A champion isn’t just the guy who wins a contest. A real champion needs to do IG Live chats, needs to guest pose, present awards at various shows and hold himself out to any and all who want to learn more about bodybuilding and physique-based sports. This is who Shaun is. He works hard but it all comes natural to him. In many regards, he’s held onto the qualities from his early days, qualities that continue to set him apart from the pack today. Even with two Olympias to his credit and the distinction beating guys 100lbs heavier than him, he always thinks of himself as the underdog. He’s the underdog with no plan b.

Success has a tendency to cloud most peoples’ judgment. They start to think they’re invincible and they lose that edge which helped them achieve the goals they now take for granted. Some things never change, though. Shaun remains on the shorter end of The 212. He’s also not the biggest guy nor is he chasing numbers on a scale. He’s not a spring chicken and he’s also mindful of the fact he’s got some very substantial competition. Angel Calderon came out of nowhere and really pushed the champ as did fellow 212 Mr. Olympia Kamal El Gargni. The Lion Of Libya is proof positive that age is just a number and Shaun never never takes his eyes off him. One slip up, one foolish move, and it could be Kamal winning the show.

When you’re the champ you take everyone seriously – especially guys who can really tie it all together and fire on all cylinders when it counts! Kamal isn’t an Instagram champion. When he hits the stage, he’s ready for battle. And battling is what Shaun’s all about.

The 212 is a division of camaraderie and good sportsmanship, but it’s also the scene of some of the fiercest battles ever seen in physique-based sports. They’re all friends but when it’s game time – IT’S GAME TIME!!

The 212 is in great hands with Shaun Clarida as the champ and notable competitors rising the ranks and pounding on the door. I thought The Prodigy Keone Pearson looked absolutely awesome!! Ahmad Ashkanani is another superstar that has decisively counteracted the aging process. He’s one of those guys who battled Flex Lewis and was the talk of the town not too long ago. Whoever places in the Top 6 is a threat, whether it’s Keone, Ahmad, Kamal or Oleh Kryvyi. I must also include my friends Kerrith Bajjo (7th) and Bryan Balzano (9th) who are both incredibly dangerous. It’s only a question of time till they break into the Top 6. There’s only so many spots but this division is REPLETE with talent. It makes those top spots all the more sought after. It’s a WAR on that stage!!

I think The 212 with Shaun and the aforementioned guys representing it worldwide, will bring about a whole new era for the division. I also hope these guys tap THE GOAT James “Flex” Lewis for advice. Flex knows exactly how to turn things into gold.

I also hope Flex will bring Shaun on for an interview, as well as Kamal. His podcasts are hugely successful and give the viewers a real understanding of the guests he invites. I’d love for him to sit down with his two 212 Mr. Olympia successors and do podcasts with each of them. That’s the kind of exposure they can only get from him. No one else can put on a interview with them like that – one 212 Mr. O interviewing another 212 Mr. O. THE GOAT interviewing the guys who carried the torch after him makes all the sense in the world.

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The 212 is a division all about hard work. Unlike the Open, there’s no bubble guts – there never were. No one is out of shape – there’s only in-shape and in insane shape. The camaraderie these guys share removes all negativity from the equation. There’s no bad blood on social media, none backstage, and none onstage. This allows for optimal conditions where everything is merit-based. If Keone wins, it’ll be a race between Shaun and Kamal, to who congratulates him first. This is the way all the divisions should be. But lets not get carried away just yet. No one’s winning the Showdown without some extreme suffering and battling down to the wire. This is after all the division made famous by The Welsh Dragon James “Flex” Lewis and “The Boston Mass” Jose Raymond. If you want to win here you had better know you’re going to go to hell and back before emerging victorious. And one guy who has put any and all demons in check is Keone Pearson. He knows the ups and downs of the sport and he knows how to keep his head in the game when times get tough. That is what separates a champion from a competitor.

At the end of the day, no one’s building at this point. The work’s done, but as we get closer to game day, this is the time to iron out the fine details. Posing needs to be on point. Competitors need to be ready for long, drawn out mandatories and comparisons – particularly guys like Keone who are in contention to winning the contest. The judges will certainly have their work cut out for them and with the defending champion, Derek Lunsford, not in the mix, there’s a vacant title with a lot of heavy hitters and dark horses all vying to be the best. The stakes couldn’t be higher and given the fact the Olympia is starting to push the division again, whoever wins the 2022 212 title could really have a direct hand in putting the division back on the map.

The 212 needs a champion like FLEX. It needs someone who not only is going to stay, but who’s going to stay on top for a few years and build the kind of buzz that’s going to prompt more prize money, more inclusion in contests worldwide, and maybe help bring it back to the Arnold Classic stage. When Lewis was on top, the division sold like hotcakes. When he left – it nearly died. That’s just how powerful one man is. If The 212 has a larger than life champion, it will once again be a top draw. I feel that Kamal and Shaun can do this, but I especially feel like Keone as well. In fact, I believe Keone can do things others can’t.

If Keone wins the 2022 212 Olympia title, I could see him embarking on a worldwide tour of guest posing appearances, doing tons of stuff on social media, and becoming the darling of the fitness media. I could see him guesting on Bro Chat, Bodybuilding University, RX, MD, Generation Iron and sitting down with Patrick Bet David on Valuetainment, just to name a few. He’s a fantastic public speaker and he has the ability to tap into the social media pulse without even trying. And much like with Derek, there are a great many fans who have been impatiently waiting for the moment when KEONE WINS IT ALL!!

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Earlier in the month the Olympia released a very cool graphic which pitted the NJ native against fellow 212 Mr. Olympia, The Lion of Libya, Kamal Elgargni. When this graphic started to make the rounds it seemed as if the decision had already been made. While that’s what the perception may have been – nothing was set in stone – until now. Shaun is a man of his word and if he’s committed to winning his title back, then that’s what he’s going to try to do. I believe he will give this goal his absolute all. Shaun is truly a workhorse. He’s quite possibly the most hardcore blue collar athlete of The 212 and that’s truly a big statement considering how hard his contemporaries work.

It won’t be a cakewalk that’s for sure! He’ll face guys like Keone Pearson, Kerrith Bajjo, and others who are all gunning for the title. Kamal is also not going to just let GK waltz in and grab the title back. Right now, Elgargni and Clarida are tied. Even the year Shaun won, it was an absolute nail biter. I know because I was there. Both men fought down to the wire. I don’t think they relaxed even for a second and I suspect 2022 will be another 2020. But who will win this time is anyone’s guess.

In closing, I’d like to applaud Shaun for staying 212. I have no doubt that at 100% he could have done what Lee Priest did years ago – breaking into the Top 6. The prize money he would have made in the open, as well as the sponsorships that would have likely followed, would have been far more lucrative than staying in the lighter division. That said, he didn’t ditch the 212 like Lunsford did. Instead he’s going to do right by it. The 212 needs an Olympia Showdown like I believe 2022 will be.

This is going to be A LOT OF FUN to watch!!

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