The 2023 Shaw Classic Will Determine “The Strongest Man on Earth”

Incentive to win the Shaw Classic just got a lot spicier.

Written by Robert Zeglinski Last updated on July 17, 2023

The winner of the 2023 Shaw Classic (SC) will now officially earn the title of “The Strongest Man on Earth.”

In an interview video posted to YouTube on July 17, 2023, Brian Shaw, four-time World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion (2011, 2013, 2015-2016) and organizer of the annual SC, announced that he’d acquired the “The Strongest Man on Earth” trademark from Paul Ohl. The title had previously been awarded to winners of Fortissimus, a strongman contest that Ohl organized from 2008-2009. Shaw and Ohl discussed what the title transfer would mean for the SC’s future in their conversation.

After attempting to gain traction in 2008, an eventual lack of sponsorships led to the indefinite shuttering of the Fortissimus competition in 2009. The contest didn’t come back, but Ohl and organizers still owned the “The Strongest Man on Earth” trademark. As the winner of the 2009 edition, four-time WSM champion (2009-2010, 2012, 2014) Žydrūnas Savickas is technically the defending and final champion of the contest.

Shaw maintained that he approached Ohl for this name transition because he believes it adds legitimacy to the growth of the SC as a tentpole strongman competition, which only has three iterations at the time of this writing (2020-2022).

It is surely something the current roster of elite competitors may come to appreciate as another part of their potential prize. Here’s an overview of the field at the 2023 SC:

2023 Shaw Classic Roster

Here’s a rundown of the expected events at the 2023 SC:

2023 Shaw Classic Events

Note: The Atlas Stones appear not to be the closing event of the 2023 SC, as it often is in other strongman contests.