Unfortunately we had a couple of signal issues during our call which Auntie Liz has cleaned up as much as possible. A big thanks to Bruce Wilhelm for joining me on Talking Strongman!
I’ve searched for Bruce Wilhelm interviews many times in the past and never before found a video version. Thank you Laurence for this unexpected treat.
That was such a treat! Was always my favorite WSM winner. Always loved his personality and charisma. The guy with the Ultimate brawny Dad Bod putting everyone else in their place, and grinning at them afterwords. A true Man's man. Thank you so much Loz! Please continue to help keep him in the public eye. It's been hard to find much of anything on him till now.
Wilhelm was obviously born to be the "heel" as a wrestler, and the original Eddie Hall-type for WSM. You know he loves to yell at the neighbor kids to get off his lawn these days. :)
Lou Ferrigno won the car deadlift and the bar bend and finished 4th overall, not bad for a "joke" lol. How about trying to get big Lou on the show uncle Loz ?
That was Bruce's reaction when seeing Ferrigno on the athlete list. Hopefully he had a little more respect for him as an athlete after the competition. A Talking Strongman with Lou Ferrigno would be amazing.
I'm sure he saw the inclusions of Ferrigno and Colombu as more of a gimmick than anything (definitely a nice bit of Incredible Hulk/CBS cross-promotion going on), but they did pretty well! Colombu may have been small, but he was freaky strong, and Ferrigno actually won a couple of the events, while also looking like a million bucks, which is also good for TV.
It was kind of an early mix martial arts tournament: huge football players, bodybuilders, powerlifters, olimpic throwers, some massive farmers... Amazing!
He still has no respect for Ferrigno or Columbu or bodybuilders in general, which is pretty amazing. Ferrigno actually outlifted him and Jon cole in one of the main strength events, the car lift. And Franco did very well even though he was the smallest, giving away 70-100 lbs. in bodyweight to most of the competitors.
Great stuff, it may be my age, but I love the interviews with the old time legends. Bruce referenced so many lifters and strongmen of yesterday. Great to see him looking so well. Thanks as always.
Wow! Didn't see this one coming. First ever world's strongest man. Bruce looks awesome fair play. I love the 70s /80s strongman. Brilliant loz mate. Is there anyone you can't get on lol.
Great to see Bruce and hear his story. I remember watching the first ever WSM as a 6 yr old kid. My parents thought it was crazy but I thought it was so cool and strongman has stuck with me all through my life. Thanks a lot Loz, Liz and Bruce.
I was a kid too. I watched the replay of the 78 strongman. I didn't know Lou and Franco were out of their league because they looked the part. Great memories.
I totally agree. In fact, Franco Columbu might’ve won the whole thing if it wasn’t for that horrific refrigerator race injury. Willhelm is disrespectful to bodybuilders. I always heard about that.
Don in particular is an all time great in my opinion. Not only did he win WSM but his power lifting numbers/records speak for themselves. I truly believe Kaz wouldn't have dominated the early 80s if Don hadn't of suffered his injuries in 1980. I'm not saying he would have definitely beaten Kaz, but he would have been challenging him for wins.
@@T4Liam He could've had even bigger numbers too. Don benched 620lbs but it was red lighted when his toe came off the floor lmao. Then squatted 950lbs without knee wraps just wearing a belt and it was red lighted too.🤦♂️
So great to hear and see Bruce after all these years. Still the same attitude and swagger. Always loved Bruce's performances in the WSM competitions. Excellent interview!!!
I directed the meet that Bruce set the American Snatch Record (402-1/4) at. The lift was so fast and technically correct it looked like he was warming up with just a bar. He is a very gifted athlete. You rarely see such a big man that is so quick, great interview!
Wow! What an incredible surprise on a Sunday afternoon. This series and stories from the men I’ve idolised since my childhood got me through the lockdowns, so thank you Loz 🙏🏻 Side note - My Uncle Loz top arrived last week and it’s amazing!
