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“Would Destroy Anyone Today”: Nostalgic Strongman World Celebrates 26-Year-Old Brian Shaw’s Humble Beginnings in the Sport

Published 04/19/2023, 11:26 AM EDT

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Professional American strongman Brian Shaw, is the four-time winner of the coveted trophy of World’s Strongest Man. Taking the title in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2016, Shaw became one of the most prominent names in the sport’s history. In fact, he was the first person to win the Strongman and Arnold Classic in the same year. This year, he gears up for his final stint on the World’s Strongest Man stage.

While fans are still reeling from the news of his retirement, a recent Instagram post featuring the strongman giant in his maiden year, as a 26-year-old, went viral. His fans didn’t waste any time sharing their thoughts on the resurfaced video.

A resurfaced video of Brian Shaw went viral

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On April 19, 2023, the Instagram account of The World Strongest Man shared a snippet from the 2008 competition. They captioned the post with, “Where it all began for @shawstrength.” The Colorado native was seen getting ready to give tough competition to the other contenders. Evidently, he was on the field with two other contestants, and the game was to carry weights across the field.

 

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However, he carried the first 231 lbs of weight and stood in second place. Later he toppled the contender who was in first place by lifting 275 lbs. To everyone’s surprise, the American guy who was only 26 then and weighed 362 lbs, soon ended up in first place. Although Shaw could only reach the qualifiers by then, he spread his dominance from the very first day in the game, to come back as a winner.

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In fact, three years later, the giant won his first title and post that, there was no stopping him. This year, Shaw is looking to win his fifth title at the WSM. Looking at how this post took the internet by storm, suffice it to say, that fans are more than excited.

Fans went gaga seeing their strongman giant as a neophyte

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Seeing him on this throwback video, one fan remembered, “I remember watching Brian back then thinking it was neat to see an American in a sport typically dominated by Europeans. Little did I know at that time he would go on to be arguably the best to ever do it!” As Shaw made the game look so easy, one used commented, “What’s wild is how light these weights are!!!!”

Hinting at the presumptive retirement this year, another penned, “Been watching this sport since I was probly 6 years old…..end of an Era this year. Hope he gets it.” One fan further recalled his form in his initial years and wrote, “2008/2010 Brian Shaw would destroy anyone today easily.”

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Watch This Story – Bodybuilding Beast Agrees To Eat Like Strongman For 50K: “Enough To Make It Worth My While”

Shaw created a fandom based on his legacy, one that has left fans hopeful for that final 5th trophy. Do you think Shaw is going to bring the title home? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by:

Soumili Chatterjee

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Soumili Chatterjee is a pro-writer for EssentiallySports. With a Master's degree in English, Soumili's passion for sports writing has taken her on an extraordinary journey in the American sports arena. Inspired by the famous quote by ice-hockey legend Gretzky, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take," Soumili has taken these words to heart and has made it her mission to meet her idol someday.
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Edited by:

Anupama Ghosh