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Classic Shawn
10 Questions With Shawn Ray
‘Whatever results I got, I earned through many ass-whippings in the gym!’
1. We’ve noticed a lot of people referencing “old school” or “golden age” but only the ‘90s bodybuilders. Is that your opinion too that the ‘90s represent old school?
In the proper context, that would be correct. Many pros from the ‘90s are Hall of Fame or Hall of Fame-caliber athletes. “Back in the day” is clearly a reference to anything that’s 20 years or older, in my opinion. The ‘90s had many epic rivalries and the athletes competing that were on a whole other level by comparison to today’s pros. So to answer your question, the top six finalists of the Olympia contests in the ‘90s I personally believe would beat the top six of the 2020s guys.
2. Rumor has it two-time Mr. Olympia, Big Ramy may be finished this year; heard he “no-showed” at the Pittsburgh Pro this past May? Would that be interesting as a fan and good for the sport if he’s out?
Correct, he was a no-show this year at the Pittsburgh Pro for unexplained reasons; however, that doesn’t mean he’s retired. If Big Ramy is not in the Mr. Olympia, it may be exciting from the standpoint or view of the fans, but as for the athletes, I believe they all wanna try to beat him in head-to-head competition – that’s the essence of wanting to be the best, by beating the best! All that said, it definitely makes things a lot more interesting in the anticipation of who’s next. Big Ramy would not be shamed if he walked away a two-time champion after spending so many years of his life simply trying to get one win but accomplishing two!
3. We witnessed the return of Physique champion Sadik Hadzovic winning the Pittsburgh Pro after a three-year layoff and becoming a proud new dad! How do you think he will stack up come the Mr. Olympia in December?
Let’s be honest, I don’t follow Men’s Physique the way I do Bodybuilding but you’d have to be blind not to notice this guy is legit! At first I thought, “This dude’s Classic Physique!” Then you can see upon further inspection he’s right in his groove in this Physique division. I thought he was fantastic and I’m beginning to appreciate what these guys offer as athletes to our sport, not to mention these guys are great people, with Sadik being a real class act! He will make things interesting in December if he wins the New York Pro on May 21!
4. Last month I read you were not real fond of the Masters Olympia returning after we had so many great winners years ago. Can you explain why?
Simple, it’s too dangerous and guys are dying. Some former greats like Robby Robinson, Sonny Schmidt, Vince Taylor, Don Youngblood and Claude Groulx have all won the Masters Olympia well past the age limit of 40. That said, all of them had never “stopped” competing in order to make a “comeback” to competition during those years we had a Masters Olympia. Now, if we bring it back I’m certain there are guys well past the age of 40 who would be coming out of retirement, gassing up and pushing their limits well beyond what their bodies can handle especially past 50 years of age, which I believe would be fast-tracking themselves into injuries and possibly death. It’s a real concern with me because post 2000, I’ve seen far too many Masters athletes succumb to their fantasy of winning a title over their physical health limitations, and I don’t want to see our sport sell these middle-aged fathers and grandfathers a pipe dream for very little return on their risk to reward.
5. What body part did you train that was stubborn or hard for you to bring up?
For me they were all hard and I never played favorites when it came to training. I was taught to beat my body up and make it pay by exhausting it or training to fatigue or failure. Victory was achieved when I made my workout partner throw up or I puke myself; that would be considered winning! My mentor, John Brown, was a ruthless training partner who saw me as the redheaded stepchild in the gym so whatever results I got, I earned through many ass-whippings in the gym! By far for me, my most stubborn body part were my calves but the hardest to work were my back and legs!
6. Can you share your thoughts on your “mindset” as a professional during your journey through the industry and how you remained focused while competing in three different decades?
