Bobb Matthews is one of the fan-favorite athletes in the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). But it has been a long time, specifically 1.5 years, since he made his last sanctioned appearance. Well, Bobb finally returned to the competition floor at the 2025 SBD Austin, which took place on November 22nd in Texas. Well, he managed to unofficially exceed the U120KG Raw Total IPF World Record by 32 kilograms (70.5 pounds) to take the overall win.
Bobb Matthews’ 2025 SBD Austin Performance Overview
Although he did compete in the U120KG weight class, Bobb Matthews weighed in at only 110.8 kilograms (244.3 pounds). So, he is able to put on nearly 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of muscle, which will make him even stronger and result in heavier lifts. That being said, Bobb still managed to successfully complete all nine of his attempts and set competition PRs across all events.
Bobb Matthews ended up placing first among all men, regardless of weight class. In doing so, he beat the likes of Jesus Olivares, Ashton Rouska, and Joe Jordan.
Squat
Bobb Matthews has always been admired for his fighting spirit, which he also displayed in full effect on the squats. He loaded 367.5 kilograms (810.2 pounds) for his third attempt and it turned out to be quite a battle. Bobb controlled the bar during the downward motion but then struggled to get back up. His ascent lasted over seven seconds, which goes to show just how persistent and determined he was.
- 325 kilograms (716.5 pounds)
- 350 kilograms (771.6 pounds)
- 367.5 kilograms (810.2 pounds) — Competition PR
Check out the squat here:
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Bench Press
The bench press did not look much easier than the squat. However, Bobb Matthews proved that he knew exactly what his limits were, since he successfully locked out 247.5 kilograms (545.6 pounds) after a short grind. With this, Bobb added 7.5 kilograms (16.5 pounds) to his Competition PR, which is a very impressive improvement when it comes to the bench press.
- 227.5 kilograms (501.6 pounds)
- 242.5 kilograms (534.6 pounds)
- 247.5 kilograms (545.6 pounds) — Competition PR
Deadlift
The deadlift was the final event of the 2025 SBD Austin, but it was also the smoothest lift for Bobb Matthews. He first unofficially exceeded the Total World Record with a 385.5-kilogram (849.9-pound) pull but still felt that there was more left in the tank. So, Bobb added another 10 kilograms (22 pounds) to the barbell and locked out another impressive lift.
- 350 kilograms (771.6 pounds)
- 385.5 kilograms (849.9 pounds)
- 395.5 kilograms (871.9 pounds) — Competition PR
Total — 1,010.5 kilograms (2,227.8 pounds) — Unofficial U120KG IPF World Record & Competition PR
Dennis Cornelius holds the official U120KG Raw Total IPF World Record of 978.5-kg (2,157.2-lb), which he set at the 2016 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships. The record has been standing for nearly a decade, but Bobb is en route to crush it.
Watch all of Bobb Matthews’ lifts here:
Bobb Matthews has taken part in 13 sanctioned powerlifting competitions in the past six years and has won seven of those. He was crowned the 2024 IPF World Champion and then took a 1.5-year-long break. However, he has since put on a significant amount of muscle, showing that he has been working hard despite not competing.
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