Hype around Keone Pearson‘s eventual move to the Men’s Open has cooled. On Oct. 30, 2025, Shawn Ray and Bob Cicherillo discussed his future in the sport. They agreed that he should focus on winning as many 212 Olympia titles as possible and tie the record of former champion Flex Lewis.
“I personally don’t think it’s time for Keone to go in the Open. There’s Open shows he can win, but you have to be strategic. In the meantime, don’t bother. Flex Lewis wasn’t out there competing in a bunch of Open shows,” said Shawn Ray.
Heading into the 2025 Mr. Olympia, fans and veterans weren’t just labeling Pearson as a potential 212 Olympia winner; they were adamant he had the toolset to win the Open Mr. Olympia title. After securing his third 212 Olympia victory, Pearson finally revealed his plan to test the waters of the Men’s Open.
He couldn’t have picked a more stacked event. At the 2025 Prague Pro, Pearson was tasked with facing former Mr. Olympia Samson Dauda, Olympia fifth-place finisher Martin Fitzwater, and a surging Michal Krizo, fresh off a win at the ESN British Grand Prix. Ultimately, Pearson’s size held him back onstage, leading to a fourth-place finish. With time to digest the outcome, Ray and Cicherillo opened up on what lies ahead for the dominant champion.
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Shawn Ray Urges Keone Pearson to Win as Many 212 Olympia Titles ‘As You Can’ Like Flex Lewis
In the video, Ray spoke about Pearson’s performance in the Czech Republic.
“You put him on that Open stage and he disappeared. He didn’t have that wow factor because now he’s standing up against guys bigger. He loses that advantage of being bigger than Shaun to guys like Samson and Krizo, who Samson is better, Krizo is bigger.”
After Pearson took fourth at the Prague Pro, Ray urged him to stay in 212 and win as many Olympia titles as possible, like seven-time 212 Olympia winner Flex Lewis.
“If you lose that battle, my inclination for advice for Keone, stay with what got you there. Don’t change. He came up a little bit for this show it looked like, but he was already at the cusp in Las Vegas.
But he should do what James Flex Lewis did, stay there, win as many 212 titles as you can. Let these big guys graduate and maybe down the road go.”
He compared Pearson to Kai Greene and thought Krizo was ‘overrewarded’ in Prague.
“Keone is like the Kai Greene of my time, but the judges are now allowing it to happen, and Krizo got overrewarded. If I’m Keone, I’d leave my legacy in the 212, at least for another year. There’s not enough meat on the bone to go in the Open unless he’s strategic about it. Then, he would have to peak somewhere throughout the year that might screw him up for the Olympia. I don’t want to see him make that mistake.”
Cicherillo and Ray believe Pearson could tie Lewis’ record of seven 212 Olympia titles. However, they warned that he needed to resolve his separated abdominal wall, which could become an issue onstage soon.
“He’s got that stomach issue that he’s really got to keep an eye on. Right now, if I’m him, I’d be looking at possible solutions to that because it’s only going to get worse,” said Cicherillo. “That separation of the abdominal wall only gets worse. It doesn’t ever get better; it doesn’t correct itself. The bigger he gets, the worse it’s going to be.”
“He could actually contend for Flex Lewis’ record of seven.”
Pearson’s long-time rival Clarida often competes in Men’s Open contests throughout the season. Fans are curious if “The Prodigy” will follow suit and do the same. The upcoming 2026 Arnold Classic will offer athletes a huge opportunity. Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed that the Open winner will walk away with a staggering $750,000 prize.
Pearson seems content sticking it out in the 212 for the foreseeable future. If he can win the 212 Olympia title another four times, he’ll match Lewis as the winningest champion in the division.
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