I was hungry. I set my mind straight as a teenager by marooning out a plan to win at every level until I won the Mr. Olympia. I started with a local show and lost. Soon I’d moved up to a county show and win, then state-level and won. Finally I’d move up to the Junior and National levels where I was successful once again, all the while I was building confidence in my ability to rise to the occasion and the level of my competition. My belief was that I had no Plan B and this bodybuilding business I invested so much of my life into had to work – it must pay off! This internal belief in myself was the driving force in my workouts, eating habits and ambitions to live a life I would create by the sweat of my brow. I never wanted a job; I wanted to be an artist and not a starving artist! I surrounded myself consciously with people who were smarter than me and in the process I read everything I could get my hands on related to my sport and the business of bodybuilding in order to be prepared to move flawlessly through the industry which encompassed all ages, races and genders of people. Lifting weights was only a small part of the job; I fell in love with all aspects of the sport from crafting to creation and promotions that keep me from sleeping in and thriving to pave the way for others by creating opportunities of growth.
7. Everyone has been talking about the impact Mutant has been having on the industry since you’ve joined them as a Global Ambassador. That must feel like good validation they chose the right guy for the job, right?
Well in this industry I believe timing is everything. In 2020 the CoVid pandemic brought the world to a close. Mutant CEO Jim McMahon and Team Mutant were in the process of rebranding the company post the late Rich Piana image, who helped put them on the map. After joining forces in 2021 we hit the ground running and just like that, Mutant experienced tremendous growth and visibility, especially online sales, but more importantly through our various collaborations like coming on board to sponsor and support the Mr. Olympia, Arnold Classic, LA Fit Expo and return to FIBO Germany! Our new products have been a smashing success and that’s because teamwork makes dreams work! Our leading products like ALL-IN, Flex Food, MASS, ISO SURGE, BCAAs and MADNESS are just burning up the industry, which speaks volumes to our ingredients, global customers and Mutant Nation team!
8. Where will you be traveling during the second half of the bodybuilding season?
I’m happy to see the world opening up again as my life has been that of sharing all I’ve learned with those like-minded athletes and fans, so I’m presently in the middle of a World Tour and can’t believe I’m nearly halfway through it!
• May 21-22: LA Fit Expo; Los Angeles, CA
• May 26: FitDoc Productions charity; Houston, TX
• June 25-26: San Jose Fit Expo; San Jose, CA
• July 2: Superstar Seminar; Lima, Peru
• July 22: Chicago Pro; Chicago, IL
• July 29-30th: NPC USA; Las Vegas, NV
• August 5-6: Tampa Pro; Tampa, FL
• August 26-28: Chile Championship; Santiago, Chile
• September 23-25: Arnold Classic UK; Birmingham, England
• Oct 7-9: Legion Pro/Am; Reno, NV
• Oct 22-23: Swiss Grand Prix; Zürich, Switzerland
• October 28-30: Dubai Muscle Show; Dubai, UAE
• November 5: Las Vegas Classic; Las Vegas, NV (emcee)
• November 12: Lee Haney Games; Atlanta, GA (emcee)
• November 19: Shawn Ray Hawaiian Classic; Waikiki, Hawaii
• December 16-17: Mr. Olympia; Las Vegas, NV
[*]9. MUTANT seems to be on a trade show tear, exhibiting with Mutant Nation all over the United States and even globally at FIBO in Germany. While a lot of brands seem to be pulling away from live shows, MUTANT is ramping up?
It has been amazing really to get back with the fans that make the brand what it is. The support of these shows helps the athletes and the actual expos are truly a fan experience. We’ve all missed this and you can’t replace it! Part of our strategy overall this year for sure.
10. How pumped is Mutant heading into this year’s Mr. Olympia, having two-time Ms. Olympia Andrea Shaw on your team as she’s seeking her third consecutive title this December in Las Vegas?
SR: We are beyond pumped to have a phenomenal athlete such as Andrea Shaw representing Mutant at this year’s Mr. Olympia! We anticipate that Andrea will do some serious damage in Vegas where she will stand among the other exemplary competitors, all of whom have worked long and hard to stand on stage with the greatest bodybuilders in the world!
Instagram @shawnrayifbbpro
Facebook @TheRealShawnRay
shawnray.fitness
Twitter @sugarshawnray
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