Ted Arcidi
Encyclopedia
Theodore "Ted" Arcidi is an American former professional wrestler, actor
and powerlifter
.
, and took a different route from the family's academia tradition. He left Tufts University
dental school to pursue the sport of powerlifting
.
's World Wrestling Federation
(WWF) in late 1985. Arcidi faced other "strongmen" such as Big John Studd
and Hercules Hernandez
during his stint and made a single appearance at WrestleMania 2
in the WWF/NFL
Battle Royal
. He was released upon the return of Ken Patera
(who incidentally was instrumental in his signing with Titan Sports-WWF) as Vince McMahon did not want to have issues with having two men billed as the "World's Strongest Man". Although his tenure was brief, Arcidi did have an action figure produced by LJN
for their Wrestling Superstars
toy line, long after Arcidi was gone from the company.
After his WWF run, he went to Calgary
and briefly worked for Stu Hart
's Stampede Wrestling
. 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. Arcidi left the organization in 1990 to pursue other endeavors. He made several appearances in the Caribbean
but never came back to national stature.
, a supplement company called Arcidi Strength Systems, and a gym equipment company called Weightlifters Warehouse. He is also heavily involved in real estate. He is also focusing on an acting career with parts in such shows as Law & Order
and has appeared in several commercials. In the early 1980s, he was a part time Physical Education teacher in a Massachusetts middle school. He was instrumental in the initial strength coaching of both Paul "Triple H" Levesque
and Joanie "Chyna" Laurer and assisted them in contacting Killer Kowalski
, who trained them for wrestling.
700 pounds
in an officially recognized competition. His lifetime best in a contest came on September 14, 1991, when he bench pressed 725 pounds. That attempt was later disqualified after it was revealed that Arcidi had failed to lock out his arms. His lift of 705 pounds in 1985 (319.8 kg) would stand as a world record
for eight years until Anthony Clark
pressed 725 lbs (329.55 kg) in May 1993.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and powerlifter
Powerlifting
Powerlifting is a strength sport. It resembles the sport of Olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same three attempt format but used a wide variety of events akin to Strongman...
.
Early life
The son of a nurse and doctor and one of seven children, Ted was born in Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, and took a different route from the family's academia tradition. He left Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
dental school to pursue the sport of powerlifting
Powerlifting
Powerlifting is a strength sport. It resembles the sport of Olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same three attempt format but used a wide variety of events akin to Strongman...
.
Professional wrestling career
Arcidi lifted for several years and eventually was sought by and debuted in Vince McMahonVince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
's World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF) in late 1985. Arcidi faced other "strongmen" such as Big John Studd
Big John Studd
John William Minton was an American professional wrestler and actor who was born and raised in Butler, Pennsylvania, better known by his ring name, Big John Studd.-Career:...
and Hercules Hernandez
Ray Fernandez
Raymond Fernandez was a professional wrestler who primarily wrestled in Florida and Texas before joining the World Wrestling Federation. He was best known by the ring name Hercules Hernandez or simply Hercules...
during his stint and made a single appearance at WrestleMania 2
WrestleMania 2
WrestleMania 2 was the second annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
in the WWF/NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Battle Royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
. He was released upon the return of Ken Patera
Ken Patera
Ken Patera is a former professional wrestler, Olympic weightlifter, and Strongman competitor.-Weightlifting/Strongman career:Patera is a former Olympic weightlifter and American powerlifter...
(who incidentally was instrumental in his signing with Titan Sports-WWF) as Vince McMahon did not want to have issues with having two men billed as the "World's Strongest Man". Although his tenure was brief, Arcidi did have an action figure produced by LJN
LJN
LJN was an American toy company and video game publisher. It created toy lines and video games based on movies, television shows, and celebrities. It was headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and later in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.-Founding:...
for their Wrestling Superstars
Wrestling Superstars
Wrestling Superstars was an action figure toyline based on the wrestlers of the WWF. They were made by the toy and video game company LJN from 1984 to 1989. The toys were made of solid rubber and were very accurate in appearance to their real life counterparts, however they did not have any...
toy line, long after Arcidi was gone from the company.