I've only just caught up with watching this but I have to say what a cool guy Bruce Wilhelm is. I didn't know much about him before this interview but I've come away as a big fan with a newfound respect. Imagine being able to say that you are the first ever Worlds Strongest Man, what a legend 🙏
So happy to see the older competitors coming out of the woodwork. I actually jumped for joy when the notification came through, and my family thought I was mental! Bruce seems like a great guy, and still keen to train and be involved with the sport. Good interview Loz.
Absolutely brilliant! Great to see how much you are respected in the strongman world to get so many cool guys wanting to sit down and talk with you. It definitely pays off to be a courteous and decent fella! Thanks you two for a great channel. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I never laughed more in any other interview! Thank you Big Loz for all this great content! Bruce Wilhelm's mentality is why he was so great! Legendary!
Great interview, I wasn't prepared for that one Big Loz, thank you!! Wilhelm is absolutely right for what concerns Olympic weightlifting, Taranenko got screwed...
Uncle Loz, you really outdid yourself with this one! I can't believe you were able to talk to Bruce Wilhelm for an interview. Towards the end of the interview you mentioned how it would be cool for the OG WSM competitors to show up and support the new athletes. I would LOVE to watch a competition where Bruce was head referee or something like that.
Great interview. I remember watching World's Strongest Man in 77 and 78 when I was teenager. I do remember another one of the officials was former Olympic lifter John Terpak since he was my mother's neighbor growing up I knew who he was.
@biglozofficial You and Liz are truly at the forefront of pushing strongman into the future!! Keep it up guys and Good Luck for GiantsLive at the Albert Hall The Warrior FTW
I love all your interviews, Loz, but this one was special. I have watched all WSM competitions a few times, but I have to admit I didn't know anything about Mr. Wilhelm beyond that. This interview is the first one that makes me want to rewatch it immediately. What a guy, such a role model! And I completely agree with the "I'll probably die lifting" statement!
Bruce Is a great guy, Funny as shit. Saturday afternoon training with his son at the Sports Palace. He always had the Funniest stories. Him and Jim Schmitz flying to the world championships in weightlifting. He has to drop a Duce on the plane and he drops his pants and backs in the bathroom. Great guy with great stories. Having some burritos with him and a few guys after lifting. Thanks for a great interview.
Bruce is a legend! He was able to get into the minds of his competitors. A great talker and entertaining in the process and still mentally sharp as a blade. He was also huge back in the day. We're talking 6'3" and weighing between 320 and 350 pounds.
met Bruce the other day. He really is an entertaining character. I bought a pair of jump soles for my boy from him. His wife was doing her best to reign him in. LOL. He is a Giant.
"Bill Kazmaier started walking around like he actually was the world's strongest man." I mean, he did win it by so much they stopped inviting him. So...he kind of was.
Don't blame him, I'd act cocky too if the big boys club, which has most of the worlds strongest men, banned me because playing with me isn't fun anymore since I always win.
Unfortunately we had a couple of signal issues during our call which Auntie Liz has cleaned up as much as possible. A big thanks to Bruce Wilhelm for joining me on Talking Strongman!
I’ve searched for Bruce Wilhelm interviews many times in the past and never before found a video version. Thank you Laurence for this unexpected treat.
Great interview so far Loz! Please do Reinhoudt next!!
Don is coming 💪🏽
That was such a treat! Was always my favorite WSM winner. Always loved his personality and charisma. The guy with the Ultimate brawny Dad Bod putting everyone else in their place, and grinning at them afterwords. A true Man's man. Thank you so much Loz! Please continue to help keep him in the public eye. It's been hard to find much of anything on him till now.
Absolutely Freakin 💯% !!!!!!!!!
Not only is he the first World’s Strongest Man winner but he’s also the first one to win it more than once.
Bruce is such a savage...that Ferrigno comment cracked me up :DD
Bruce needs to be on TV. He is just interesting to listen to.
