bench press world record

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Ted Arcidi bench pressed 705.5 pounds (320 kg) on March 3, 1985 at Gus Rethwisch's Hawaii International Powerlifting Championships in Honolulu, Hawaii for an APF & USPF world record, to become the first man to bench 700 pounds in an officially recognized powerlifting competition.[1][2][6] Then, after being 5 1/2 years away from competition due to his wrestling career, he made a comeback. Weighing 291 pounds, Arcidi set another world record with a 718.1 lbs bench press at the APF Bench Press Invitational on September 30, 1990, in Keene, New Hampshire.[7] On September 14, 1991, at a Mr. Olympia contest, he squared off face to face with his greatest rival Anthony Clark to determine who the greatest bench presser of the world was. Arcidi defeated the much bigger Clark (5'8", 375 lbs) by pressing 725 pounds off his chest to establish a new world record, but was disqualified when judges deemed he failed to lock out his elbows.[8][9]

Arcidi's 705 pound all-time world record bench press was performed in one of the earliest bench shirts - an original pre-prototype supportive bench press shirt, which was 50% polyester and 50% cotton and only one layer thick.[10][11] It was thus later categorized as "equipped", although it did not improve his bench by much, if anything.[10] It was an equivalent to a modern day Under Armour shirt. In 1984 Arcidi had benched an official 666.9 pounds (302.5 kg) at 286.0 pounds bodyweight completely raw, without a bench shirt, elbow or wrist wraps at the Hawaii International Powerlifting Championships as well.[12] He is considered to be one of the strongest bench pressers of all time.[8]

Records done in Official Power Lifting Full Meets

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Arcidi preps to bench 666 pounds

Done in official powerlifting full meets:

  • Raw bench press:
    • 666.9 lbs (302.5 kg) @308 lb class (286 lb bodyweight)[13] raw without wrist wraps, elbow wraps or a bench shirt (1984 Honolulu, Hawaii) (USPF/APF/WPC)
    • 650.4 lbs (295.0 kg) @275 lb class (275 lb bodyweight)[13] raw without wrist wraps, elbow wraps or a bench shirt (1983 Westminster, Maryland) (NSM)[14]
→ current all time completely raw (unequipped using no wrist wraps, no elbow wraps or a bench shirt) benchpress world records in the 308lb and 275lb class[15]

Done in official bench-only invitational meet:

  • Equipped bench press: 718.1 lbs (325.7 kg) @308 lb class (291 lb bodyweight) in an early single-ply bench shirt (1990 Keene, New Hampshire) (APF)
→ former all-time bench press world record regardless of weight class and equipment
Percy Pringle and Ted Arcidi with the commentator

Professional wrestling career

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Arcidi lifted for several years and eventually was sought by and debuted in Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in late 1985.[1] Arcidi faced other "strongmen" such as Tony Atlas, Big John Studd, and Hercules Hernandez during his stint and made a single appearance at WrestleMania 2 in the WWF/NFL Battle Royal.[1][16] In 1986, he wrestled Big John Studd for the main event at the Boston Garden. He was the first WWF wrestler to hold the moniker of "The World’s Strongest Man".[17] His final match was against Jake Roberts on February 14, 1987 in Calgary, Alberta.[18]

Arcidi was immortalized as a wrestling doll when WWF brought out a line of Wrestling Superstars toys in 1987.[19][9]

After his WWF run, he went to Calgary and briefly worked for Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling.[17] Where Arcidi turned heel. After that, Arcidi moved on the World Class Championship Wrestling in Dallas, Texas, where he was known as "Mr. 705" (referring to his world record bench press). He was managed by Percival Pringle III and was part of a stable of wrestlers including Rick Rude, the Dingo Warrior and Cactus Jack Manson. Arcidi captured that organization's Texas Heavyweight Championship on August 31, 1987 and held it until he lost to Matt Borne on November 10 that same year.[20]

Championships and accomplishments

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Business ventures

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After leaving Pro-Wrestling, Ted created a vitamin supplement company called Arcidi Strength Systems. Among these are his ownership of New England's largest women's gym in Manchester, New Hampshire, and a gym equipment company called Weightlifters Warehouse.[4] Later, Arcidi bought the building with his father.[5]

Acting career

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Behind the Scenes - A candid shot of Ted and a fighter, possibly taken by a production assistant on set.