After his WWF run, he went to Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
and briefly worked for Stu Hart
Stu Hart
Stewart Edward "Stu" Hart, CM was a Canadian amateur wrestler, professional wrestler, promoter and trainer. Hart founded Stampede Wrestling, a promotion based in Calgary, Alberta, and was the father of famous wrestlers Bret and Owen Hart...
's Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
. After that, Arcidi moved on the World Class Championship Wrestling in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, where he was known as "Mr. 705" (referring to his world record bench press). He was managed by Percival Pringle III
Percy Pringle
William Alvin "Bill" Moody , better known by his ring name Paul Bearer, is a professional wrestling manager and former wrestler best known for his time in World Class Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation, later known as the WWE.-Early career:He entered the wrestling business in...
and was part of a stable of wrestlers including Rick Rude, the Dingo Warrior
Warrior (wrestler)
Also see Warrior .Warrior is an American retired professional wrestler who notably performed under the ring names The Ultimate Warrior and Warrior...
and Cactus Jack Manson
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
. Arcidi captured that organization's Texas Heavyweight Championship
NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title that has existed since the 1930s. Though its exact date of creation isn't known, it is among the oldest championships used in professional wrestling today...
on August 31, 1987 and held it until he lost to Matt Borne on November 10 that same year. Arcidi left the organization in 1990 to pursue other endeavors. He made several appearances in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
but never came back to national stature.
Business ventures
Arcidi has several ventures outside of his wrestling and bench press careers. Among these are his ownership of New England's largest women's gym in Manchester, New HampshireManchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
, a supplement company called Arcidi Strength Systems, and a gym equipment company called Weightlifters Warehouse. He is also heavily involved in real estate. He is also focusing on an acting career with parts in such shows as Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
and has appeared in several commercials. In the early 1980s, he was a part time Physical Education teacher in a Massachusetts middle school. He was instrumental in the initial strength coaching of both Paul "Triple H" Levesque
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
and Joanie "Chyna" Laurer and assisted them in contacting Killer Kowalski
Killer Kowalski
Władek "Killer" Kowalski was a Canadian professional wrestler. Kowalski wrestled for numerous promotions during his career, including the NWA and WWF, and was a known heel wrestler...
, who trained them for wrestling.
Bench press world record
In 1985, Arcidi was the first man to bench pressBench press
The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight...
700 pounds
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
in an officially recognized competition. His lifetime best in a contest came on September 14, 1991, when he bench pressed 725 pounds. That attempt was later disqualified after it was revealed that Arcidi had failed to lock out his arms. His lift of 705 pounds in 1985 (319.8 kg) would stand as a world record
Bench press world records
Bench press world records are the international records in bench press across the years, regardless of weight class or governing organization, for bench pressing on the back without using a bridge technique...
for eight years until Anthony Clark
Anthony Clark (powerlifter)
Anthony Wayne Clark was an American powerlifter, holder of the world record for the bench press and member of the York Barbell Hall of Fame....
pressed 725 lbs (329.55 kg) in May 1993.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Bear hug
- Managers
- Percival Pringle IIIPercy PringleWilliam Alvin "Bill" Moody , better known by his ring name Paul Bearer, is a professional wrestling manager and former wrestler best known for his time in World Class Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation, later known as the WWE.-Early career:He entered the wrestling business in...
- Percival Pringle III
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "The World's Strongest Man"
- "Mr. 705"
- "The Boss of the Bench Press"
Championships and accomplishments
- World Class Wrestling AssociationWorld Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
- WCWA Texas Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Texas Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title that has existed since the 1930s. Though its exact date of creation isn't known, it is among the oldest championships used in professional wrestling today...
(1 time)