Damn, Bruce doesn’t take any prisoners 😂 What an interesting guy. Thanks for another great episode.
Wilhelm was obviously born to be the "heel" as a wrestler, and the original Eddie Hall-type for WSM. You know he loves to yell at the neighbor kids to get off his lawn these days. :)
Lou Ferrigno won the car deadlift and the bar bend and finished 4th overall, not bad for a "joke" lol. How about trying to get big Lou on the show uncle Loz ?
That was Bruce's reaction when seeing Ferrigno on the athlete list. Hopefully he had a little more respect for him as an athlete after the competition. A Talking Strongman with Lou Ferrigno would be amazing.
@@devlin76
No....still has no respect for Ferrigno or Franco.
I'm sure he saw the inclusions of Ferrigno and Colombu as more of a gimmick than anything (definitely a nice bit of Incredible Hulk/CBS cross-promotion going on), but they did pretty well! Colombu may have been small, but he was freaky strong, and Ferrigno actually won a couple of the events, while also looking like a million bucks, which is also good for TV.
It was kind of an early mix martial arts tournament: huge football players, bodybuilders, powerlifters, olimpic throwers, some massive farmers... Amazing!
He still has no respect for Ferrigno or Columbu or bodybuilders in general, which is pretty amazing. Ferrigno actually outlifted him and Jon cole in one of the main strength events, the car lift. And Franco did very well even though he was the smallest, giving away 70-100 lbs. in bodyweight to most of the competitors.
Loz is not the hero we deserve, but the hero we need!
@The BATMAN Says 😆😂
Great interview! Doesn't lack for confidence even now.
Great stuff, it may be my age, but I love the interviews with the old time legends. Bruce referenced so many lifters and strongmen of yesterday. Great to see him looking so well.
Thanks as always.
I'm 43 and I agree with you completely.
That beer keg press with the stuff moving around sounds like a great event to bring back
I just watch the event on RUclips. I think that’s a great event.
Wow! Didn't see this one coming. First ever world's strongest man. Bruce looks awesome fair play. I love the 70s /80s strongman. Brilliant loz mate. Is there anyone you can't get on lol.
Great to see Bruce and hear his story. I remember watching the first ever WSM as a 6 yr old kid. My parents thought it was crazy but I thought it was so cool and strongman has stuck with me all through my life. Thanks a lot Loz, Liz and Bruce.
I was a kid too. I watched the replay of the 78 strongman. I didn't know Lou and Franco were out of their league because they looked the part. Great memories.
Did not expect this one, bringing back the legends of the sport. You really deserve so many more subscribers!
Cant say I appreciate him talking shit about ferrigno and columbo, they were strong back in the day and performed quite well if I recall correctly?
Honestly Lou and Franco did fairly well
I totally agree. In fact, Franco Columbu might’ve won the whole thing if it wasn’t for that horrific refrigerator race injury. Willhelm is disrespectful to bodybuilders. I always heard about that.
This is so awesome Uncle Loz! Bruce and Don Reinhoudt get overlooked and forgotten about. They were both great!
Don is coming 💪🏽
@@BigLozOfficial awesome can't wait!
@@BigLozOfficial ask don about the sofa. He used to sqaut and then fall back on the sofa. Also mention zetolofsy.
Don in particular is an all time great in my opinion. Not only did he win WSM but his power lifting numbers/records speak for themselves.
I truly believe Kaz wouldn't have dominated the early 80s if Don hadn't of suffered his injuries in 1980. I'm not saying he would have definitely beaten Kaz, but he would have been challenging him for wins.
@@T4Liam He could've had even bigger numbers too. Don benched 620lbs but it was red lighted when his toe came off the floor lmao. Then squatted 950lbs without knee wraps just wearing a belt and it was red lighted too.🤦♂️
So great to hear and see Bruce after all these years. Still the same attitude and swagger. Always loved Bruce's performances in the WSM competitions. Excellent interview!!!
