Drew Cullen is an American IFBB Pro League athlete in the Men’s Physique division — a competitor who turned years of near-misses as an amateur into one of the most durable pro careers in the division. He owns three professional wins and has stood on the Mr. Olympia stage four years in a row. 🏆
His signature achievement came in Toronto, where he won the Toronto Pro Supershow in 2024 and then defended the title in 2025 — the only 2024 champion at that show who managed it, according to BarBend.
Known online as “Most Shredded,” the Illinois athlete built his record the slow way: 31 pro shows since 2020, climbing a little higher almost every season. This biography covers his full verified career, updated for 2026.
📋 Drew Cullen Quick Facts
| Full Name | Drew Cullen |
| Nationality | American (United States) |
| Division | Men’s Physique — IFBB Pro League |
| Based | Illinois (listed from Lockport, IL in Toronto Pro results coverage) |
| Pro Card | 2019 NPC USA Championships — NPC records list him 2nd in his class, his final amateur show |
| Pro Debut | 2020 Tampa Pro (12th place) |
| Pro Wins | 3 — Chicago Pro 2023, Toronto Pro Supershow 2024, Toronto Pro Supershow 2025 |
| Mr. Olympia Appearances | 4 — 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 (tied 16th each time) |
| Status in 2026 | Active — seven shows in 2026, ending with his fourth straight Mr. Olympia |
| @most_shredded | |
| Date of Birth / Height / Weight | Not published by primary sources — see the FAQ below for an honest explanation |
🌱 Amateur Years — Six National Shows (2017–2019)
Cullen’s recorded career starts at the top level of amateur bodybuilding. His first appearance in the national results is the 2017 NPC National Championships, where he placed 4th in his Men’s Physique class.
Through 2018 he kept returning to the biggest amateur stages in America: 3rd at the NPC Junior Nationals, 4th at the NPC Universe Championships and 4th in his class at the NPC USA Championships.
In 2019 he placed 3rd at the Junior Nationals, then returned to Las Vegas for the NPC USA Championships. NPC records list him 2nd in his class there — the result that closed his amateur career and opened the professional door. 🥈
That timeline matters, because it corrects a common error: Cullen was still an amateur throughout 2017, 2018 and most of 2019. Claims that he had been a pro since 2017 are impossible — he was still chasing the card.
💪 Pro Debut and the Learning Years (2020–2022)
Cullen made his professional debut on July 31, 2020 at the Tampa Pro, finishing 12th. He stayed busy in the pandemic-shortened season, adding the Southeast Texas Pro (9th), the Optimum Classic Pro (12th), the New York Pro (13th) and the Chicago Pro (16th).
In 2021 he placed 8th at the Wasatch Warrior Pro and 13th at the New York Pro. His results were respectable, but the breakthrough had not arrived yet.
He competed just twice in 2022 — 7th at the San Francisco Championships and 7th at the Hurricane Pro a week later. The placings were inching upward, and people in the division had noticed him: the Next Up Bodybuilding podcast introduced him to listeners simply as a man who, asked what makes him next up, answered, “I know I’m next up.” 🎙️
🏆 The 2023 Breakthrough — Chicago and an Olympia Debut
Everything changed in 2023. Cullen opened the season 2nd at the Palmetto Classic Pro, then stacked three consecutive 3rd-place finishes at the Mile High Pro, the Body Be 1 Classic Pro and the Vancouver Pro.
On July 20, 2023 he won the Chicago Pro — his first professional title — beating defending champion Nick Koeu in his home state of Illinois. The win carried the prize he had chased since his amateur debut in 2017: a Mr. Olympia qualification.
That November in Orlando he made his Olympia debut, tying for 16th in a deep field. Two weeks later he was back on stage, taking 2nd at the Atlantic Coast Pro to close a seven-show season.
🇨🇦 The Toronto Double (2024–2025)
In 2024 Cullen placed 3rd at the Optimum Classic Pro and 6th at the Miami Muscle Beach Pro — then travelled to Canada and won the Toronto Pro Supershow, ahead of Canadians Chevy Phillips and Kimani Victor. It was his second pro win, and it sent him back to the Olympia, where he again tied for 16th.
Most champions move on. Cullen went back to Toronto in June 2025 and defended the title, edging Japan’s Shun Kaneko in a split decision the judges scored 6 points to 9. BarBend noted he was the only winner from 2024 to defend a title at that show in 2025.
The defence qualified him for a third straight Olympia, where he tied for 16th once more. He finished 2025 with 2nd at the Hurricane Pro and 5th at the East Coast Pro — eight shows across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, all of them at the sport’s top level.
