Between its athlete contracts and the prize money for the 2005 contests that have been announced, IFSA Strongman has committed US$2,000,000 for 2005, and the year isn't exactly over yet.

Sure, its buying spree that signed up just about every name-brand strongman on Earth created quite a splash, but it also cost IFSA Strongman roughly US$1,000,000 which goes directly into the pockets of its athletes. And if a million-dollar baby is good, isn't a two-million dollar baby even better?

Merely considering the Arnold, the European Championships (just announced for Moscow), and the World Championships (set for Quebec) amounts to US$500,000 in prize money, which is already impressive, but that is only half of what is on the line for 2005: "The top ten IFSA Strongman events this year collectively have a prize purse in excess of USD 1 million," IFSA Strongman CEO Jussi Laurimaa confirmed for IronMind®.

Suddenly, being a professional strongman isn't an oxymoron.