The Phoenix Assembly of God Church in Phoenix, Arizona was packed with hundreds of people on Friday, February 5th, for the funeral service of legendary bencher Tom Manno. Scores or powerlifters were in attendance.

The WABDL is coordinating a fundraiser raffle and wristband sales to raise money for the Manno Family to help cover funeral, medical, and living expenses.

Mario Pacione (shw) registered the eighth ranked bench press on the Lifter Rankings when he pressed 540 pounds on Saturday at the USAPL California State Powerlifting and Bench Press Championships in Santa Clarita, California. Pacione added a 599 pound squat and 600 pound deadlift to total 1,730 pounds. Pacione ranks twelfth on the Lifter Rankings with a 1,791 pound total. He missed two attempts at a 645 pound deadlift on Saturday.

Video of his day:

In an eleventh hours move, both METAL and APT have paid the IPF the increased licensing fees which will allow their products to continue to be used in the federation and in all of its international affiliate competitions.

On Saturday, Stephanie Rogers (165) landed the second spot on the deadlift Lifter Rankings at the SPF Arkansas State Championships in Rogers, Arkansas.

Results have been posted for the USAPL California State Powerlifting and Bench Press Championships which were held on Saturday in Santa Clarita, California.

The women's best lifter award went to Tracee Patterson (181). Patterson's 766 pound total ranks her tenth on the Powerlifting Watch Lifter Rankings. She squatted 236 pounds, benched 165 and deadlifted 363 pounds.

The men's best lifter was Shawn Buckley (242) for his 1,719 pound total. Buckley finished with lifts of 650, 440 and 628 pounds.

Results have been posted for the APA Bench Press Nationals which were held on January 9 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

The 2010 Raw Unity Meet featured two ADAU lifters, Gleb Epelbaum and Jackson Lee. In the lead up to the meet, federation officials and members questioned their decision to compete in an untested event.

Now, Epelbaum and Lee appeal to the federation, and its lifters, to use next year's event to showcase its talent. They argue that the ADAU's position on testing can be maintained while supporting an untested event. They cite the fact that most of the lifter who competed represented tested federations and that the USAPL even tested most of its lifters at the meet.

Below is a video of some of the top lifters at Saturday's IPA Lexen Xtreme Pro-Am in Columbus, Ohio. It includes best lifter Matt Wenning's 765 pound deadlift and third attempt miss with 835 pounds. Also included is Chuck Vogelpohl setting up for his second squat attempt and Jason Pegg missing a 735 pound deadlift.

Roy Bradshaw (shw) became only the fourteenth bencher in powerlifting history to surpass the 900 pound bench press barrier when he pressed 903 pounds yesterday at the SPF Sacramento Bench Press Challenge in Sacramento, California. The press puts Bradshaw second on the Powerlifting Watch Lifter Rankings and eleventh all-time.

Video of Bradshaw's press: