Shawn Ray Says Bodybuilding Is More of a ‘Beauty Contest’ Than Sports – Muscle and Fitness

In Episode 264 of The Threat Podcast, host Dennis James was joined by Milos Sarcev and Jose Raymond, along with special guest Shawn Ray, who got into a heated debate with ‘The Mind’ over how many confirmation rounds, or even competitors, there should be in an Olympia final. The icon even wondered if bodybuilding was a sport, which seriously stressed Sarcev.

The collision occurred when Shawn Ray, who has competed in thirteen Olympia finals, reached a peak position of second place, disagreed with the former Mr. Universe about how many confirmation rounds there should be if the winner is likely to be decided the day before the final. As a hardcore bodybuilding fan, Sarcev said the number of confirmation rounds was not an issue, but the total number of competitors pushed the show’s duration too far. This led to some agreement from Ray, who agreed that there were too many competitors in the Olympia final, but saw no reason to continue bringing the underdogs forward for further rounds of judging as they are usually far from victory and do not sell the lion’s share of tickets anyway. It was here that ‘The Mind’ mentioned other sports, such as MMA, and that any chance to score a point is of paramount importance, but Ray, who promotes the IFBB New York Pro, was having none of that.

Why Shawn Ray says bodybuilding is more of a beauty pageant than a sport

“What my experience has taught me is that bodybuilding can never be compared to any other sport in the world,” Ray said on The Menace Podcast. “Because it’s not. It’s not comparable. I’m trying to compare it to Miss Universe. If you get into the top ten of Miss Universe, no one else matters, Milos.”

Ray went on to explain that maintaining the quality of a show is about quickly whittling the competition down to the best of the best, and not spending too much time handing out “participation awards” to those on the sidelines. Sarcev became very stressed at this comparison. “You don’t want to compare bodybuilding with other sports, and then you bring Miss Universe (comparison),” the Serbian replied, now furious. “It’s not a sport,” Ray interrupted.

Sarcev tried to explain to Ray that Miss Universe was a pageant and not a sport. “It’s a spectacle,” said bodybuilding’s Ray, too, putting it in the same category as a beauty pageant. “It’s a spectacle, bro, it’s about who looks the best. It’s based on looks. It’s an art.”

Ray tried to qualify his opinion by explaining that no one ever asked him how much he could lift when he was on the Olympia podium. “It doesn’t matter how much you lift,” Sarcev responded, noting that UFC fighters aren’t asked how much they can lift. “Ahhhh, go away,” Ray said.

Although both men continued to defend their positions, often side by side, the likelihood of these two passionate men coming to an agreement on this topic seems highly unlikely. To watch the full debate and decide where you stand on this and other hot topics, like the upcoming Arnold Classic, watch below.