Four-time World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Brian Shaw has taken on some unique challenges throughout his athletic career, but his most recent one might top them all. Jimmy Donaldson, also known as “Mr. Beast,” recently recruited the Strongest Man on Earth (SMoE) promoter to take on a tug-of-war challenge against a lion.
Shaw traveled to South Africa for the tug-of-war in a cage, where he and the lion were separated by a wall with one end of the rope on each side of the cage. The lion’s end of the rope had meat attached to it. The center of the rope, featuring a red flag to signify the winner, slid through a tube connecting the cages.
The full video, courtesy of the SHAWSTRENGTH YouTube channel, can be seen below. The battle begins at the 5:38 mark of the episode:
Shaw called this the most extreme challenge he’d ever done. Once Shaw was in position, the lion was released from its cage to go after the meat. The lion tried pulling the meat, and the showdown was on.
The lion turned its back on Shaw and walked forward while holding the meat. Shaw resisted but failed to budge the lion until it turned to establish a new position.
Shaw gained momentum, pulling the red flag on his side, ultimately securing the win. Donaldson assured viewers that the lion would receive meat for his efforts. Shaw was impressed by the lion’s strategy during the face-off.
The lion’s tactics were amazing. Going to the side there, I couldn’t get that rope to move. He’s a strong, big boy.
—Brian Shaw
Since retiring from strongman competition after winning the 2023 SMoE, Shaw has focused on promoting that contest and pursuing his new passion for arm wrestling. He will compete at the 2025 Shaw Classic, held at the Blue Arena in Loveland, CO, on Aug. 15-17.
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Featured Image: @shawstrength on Instagram
