Mark Henry and Ryback broke the NFL scouting combine record for the 225-pound bench press with a stunning 53 repetitions each during a sold-out television taping of SmackDown in Hershey, Pa., Tuesday night.
The World’s Strongest Man crushed the record of 51 reps, set by Justin Ernest at the 1999 NFL combine. His count nearly stood at 54, but WWE referee Scott Armstrong elected not to count the final lift.
View more incredible strongman records | Watch Henry’s massive feats of strength
“[Henry] hit the 53,” the seasoned official said, explaining why he didn’t count the last attempt, “but when he was about to hit 54, he couldn’t get it all the way up and then he racked it. So the official mark stands at 53.”
Although Henry’s feat was truly incredible, Ryback looked ready to break the newly established record with 54 reps. After tying The World’s Strongest Man, however, his WrestleMania adversary prevented him from going further by pushing the bar down upon him. See what happened first-hand and the controversial call by the referee this Friday night on SmackDown at 8/7 CT on Syfy.