Reigning three-time Ms. Olympia champion Andrea Shaw is coming off another dominant performance at the 2022 Mr. Olympia two months ago. In a recent episode of Prime Time Muscle on YouTube, IFBB Hall of Famer Chris Cormier and Olympia judge Terrick El Guindy praised Shaw as arguably one of the greatest female bodybuilders of all time.
American bodybuilder Andrea Shaw first made a name for herself by competing at several NPC shows in 2018. She switched to the IFBB Pro League the next year in 2019 and kicked off her debut season with a strong showing at the IFBB Toronto Pro Supershow. After, she had a stellar appearance at the Chicago Pro, where she finished runner-up behind Aleesha Young. Her run concluded with another performance at the 2019 Rising Phoenix Arizona Pro placing second.
Shaw got to work in the off-season and came back stronger than ever in 2020. She won the IFBB Omaha Pro before taking home first at the Rising Phoenix Arizona Pro. It would also be the year she scored her maiden Olympia victory (2020) in the Women’s Bodybuilding division.
Once Shaw won the Ms. Olympia title, she held on to it tight. She won her second Rising Phoenix title before extending her success at the 2021 Mr. Olympia.
Shaw secured her third consecutive title at the 2022 Rising Phoenix Arizona last November. Her next goal was to add another title defense at the Olympia competition a month later. During the pre-judging for 2022 Ms. Olympia, Shaw led the pack once again and defeated 21 competitors in the finals to become a three-time Ms. Olympia winner.
Chris Cormier & Olympia judge praise Andrea Shaw
In a recent YouTube video, bodybuilding veteran Chris Cormier and Olympia judge Terrick El Guindy praised Andrea Shaw for her achievements in the sport.
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El Guindy: “With all due respect, I think Andrea Shaw can win everything. When I see her on stage, I go, ‘wow!’ She is fantastic, phenomenal, amazing, incredible. She’s the only one that can beat ‘CBum.’ If you put her in Men’s bodybuilding between Derek and Hadi, she’ll look aesthetically pleasing and beautiful. You put her on figure, she’ll be in the first callout. We’re talking about one of the greatest women’s bodybuilders of all time. There’s just nothing you can say about this woman in terms of feedback. Continue doing the same thing. She’s what bodybuilding is all about.”
El Guindy: “One thing Andrea Shaw does so well is that she revolutionized female bodybuilding. Before we were talking about how it wasn’t being liked but she is drop-dead gorgeous on stage.”
The Ms. Olympia division has a history of female competitors establishing dynasties with many successive wins through the years. Female bodybuilding icon Iris Kyle leads the list for the most wins in the category at ten, ahead of Lenda Murray’s eight trophies.
Cormier doesn’t think Andrea has earned the honor just yet but could see her making the claim as the best ever if she stays on this path.
Cormier: “For her, don’t play basketball or go skydiving or do crazy stuff where you might injure yourself. Don’t do six plates on the squat rack. All those things are going to stop this from happening. Nothing else can because all she has to do is get better and come in. There is always room for improvement.”
“I got her second to Lenda Murray,” said Cormier. “But this girl has so much potential that she can bypass everyone we have seen on stage.”
It’s evident Andrea Shaw has brought a lot of excitement into the Women’s Bodybuilding category. If she wants to surpass the records of some of the best to ever do it, Cormier believes she should keep seeking improvements as a bodybuilder.
You can watch the full video below:
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The women’s Open division is no better off now than when Iris Kyle was it’s champion, which is why I predict it will be dropped again within a couple of years. This is because Shaw has made some dumb professional decisions that has only reaffirmed the negative public perception of the spor (starting with the junk supplement company she choice as her sponsor). She’ll cash out. But the sport will suffer.