Arcidi started focusing on his acting career in 1997, with parts in films and shows such as Law & Order and in several commercials. He participated in numerous acting classes and casting director workshops on a weekly basis, engaging with both the New York City and Boston markets. During this period, he also seized opportunities to act in various student films and low-budget projects, collaborating with institutions such as Emerson College, Boston University, Boston College, and New York University.[4]

Filmography

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The table below comes from IMDb.[23]

Year Title Role Type
2020 Defending Jacob (miniseries) Kingston TV mini series
2020 Ray Donovan Ricky Ronsen TV series
2019 Blue Bloods (TV series) [24] Robbie Gold TV series
2018 The Equalizer 2 [25] Big Ernie Movie
2018 The Path The Super TV series
2017 Born Guilty Larry Movie
2016 Donald Cried [26] Corey Movie
2014 The Leftovers Tow Truck Driver TV series
2013 The Family Tommy (Mobster) Movie
2013 Standing Up Mr. Falco Short
2011 The A Plate Chuck Movie
2011 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Prison Guard #1 TV series
2011 Nurse Jackie Driver Movie
2011 30 Rock Tony TV series
2010 Smark Eddie Rocket Movie
2010 The Fighter Lou Gold Movie
2010 The Town Cedar Junction C.O. Movie
2010 The Imperialists Are Still Alive! Don Movie
2009 Don McKay [27] Officer Randall Movie
2008 Lipstick Jungle Cop TV series
2005 Commitment Sully Short
2005 Losers of the Year Larry the Cop Video
2004 Heart of Spider Jimmy Short
2000 Prince of Central Park Construction Worker Movie
2000 H&G Cooking show cook Short
1999 The Good Man's Sin George Short
1998 Law & Order Landlord TV series
1998 Bobby Loves Mangos Mr. Coine Short
1987 Jake the Snake Roberts Ted Arcidi Video

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Shields, Brian and Kevin Sullivan (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. DK/BradyGAMES. p. 299. ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
  2. ^ a b Ted Arcidi Archived 2013-10-29 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Meltzer, Dave (2004). Tributes II : remembering more of the world's greatest professional wrestlers. Sports Publishing. ISBN 1-58261-817-8. OCLC 226237533.
  4. ^ a b c d "Theodore A. "Ted" Arcidi NU 1982, Oral History Interview March 11, 2015". Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Former WWF Wrestler Saves 125 Acres Of Farmland In Milford: Watch". July 28, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  6. ^ Meltzer, Dave (2004). Tributes II: Remembering More of the World's Greatest Professional Wrestlers. Sports Publishing LLC. p. 102. ISBN 1-58261-817-8.
  7. ^ Weis, Dennis B. "Powerlifter Ted Arcidi interview". Power Bobybuilding. Archived from the original on November 12, 2007. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
  8. ^ a b "World's Strongest Man of... Wrestling". PYGOD. strengthfighter.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
  9. ^ a b "These Are 10 of the Strongest Wrestlers of All Time". August 12, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  10. ^ a b "Ted Arcidi concerning Bench Press Shirts". Ted Arcidi. chrislift.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
  11. ^ Todd, Jan; Morais, Dominic; Pollack, Ben (2015). "Shifting Gear: A Historical Analysis of the Use of Supportive Apparel in Powerlifting". Iron Game History: The Journal of Physical Culture. 13: 37–56.
  12. ^ "Powerlifter Ted Arcidi interview". Powerlifting Watch. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  13. ^ a b "ALL TIME HISTORICAL MEN AND WOMEN'S POWERLIFTING WORLD RECORDS" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 3, 2013.
  14. ^ "STRENGTH RECORD, Powerlifting World Records". www.strengthrecord.com. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
  15. ^ Vasquez, Johnny. "Men's All-time Raw World Records". powerliftingwatch.com. Archived from the original on November 20, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
  16. ^ "World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)". Encyclopedia of Children, Adolescents, and the Media. SAGE Publications, Inc. 2007. p. 351. doi:10.4135/9781412952606.n471. ISBN 9781412905305. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  17. ^ a b "What Superstars hold weightlifting records?". WWE. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  18. ^ "1987". thehistoryofwwe.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  19. ^ Scott Minor (March 12, 2022). "10 WWE Wrestlers Who Surprisingly Got Action Figures". TheSportster. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  20. ^ "WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship". Cagematch.
  21. ^ Will, Gary; Duncan, Royal (2000). "Texas: NWA Texas Heavyweight Title [Von Erich]". Wrestling Title Histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. pp. 268–269. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  22. ^ "NWA Texas Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  23. ^ "From IMDb". IMDb. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  24. ^ "Frank tries to reinstate an officer he previously fired after he questions the circumstances surrounding her firing, on a rebroadcast of "Blue Bloods", Friday, Oct. 23". Paramount Press Express. October 1, 2020.
  25. ^ admin (August 24, 2018). "The Equalizer 2. Film Review". Liverpool Sound and Vision. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  26. ^ "High school past comes back to haunt in 'Donald Cried'". The Providence Journal. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  27. ^ "'Don McKay': A Noir Too Far, By Kurt Loder". MTV. Archived from the original on June 13, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
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