THE ENHANCED GAMES, the performance drug-friendly athletic competition that has whipped up equal amounts of interest and controversy, will host its inaugural series this Memorial Day weekend on May 24. The event will feature 50 athletes across four disciplines (swimming, track, weightlifting, and strongman), along with a concert by The Killers (it is happening in Las Vegas, after all).
The strongman competition will be of particular interest to strength sports fans. There will be a one-on-one, winner-take-all deadlift between two of the most dominant figures in the space, Hafthor Björnsson and Mitchell Hooper. The pair will trade pulls to determine who is the strongest deadlifter in the world with no pharmacological restrictions. The winner takes the title—and $250,000.
Björnsson holds the official record for the deadlift—and has for the entire decade. He first broke the 500 kilogram mark in 2020 in a controversial event at his home gym amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Five years later in July 2025,Björnsson pulled 505 kilograms at a sanctioned event, cementing his status as the world’s top deadlifter. Since then, he’s re-broken his record, and the mark stands at 510 kilograms (1124 pounds). He’s called his shot for the Enhanced Games: he’ll aim to add another five kilos to his record for 515 total.
Hooper is no slouch either. He’s been one of the most successful strongman athletes of the past half-decade, with four consecutive Arnold Strongman Classic wins and two World’s Strongest Man titles, including this year’s in April. Hooper’s max competition deadlift is 475 kilograms (1047 pounds), so he hasn’t reached the same heights as Björnsson—but the nature of the competition means audiences will see him lifting in an entirely different context.
How to Watch the Enhanced Games Deadlift Competition
There are multiple options to watch the competition live. You can stream the event from a number of providers, including Roku, YouTube, Rumble, Twitch, or Kick. Broadcasts for the opening ceremonies begin on Sunday, May 24 at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT, then events kick-off at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Brett Williams, NASM-CPT, PES, a senior editor at Men's Health, is a certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.
