Tom Magee

Early life

In his early years, Tom Magee was involved in martial arts until he turned 19. Then he went to powerlifting and bodybuilding. Magee has a strong background in boxing and held a black belt in karate.

Strongman/Powerlifting/Bodybuilding career

Magee became Canadian National Powerlifting Champion in 1981 and 1982. In 1982 he also won the IPF World Powerlifting Championships in Munich, Germany in the +125 kg super heavyweight division.

Tom starred in a documentary film chronicling his training and victory at the 1982 IPF World Championships entitled Tom Magee: Man of Iron. Magee was originally planning on competing in the 125 kg heavyweight division, but decided last minute to move up to the super heavyweight class (275 lbs. and over). Magee weighed in at just 1 pound over the weight limit at 276 lbs and was the lightest man in the weight class.

Magee placed second in the 1982 World's Strongest Man Tom Magee is the only Canadian to have reached this position, fourth in the 1983 World's Strongest Man and fifth at the 1985 World's Strongest Man competitions. He won the Le Defi Mark Ten Challenge International three consecutive times, from 1984 to 1986.

Magee set a world record with a 535 kilograms (1,179 lb) partial deadlift from 18" off the floor during the 1983 World's Strongest Man competition.

In 1984 Magee competed as a bodybuilder to win the Mr. British Columbia bodybuilding title.

Pro Wrestling career

Magee also had a brief career as a professional wrestler in the late 1980s, wrestling for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and in Japan. The man who chose to train Magee was the legendary Stu Hart. He wrestled in 1985 in Stampede Wrestling.

He received acclaim after one of his first matches, when on February 22, 1986 in the main event of a major All Japan Pro Wrestling show, where he took on Riki Choshu. Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter said of his first match: "He was the greatest combination of strength and agility the business had ever seen". Magee was given the nickname "MegaMan" and named third runner-up for the Pro Wrestling Illustrated Rookie of the Year in 1986, which was won by Lex Luger.

World Wrestling Federation (1986–1990)

Magee was signed by the WWF shortly thereafter. He defeated Bret Hart on October 7, 1986 in Rochester, New York at a television taping. He began wrestling on C-level house shows in January 1987, facing Terry Gibbs, Barry O, and Frenchy Martin. He remained undefeated through the winter and spring, but the WWF gradually cooled on the young prospect. On June 17 another young body builder made his debut in Wichita Falls, Texas: Jim Hellwig, who entered the company as The Dingo Warrior and soon became The Ultimate Warrior.

Magee would be seen only sporadically afterwards. He wrestled a handful of house shows in Canada in January 1988, defeating Iron Mike Sharpe. In December 6, 1988 Magee returned and faced Arn Anderson at a WWF Superstars of Wrestling taping in Daytona Beach, Florida, winning via countout. Magee made a heel turn in the spring of 1989, wrestling as "MegaMan Magee". In April he was managed by Jimmy Hart at a Superstars of Wrestling tapings. As a heel he then faced Tim Horner in a series of house shows. Magee's final WWF action came on a joint WWF / Arena Wrestling Alliance tour of New Zealand in April 1990, where he defeated Royal Viking in multiple encounters.

Acting

Magee left wrestling quietly in 1990 and appeared in several movies in 1990 and 1991, most notably a film titled Stone Cold, involving a fight scene with the film's lead actor Brian Bosworth.

Later, Magee worked as a trainer at the world famous Gold's Gym in Venice Beach, California.

Personal Records

Powerlifting Competition Records:

done in official Powerlifting full meets

World's Strongest Man Records: