I really like Shaw but Big Z pretty much still dominated at the age that Shaw is now and Shaw is starting to break down and crap out. Brian Shaw is an exceptional champion and definitely top 5 of all time but Big Z is forever#1 because he essentially been a champion consistently during the rise and fall of many greats. IFSA, WSM , ARNOLD, Fortissimus,etc... Big Z has done it all.
I'd say the win-stats says it all. Savickas his 8 AC titles vs Shaws 3 , not only that but Savickas also won both the IFSA championships which aren't even listed here BUT many strongman, including Brian himself declared that the 10 events, spread over 2 days in the IFSA championship were arguably the most gruelling ones he's ever done, even heavier than the Arnold Classics
@@meginna8354 Shaw only won 3 during the same time frame whilst Z was in his 40s, past what should be his prime. Z also has more 2nd place finishes at WSM than Shaw. I'm a huge Shaw fan, but Z is 100% the goat
@@meginna8354 Z began his peak in 04/05 with IFSA and his Arnold wins. He was more athletic back then, but had more strength in his 40s, yet started setting records as early as 2003
Great vid, but WSM squat is 320 kg not 329, 15 reps is still very impressive and still is the WR, but this extra 9 kg would put Zydrunas on another lever on the squat
Mariusz always fell short at the static events. He's similar to Shivlyakov in that he will push his body to the limit, but his strength was the moving events which dominated 2000's strongman. Still a top 5 strongman ever, but Z was much stronger statically than Pud.
Yeah Z and Shaw definitely top 2, no doubt. Hard to choose the other two, probably Kaz and Thor but there's a good argument for JP, Mariusz and Magnus Ver.
Not hating this vid, but federations have put together hundreds of different events to find out who is the strongest, so I don't think choosing only 4 events is fair. For exemple, Shaw would destroy Savickas on the heaviest stone, yoke and weight over bar. Z is still the best between the two of them because he won more times against Brian than the opposite, since Zydrunas wasn't there in 2016 due to injure. Also every time Brian won, Z was second, and this is not true for Brian when Big Z was the champion.
Hafthor has been making the wsm finals every year since 2011 and lost every time to shaw or big z. He didn't win until they were hurt or old. Not a rivalry at all
@@nossonwaldman4451 '14 he lost by half a point, '16 by two points and '17 one point (disregarding the controversy of Eddie's business partner changing events mid-competition) and he hadn't even peaked. Recently he's shown that he's a static monster who can move. Deadlifting over half a tonne and being able to move is absolutely insane, he's not just like a Siders, Ross or Hall (though admittedly Hall was much more well rounded as a Strongman, as the others were more powerlifters). No doubt in my mind that Z is clearly the GOAT but I think if we were looking at all strongmen at their absolute peak in a rounded competition - say, a Fortissimus, with lots of events, heavy but also moving events, I'd have to put my money on Thor if anyone. Kiels if for some reason there wasn't a deadlift.
@@Maddolis I honestly would pay a lot to see a fortissimuss between the 3 of them. In their peaks they are all monsters but i think z would take most of the static events while shaw and thor split the moving events. Shaw and z showed they can close at the end of the competition, seeing as they won by such close margins, while thor lost those, so my money is on shaw and z
