Ray Williams (+120KG) Wins His 7th National Powerlifting Championship

Super heavyweight powerlifter Ray Williams remains unstoppable. The five-time raw world champion claimed his seventh national raw powerlifting title on Feb. 24, 2023, at the 2023 Powerlifting America (AMP) Classic National Championships.

Competing in the +120-kilograms weight class, the 36-year-old Williams went seven for nine in attempts across the three big lifts en route to his victory. Here are the stats from his performance in Austin, TX, according to Lifting Cast:

2023 AMP Classic National Championship Results | Ray Williams (+120KG)

• Squat
  • 395 kilograms (870.8 pounds)
  • 415 kilograms (914.9 pounds)
  • 435 kilograms (959 pounds)
• Bench Press
  • 215 kilograms (474 pounds)
  • 225 kilograms (496 pounds)
  • 230 kilograms (507.1 pounds)
• Deadlift
  • 320 kilograms (705.5 pounds)
  • 340 kilograms (749.6 pounds)
  • 355 kilograms (782.6 pounds)
• Total — 1,000 kilograms (2,204.6 pounds)

Williams weighed in at 194.85 kilograms (429.6 pounds) and was one of six athletes competing in the +120-kilogram weight class. The other five in order of their performance, in descending order from the runner-up, were Jonathan Avril, Brayden Pierce, Tony Tillman, Kevin Dinh, and Matthew Buchbinder.

[Related: Jessica Buettner (84KG) Scores Raw Squat and Total Canadian Records at 2023 CPU Nationals]

Ray Williams Competition-Best Raw Lifts

• Squat — 490 kilograms (1,080.3 pounds) — All-Time Raw World Record
• Bench Press — 247.5 kilograms (545.6 pounds)
• Deadlift — 398.5 kilograms (878.5 pounds)
• Total — 1,112.5 kilograms (2,452.6 pounds) — Second All-Time Heaviest Raw Total (Dan Bell‘s 1,127.5-kilogram total is the raw record)

Although Williams won his seventh national title, he shared a post on his Instagram page with a caption that expressed disappointment in his performance:

[Related: Powerlifter Hunter Henderson (82.5 KG) Squats 267.5 Kilograms for All-Time World Record]

I won a title, and it felt like I bombed out. These great people reminded me that it’s cool to be disappointed and proud at the same time.

Williams missing his final deadlift attempt prevented him from achieving a 1,013.5-kilogram (2,234.4-pound) total — the requisite total he needed to secure a spot on the US National Team that would subsequently let him contend for a sixth world title. 

Williams’ first six national titles were in USA Powerlifting (USAPL) competitions. However, USAPL was voted out of the IPF in late 2021. AMP was provisionally approved as a new IPF affiliate.

As of this article’s publication, Williams has not disclosed when he intends to step on the competitive lifting platform next or what his target total or weights in each lift will be.

More Powerlifting Content