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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