Shawn Ray proved that size wasn’t the end-all-be-all in Open Bodybuilding but fell short of the sport’s ultimate title. In a recent YouTube video with Lee Labrada on December 11, 2024, Ray shared that he might have won the Mr. Olympia if not for Lee Haney. In addition, he discussed his rivalry with Dorian Yates and argued separately that today’s era of bodybuilding is soft, with athletes unable to accept constructive criticism.
During the 1990s, Shawn Ray cemented himself as one of the greatest talents to not earn the Sandow trophy. Nevertheless, he challenged and pushed legends of the sport, most notably, his staunch rival, Dorian Yates, and former eight-time Olympia winner Lee Haney.
Ray’s candid nature allowed him to stand out in the IFBB Pro League. Having built an extremely aesthetic and shapely physique, his efforts on the stage are still lauded by fans of the sport years after his retirement. With time to reflect on his career, he broke down his biggest rivalries and thoughts on bodybuilders of today.
Shawn Ray Believes He Could Have Been Mr. Olympia If Not for Lee Haney, Says Today’s Era Is ‘Soft’ and Reviews Rivalry W/ Dorian Yates
According to Shawn Ray, if Lee Haney wasn’t in the picture, he or Lee Labrada might have won the Mr. Olympia.
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“You [Lee Labrada] were beating guys much bigger and I thought if you could do it, then there was hope. I’d seen that this was not a glass ceiling.
I can maybe go further I felt I was a little bit taller, a little thicker, a little bit bigger, and while I had my sights on Lee Haney, who was the yard mark, if there was no Lee Haney, you might have been Mr. Olympia. If there’s no Lee Haney, I might have been Mr. Olympia,” explains Ray.
He also dived into his rivalry with Dorian Yates, and said he had to not like him to compete effectively against him.
“In the 90s I had to not really like Dorian Yates in order to get up and fight Dorian Yates at the gym but with Lee Haney, he was doing things at such a pace and level, he set the standard so you couldn’t be mad at him.”
Ray never gave up hope against ‘The Shadow’ given that their physiques were so different from each other.
“I was too young not to believe [I’d beat Dorian Yates]. I was doing everything a bodybuilder is supposed to do to position himself as number one. I didn’t think I was going to beat Dorian Mano a mano, you either have to go with the apple or you have to go with the orange.
On any given day, maybe these opinions might change, because we’re as different as night and day. There’s nothing similar in Dorian and myself.”
He noticed that the sport was changing directions in the 90s with a heavier focus on size.
“The 90s was all about the growth. I believe you said you were done because it was going in the direction of the size,” adds Ray.
While competing actively, Ray managed to crack the top five at the Mr. Olympia 12 times.
“The further away I get from the stage, the more impressive that commentary sounds to me because we haven’t seen it replicated [taking top five at Mr. Olympia 12 times]. I was a machine. I was like a man on a mission and mind you, these are in my prime years.”
Ray believes the sport has become ‘too soft’ and that bodybuilders cannot handle criticism even when it’s constructive.
“It’s too soft man. I call it the pussification of bodybuilding where the bodybuilders cannot handle criticism. There are some bodybuilders out there that get in their minds that those criticisms not just from me, collectively, will be the reason why they don’t get on the stage because they are afraid of failure.”
“Any criticism is an attack today. That’s where we are on social media. Criticism and attack are synonymous. I’ve kind of dumbed it down and pulled back because I don’t want to get into the apology tour. I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings when they’re up there. They got their family watching on pay-per-view and I’m up here a representative of the Olympia,” he shared.
In retirement, Ray and Yates display exceptional longevity. While both men took different paths throughout their bodybuilding careers, fans and up-and-coming athletes can take valuable insight and wisdom from their rivalry.
Although Haney and Yates prevented Ray from becoming a Mr. Olympia, he still managed to lead a one-of-a-kind career. He continues to serve as a prominent ambassador for the sport in retirement.
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