Good to see bruce in good conditions, bless him👏❤️
I directed the meet that Bruce set the American Snatch Record (402-1/4) at. The lift was so fast and technically correct it looked like he was warming up with just a bar. He is a very gifted athlete. You rarely see such a big man that is so quick, great interview!
Legend💪
Hello little Z
Hello Alpha Mogg
Wow! What an incredible surprise on a Sunday afternoon. This series and stories from the men I’ve idolised since my childhood got me through the lockdowns, so thank you Loz 🙏🏻
Side note - My Uncle Loz top arrived last week and it’s amazing!
😊💪🏽
I've only just caught up with watching this but I have to say what a cool guy Bruce Wilhelm is. I didn't know much about him before this interview but I've come away as a big fan with a newfound respect. Imagine being able to say that you are the first ever Worlds Strongest Man, what a legend 🙏
And the second.
So happy to see the older competitors coming out of the woodwork. I actually jumped for joy when the notification came through, and my family thought I was mental! Bruce seems like a great guy, and still keen to train and be involved with the sport. Good interview Loz.
Didn't expect this, nice!
Absolutely brilliant! Great to see how much you are respected in the strongman world to get so many cool guys wanting to sit down and talk with you. It definitely pays off to be a courteous and decent fella! Thanks you two for a great channel. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I never laughed more in any other interview! Thank you Big Loz for all this great content! Bruce Wilhelm's mentality is why he was so great! Legendary!
This is seriously amazing! Never did I expect to stumble upon this, thanks Loz!
What a great Sunday morning listen
this is awesome. and you can tell Bruce was really happy to finally get a proper interview and someone to talk strongman and strength wit.
This one’s for the young ones to learn from, including me, thank you
Always read Franco did pretty well up until he injured his leg. Personally think it was cool they would included athletes from a variety of sports.
I haven't even watched it yet (obviously as it was uploaded just a few minutes ago), but just the premise is epic
This is amazing 👍 the first ever WSM77 great job loz
Great interview, I wasn't prepared for that one Big Loz, thank you!! Wilhelm is absolutely right for what concerns Olympic weightlifting, Taranenko got screwed...
Nice one Loz, if you could get Don Reinhoudt on it would be great.
He already said to another comment that this interview with Don is coming. Big Loz is on fire 🌡🔥😄
Wow. Well done.
Uncle Loz, you really outdid yourself with this one! I can't believe you were able to talk to Bruce Wilhelm for an interview. Towards the end of the interview you mentioned how it would be cool for the OG WSM competitors to show up and support the new athletes. I would LOVE to watch a competition where Bruce was head referee or something like that.
Absolute legend
Great interview loved it. Legends should never be forgotten. Well done LOZ and LIZ and BRUCE for a very interesting interview
Amazing work keep it up loz and liz loving the channels growth over the last year!
He looks amazing
Yes!!
Wow , I am amazed you got this fella. Going to watch it after cooking the Sunday roast . Can’t wait
Great interview. I remember watching World's Strongest Man in 77 and 78 when I was teenager. I do remember another one of the officials was former Olympic lifter John Terpak since he was my mother's neighbor growing up I knew who he was.
Thank you so much for this! Growing up and watching the WSM competitions were amazing. Bruce was absolutely amazing!
Learned about this legend from my father, who's father resembled him. Wonderful that you got in touch. Didn't know he was still around.
@biglozofficial You and Liz are truly at the forefront of pushing strongman into the future!! Keep it up guys and Good Luck for GiantsLive at the Albert Hall The Warrior FTW
Great job once again Loz!
An ABSOLUTE LEGEND. Thank you Loz for this, you made my Sunday:)
Great interview, good to see Jon poll getting a mention too
Great interview! Glad to see Bruce getting his story out.
