The table is set for a historic showdown among contenders in the 212 category, slated to battle at the 2024 Mr. Olympia contest. In a recent Olympia TV YouTube video shared on September 19, 2024, judge Terrick El Guindy identified paths to victory for the reigning champion Keone Pearson and former two-time titleholder Shaun Clarida, emphasizing that size and density will determine the winner. He also discussed how they would fare in the Men’s Open division.
Keone Pearson shocked the world at the 2023 Mr. Olympia after unseating Shaun Clarida as champion. ‘The Prodigy’ weaponized his shape and aesthetics to capture the biggest win of his career. Clarida, meanwhile, narrowly took silver with many arguing that he came in too heavy, which led to his midsection being less tight than in seasons of the past.
Keone Pearson and Clarida already sized each other up, having gone head-to-head for a special Olympia Battle production. Both men showcased next-level strength and pushed each other to failure throughout the training session. With the 2024 Mr. Olympia contest almost here, veteran judge Terrick El Guindy assessed their physiques and offered his two cents on what’s to come in the near future.
Size vs Freaky Density: Terrick El Guindy Discusses Paths to Victory for Keone Pearson and Shaun Clarida
El Guindy contends that Pearson’s overall size could spell trouble for Clarida, who is shorter in stature. However, with enough muscle density and wideness, he believes the former champion could pull off a third win.
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“He’s very wide [Keone Pearson] he’s wider than Clarida. You can see in the workout, you can see it on stage that he’s wider than Clarida and Clarida has more density.
During the workout, there are messages being sent like you said, I’m going to do one rep more than you. I’m going to do a little bit heavier than you. Those are messages you are sending to your competitor.”
El Guindy expects Pearson to look bigger and more conditioned for his title defense. According to El Guindy, Pearson and Clarida could have won an Open Bodybuilding show this season if they wanted to.
“I am so excited about the 212 because this is going to be a brawl between Shaun Clarida and Keone Pearson. Keone Pearson is going to come bigger.
He’s going to come bigger and he’s already super conditioned. Apparently, he’s 215 right now. I was talking to Chris and talking to some of these guys, these two could have won some Open shows this year,” shares El Guindy.
Looking ahead, El Guindy revealed that Clarida intends to come in smaller and control his midsection more effectively.
“Let’s not pretend that these guys cannot have won Open shows. Both of them, Shaun has already done it and I think Keone with his size right now, he could’ve done it.
Shaun Clarida was very honest and he said, ‘Terrick, I was too heavy. I need to come down a little smaller, control my midsection.’ He’s the ultimate professional. I call him the ultimate bodybuilder.”
He believes Clarida is angry after last year, fueling him to win back his 212 Olympia title but will face an even better Pearson.
“He wakes up, eats, goes to the gym, comes back, he is not this guy that does crazy stuff on social media and Keone Pearson is dealing with somebody that’s very angry coming back and Keone is becoming better.”
“Keone often says I never assume I’m the champion. I’m as hungry as I was when I was chasing Shaun. This 212 is going to be a mega-brawl. I have a privileged seat as a judge but man I wouldn’t miss this for anything in the world.”
Bodybuilding veterans have been offering their predictions ahead of the biggest event of the year. Chris Cormier, a 1990s standout in the Open class, predicted that Keone Pearson would successfully defend and win a second title next month. He credited Pearson for his feathered quads, stating that it could be the difference-maker.
Time will tell if Pearson can fend off an ‘angry’ Clarida to become a two-time champion. Don’t miss the 2024 Mr. Olympia contest in Las Vegas, Nevada from October 10-13 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fitness Volt will have full coverage of the event.
Watch the full video from the OlympiaTV YouTube channel below:
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