Brian Shaw reached an iconic status during his time as a Strongman athlete but also added to his legacy in the years after by putting on the Strongest Man On Earth competition. It was widely recognized as one of the greatest Strongman competitions of the season, with a special emphasis on how difficult and heavy the events were. However, Brian turned to YouTube on the 18th of May and shared an update about the competition, revealing that it will not be coming back for the foreseeable future.
Brian Shaw’s competition started off as a project in his home gym named the ‘Shaw Classic’. As the years passed, the competition progressively grew and was characterized by being athlete centered. Brian also gave away his share of the prize purse whenever he competed, showing that the priority was the competitors. The Shaw Classic grew into the Strongest Man On Earth after receiving the corresponding naming rights. It was also accompanied by the Shaw Classic Expo and other competitions, including arm wrestling.
Related: Brian Shaw Reveals The Prize Purse for 2025 Strongest Man On Earth
Brian Shaw Opens up About the Future of Strongest Man On Earth
Before getting to the topic of Strongest Man On Earth, Brian Shaw answered some frequently asked questions about his future in arm wrestling. He revealed that he is enjoying the sport but also that he is unable to travel too much, although it would be beneficial for his performance. Instead, Brian is doing all he can to improve in arm wrestling while also maintaining a healthy life-work balance and being present for his family.
“Arm wrestling has been great. I’ve really enjoyed training and learning and being able to get into a few super matches now has been an awesome experience. What I will say is I understand that to get good at arm wrestling, to be the best that I could possibly be, I need to train with more hands. So, the training group needs to be larger. I would have to travel more to meet up with different groups to train. Doing tournaments is not a bad idea. Getting to grip up with a multitude of different guys would be a great experience.
Now, what I will say is I have a lot going on in my life. I’ve got a wife. I’ve got two boys that are coming up. They’re getting into sports. I want to be super involved with my family. That’s always going to be my top priority. Outside of that, I have multiple different businesses that I own and run. So, all of those require time and attention. And the reality is I can’t just drop everything to travel for arm wrestling, to train for arm wrestling. Kudos to the guys that can do that. I’m not going to be one of those guys at this point in my life. I’ve got too much stuff going on. So, arm wrestling has to fit into my schedule.”
Brian Shaw has previously revealed that the Strongest Man On Earth would not occur in 2026, but many still had hope left that it would return for 2027. Shaw did put in a lot of effort in meetings and finding solutions that would allow him to put on the competition once again. Unfortunately, he did not manage to find a solution that would amend the main issues.
“We have had a number of different talks and conversations about the Strongest Man On Earth / Shaw Classic and how to make it make sense for that event to come back. Unfortunately, all of those conversations have not made sense. And as you guys know, we poured so much of ourselves into that event. The Shaw Classic, starting it, making it happen. So, you know, myself, Carrie, our team, all the volunteers, all the athletes, and all the fans. I mean, there are so many people that played a part in the growth of the Shaw Classic and Strongest Man on Earth and where it got to. And I think, speaking for myself, I was very, very proud of the event. I was very proud of what we were able to do and what we were able to give back. And that’s what has made this so difficult, going through this process and having these conversations because that X factor of love for an event doesn’t necessarily translate into the bottom line when you’re talking dollars and cents.”
Although Brian Shaw and his team had many pleasant experiences over the years at the Shaw Classic and Strongest Man On Earth, he recognizes that his main priorities are his kids and his family. Consequently, Brian got straight to the point and revealed that the competition will not be coming back in 2026, 2027, or in the foreseeable future.
“Above everything else, I will say that my family, my boys, as they’re getting older, I want to be around. I want to be present. And the time that it takes away from my family to put on the Strongest Man On Earth and the Shaw Classic and the sacrifices that have to be made by not only me but my team as well increasingly got more difficult over the years. So that’s where it starts to not make sense. I know a lot of people are potentially going to be disappointed because they love the event, they love coming, and we love the event. We loved having people come and be motivated and the athletes and seeing people happy and, you know, that’s the part that we did love without a doubt and definitely will be missed. But the reality of the situation we are in right now is the Shaw Classic and Strongest Man on Earth are not coming back. So they’re not coming back in 2026. They’re not coming back in 2027. They’re not coming back and that is for the foreseeable future.”
With the main announcement out of the way, Brian Shaw talked about some other factors that it brings. Consequently, he is also selling the equipment used at the Shaw Classic and the Strongest Man On Earth, hoping that it will reach someone who is passionate about the sport. On the other hand, he still retains a glimmer of optimism, pointing out that he still owns the trademark for the competition, which means that it could return years down the line if some drastic changes occur.
“Obviously, we still own those trademarks. So, if something were to change drastically in the future, then that may open the door. But with that being said, we’ve made the decision that we are going to liquidate all of the equipment from the Shaw Classic from the Strongest Man on Earth. So, if you’re watching this video and you’re interested in some of that equipment, please reach out to us and let us know.
We’ll be able to provide you with a list of stuff that we do have or if there are specific pieces that you are interested in having. I would love for the equipment to go to good homes and potentially be used again. Obviously, that’s why it was created: to give back to the sport of strongman. So, that is where we are at currently. I’m sure that a lot of people will be sad. I’m sad, obviously, sitting here and saying that to answer the question but that’s the decision that we have come to.”
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The cancellation of the Strongest Man On Earth is certainly a very unfortunate event that will leave many athletes and fans unhappy, but Brian Shaw’s reasoning is definitely understandable. On the other hand, Shaw will continue pursuing his career in arm wrestling, as he aims to make further improvements and get back to winning ways following his loss against Leonidas Arkona.
