Brian Shaw has opened up about his future in arm wrestling, admitting that while he still enjoys the sport, he has no immediate plans to return to competition.
The four-time World’s Strongest Man discussed his next steps during a recent episode of the Shaw Strength Podcast alongside fellow strongman legend Hafthor Bjornsson.
Shaw has been exploring arm wrestling since stepping away from Strongman, but balancing another demanding sport with his business commitments and family life has proved challenging.
When Bjornsson asked whether he had any upcoming matches, Shaw explained that he was still training but hadn’t committed to anything.
“I’m still training and having fun with it, but nothing is planned,” he said.
Shaw admitted that his competitive mentality initially pushed him towards approaching arm wrestling with the same intensity that helped him become one of strongman’s biggest names.
However, he soon realised that reaching the highest level would require an enormous commitment.
“I could be stronger than all of the arm wrestlers, but their technique is superior. Their time in the sport is superior to mine,” he explained.
“It’s so much technique, and you’re strong in different areas that you’re not normally training unless you do it.”
The 44-year-old also addressed his defeat to Leonidas Arkona in April, insisting that the result had nothing to do with his decision to take a break from competing.
Shaw acknowledged that his opponent’s greater experience made the difference, particularly during the setup.
But he revealed that he had already planned to step back and focus on transforming his physique, regardless of the outcome.
“Even if I would have won, this is what I was going to do,” he said.
Since retiring from Strongman, Shaw has undergone a remarkable physical transformation, dropping from approximately 450lbs to 350lbs.
And while he hasn’t ruled out another arm wrestling match, his priorities have changed considerably.
The former strongman champion explained that he wants to spend more time with his children, including coaching their basketball teams, rather than dedicating countless hours to another competitive pursuit.
“I already did this with strongman for a long time. I don’t want to neglect that,” he admitted.
Nevertheless, Shaw stressed that fans shouldn’t interpret his current situation as retirement from arm wrestling.
“If there’s an arm wrestling match that makes sense, I’m not opposed to that,” he said.
He also believes he can continue improving without sacrificing the other important areas of his life.
“I’ve trained for a couple of years now, where I’ve gotten better and better, and I’ve got stronger in these different areas,” he explained.
For now, Shaw appears content to keep training and enjoying the sport without putting himself under pressure to compete.
And although another match remains a possibility, he made one thing clear: becoming the best arm wrestler possible is no longer something he’s prepared to put ahead of everything else.
Featured image credit: SHAWSTRENGTH PODCAST / YouTube / Brian Shaw / Instagram
