Is Brian Shaw the strongest man in history?

American athlete, Brian Shaw is not the strongest man in history, however, he is a 4-time World’s Strongest Man champion and one of the best in the game.

Some sources and experts believe that he is the greatest strongest man to ever live. However, he shared that he might be retiring in 2023 after he got an infection in his right leg which almost got amputated.

“The biggest thing is that it didn’t go through my bloodstream. So, if I would have waited potentially any longer, the fear would be it going into my bloodstream. Once it does that, the outcome might not be as good, meaning a possible amputation,” he shared.

Shaw began his career as a strongman with a win when he entered the Denver Strongest Man contest in October 2005. Even though he had no formal training, he joined the professional ranks in seven months.

He also entered the Fortissimus, also known as the Strongest Man of Earth competition in 2009. The competition took place in Canada and he came third. He did quite well as he was the only man left to lift six Atlas Stones weighing from 300-425 lb (136-193 kg).

Shaw also competed in Romania in the World Strongman Super Series that same year. In September 2010, he qualified for the finals at the 2010 World’s Strongest Man in Sun City, South Africa.

He won the World Strongest Man Competition both in 2015 and 2016. He competed in two top competitions in 2017; World’s Strongest Man and the Arnold Strongman Classic Competitions where he won the Arnold Strongman Classic but finished third in the World’s Strongest Man Competition.