Keone Pearson is confident his physique would hold up even against notable bodybuilding stars of the 1990s. On January 21, 2025, Pearson previewed a hypothetical battle against Lee Priest and believes the Australian Pro wouldn’t stand a chance against him.
‘The Prodigy’ continues to redefine the standards of the Men’s 212 Bodybuilding division. In 2023, he reached the pinnacle of his career, laying claim to Olympia gold in a thrilling showdown against former two-time titleholder Shaun Clarida.
When it was time for the rematch, Keone Pearson brought more mass, shape, and conditioning to secure his second consecutive title. Conversely, Lee Priest never earned Olympia gold and only competed as an Open competitor. Although he lacked height, he made up for it with freaky muscle density and some of the most defined arms in the IFBB Pro League.
Keone Pearson Breaks Down Hypothetical Battle With Lee Priest: “He Wouldn’t Stand a Chance Against Me”
While they competed in different eras, Pearson was recently asked in a video on Instagram about how Priest would compare against him on stage.
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“If Lee Priest competed nowadays in 212, do you think you’d stand a chance against him?
“No. He won’t stand a chance against me, no. I have a chance, he won’t. No. I’m just better,” shares Keone Pearson.
Lee Priest is no ordinary talent. While he didn’t win the Arnold Classic or Mr. Olympia, he gave some of the most prolific bodybuilders their toughest tests. During his career, he managed to defeat Ronnie Coleman on stage, with ‘The King’ labeling the moment as his lowest throughout his illustrious tenure. Coleman’s rival, Jay Cutler, also hailed Priest’s physique, underlining that ‘Nobody can ever blow your mind like Lee Priest looked at 21 years old.’
Interestingly, Lee Priest isn’t a huge fan of the Men’s 212 Bodybuilding division considering he made his name in the Open with a significant size discrepancy. He believes the 212 category should be removed from the IFBB Pro League schedule and that all of its competitors should be absorbed by the Men’s Open division. He emphasized that if you’re good at competing, height and weight shouldn’t be an issue.
As one of the most popular and beloved athletes to emerge in the 1990s, Lee Priest’s contributions to the sport are held in high regard. Whether he would defeat Keone Pearson on stage is up for speculation. However, Pearson firmly believes he is the better competitor overall and insists he would have had the upper hand if they had ever faced off during Priest’s prime.
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