I love all your interviews, Loz, but this one was special. I have watched all WSM competitions a few times, but I have to admit I didn't know anything about Mr. Wilhelm beyond that.
This interview is the first one that makes me want to rewatch it immediately. What a guy, such a role model! And I completely agree with the "I'll probably die lifting" statement!
great interview, what a guy! thats what WSM should be, 10 events and the best man wins !!!!
Excellent interview Loz! Very enjoyable and relaxed!
Just watched the whole interview, really enjoyed it.Its great to hear about the early days of the sport.Thanks loz & liz.
Best interview ever!👍👍👍
Great! Great! Great interview!
Oh man that was a good one!! Bruce looks great.
I found out this morning that this was available on Spotify.
Absolutely brilliant conversation would be even better to have a part two in person.
Brilliant Loz and Bruce!
This is AWESOME!!!!
fantastic....loved that
Awe, he seemed to genuinely enjoy that. Definitely keep in touch Loz 👌👍
Brilliant.
This a really great group of interviews .
I was just about to lay down and get some sleep... it can wait!
Glad to see he’s still got that mouth, and great memory.
Loz, I really enjoy the interviews with the Strongeman legends & competitors from the early years. Great job!
ya need to have Ken Patera on to see if he still has that crazy hair 🤣🤣🤣
Really enjoyed this interview. What a character!
Bruce Is a great guy, Funny as shit. Saturday afternoon training with his son at the Sports Palace. He always had the Funniest stories. Him and Jim Schmitz flying to the world championships in weightlifting. He has to drop a Duce on the plane and he drops his pants and backs in the bathroom. Great guy with great stories. Having some burritos with him and a few guys after lifting. Thanks for a great interview.
Incredible. Never thought I'd see this!!
Great watch thanks Big Loz and Liz
Thank you for another excellent interview
Another great interview. Loz, you’re awesome for the sport.
Awesome to see Bruce on
Bruce is a legend! He was able to get into the minds of his competitors. A great talker and entertaining in the process and still mentally sharp as a blade. He was also huge back in the day. We're talking 6'3" and weighing between 320 and 350 pounds.
Really interesting interview. Bet he has a lot more stories to tell. Thanks Loz. ❤️
This was amazing! I have a feeling you may have lit a little fire under Bruce. He seems super interested to learn about the new generation!!
Bruce got a Silver medal in Montreal, i believe there was a 3 way tie for 3rd, also the first American to snatch 400 lbs.
You're spoiling us rotten, Loz.
Great, thanks Loz, loved Wilhelm, such a character. And great hearing the origins story
Unrecognisable though if you passed him in the street
Thanks Loz. Thoroughly enjoyable.
met Bruce the other day. He really is an entertaining character. I bought a pair of jump soles for my boy from him. His wife was doing her best to reign him in. LOL. He is a Giant.
laurence is just a big teddybear. and his content is always quite informative !
What a great podcast. Have him on for a second show as he knows so many iron game legends.
"Bill Kazmaier started walking around like he actually was the world's strongest man."
I mean, he did win it by so much they stopped inviting him. So...he kind of was.
Don't blame him, I'd act cocky too if the big boys club, which has most of the worlds strongest men, banned me because playing with me isn't fun anymore since I always win.
Great interview big Loz 🙏
Was hoping you'd get a chance to talk to all the former winners and contestants.
Congrats Big Loz on landing another stellar interview. Come on strong man community like and subscribe and tell your friends, let's get Loz to 100k.
You're a good person, inside and out. You look like a big tough guy that abuses little people, until people watch you or get to know you.
This is incredible!
Love hearing from the older era, pity be can't talk to other pioneers like Anderson, Hepburn, J C Hise & Pat Casey etc...
Great interview, great guy. ^^
Enjoyed that. 👍
L&R BRUCE WILHELM FROM ICELAND
Nice !!!!!
That was truly a fun and enjoyable conversation. Loz, you're getting better each time and Bruce is a really pleasant guy.