🌍 Four Straight Olympias (2023–2026)
Four consecutive Mr. Olympia appearances put Cullen in rare company. On each of those stages, the division’s title went to Ryan Terry, who won four straight Men’s Physique Olympia crowns from 2023 to 2026.
Cullen tied for 16th at all four Olympias — outside the top 15, but on the official scorecard every single year, in fields of more than fifty qualified athletes.
On the 2026 Olympia stage he shared the line-up with the division’s current elite, including six-time Olympia finalist Edvan Palmeira, who placed 6th. For an athlete who needed six national shows just to turn pro, simply being in that line-up four years running is the achievement.
📅 Drew Cullen in 2026 — A Seven-Show Season
There has been no slowdown. Cullen competed seven times in 2026 — his busiest season since 2023 — starting with 5th at the Memphis Pro and 3rd at the Miami Pro in May.
In June he returned to Toronto for a third straight year. This time the rematch went the other way: Shun Kaneko won the show, and Cullen placed 2nd — the end of his Toronto winning streak, but another podium.
He added 3rd at the St Pete Pro, 5th at the Chicago Pro and 4th at the Houston Pro, then closed the season on September 26, 2026 at the Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas, tying for 16th at his fourth consecutive Olympia.
He has made no retirement announcement, and nothing in his 2026 form suggests one is coming. Away from the stage he has also talked openly about the business side of the sport, appearing on the Men’s Physique Radio podcast alongside fellow pros to discuss how athletes build a living beyond prize money. 💼
📊 Drew Cullen Contest Record
| Year | Event | Division / Level | Placing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | NPC National Championships | Men’s Physique, Amateur (class) | 4th |
| 2018 | NPC Junior Nationals | Men’s Physique, Amateur (class) | 3rd |
| 2018 | NPC Universe Championships | Men’s Physique, Amateur (class) | 4th |
| 2018 | NPC USA Championships | Men’s Physique, Amateur (class) | 4th |
| 2019 | NPC Junior Nationals | Men’s Physique, Amateur (class) | 3rd |
| 2019 | NPC USA Championships | Men’s Physique, Amateur (class) | 2nd — pro card |
| 2020 | Tampa Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro (debut) | 12th |
| 2020 | Southeast Texas Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 9th |
| 2020 | Optimum Classic Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 12th |
| 2020 | New York Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 13th |
| 2020 | Chicago Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 16th |
| 2021 | Wasatch Warrior Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 8th |
| 2021 | New York Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 13th |
| 2022 | San Francisco Championships | Men’s Physique, Pro | 7th |
| 2022 | Hurricane Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 7th |
| 2023 | Palmetto Classic Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 2nd |
| 2023 | Mile High Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 3rd |
| 2023 | Body Be 1 Classic Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 3rd |
| 2023 | Vancouver Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 3rd |
| 2023 | Chicago Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 1st |
| 2023 | Mr. Olympia | Men’s Physique, Pro | 16th (tied) |
| 2023 | Atlantic Coast Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 2nd |
| 2024 | Optimum Classic Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 3rd |
| 2024 | Miami Muscle Beach Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 6th |
| 2024 | Toronto Pro Supershow | Men’s Physique, Pro | 1st |
| 2024 | Mr. Olympia | Men’s Physique, Pro | 16th (tied) |
| 2025 | Toronto Pro Supershow | Men’s Physique, Pro | 1st |
| 2025 | Mr. Olympia | Men’s Physique, Pro | 16th (tied) |
| 2025 | Hurricane Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 2nd |
| 2025 | East Coast Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 5th |
| 2026 | Memphis Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 5th |
| 2026 | Miami Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 3rd |
| 2026 | Toronto Pro Supershow | Men’s Physique, Pro | 2nd |
| 2026 | St Pete Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 3rd |
| 2026 | Chicago Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 5th |
| 2026 | Houston Pro | Men’s Physique, Pro | 4th |
| 2026 | Mr. Olympia | Men’s Physique, Pro | 16th (tied) |
Record compiled from Drew Cullen’s official contest history on NPC News Online, cross-checked against IFBB Pro League scorecards and results coverage from BarBend, Fitness Volt, Generation Iron and Muscle Insider.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is Drew Cullen an IFBB pro?
Yes. He is an IFBB Pro League Men’s Physique athlete. His official NPC contest history shows six national-level amateur shows from 2017 to 2019, followed by an unbroken professional record from 2020 onward.
When did Drew Cullen turn pro?
NPC records list him 2nd in his class at the 2019 NPC USA Championships — his final amateur appearance — and he made his professional debut the following summer, placing 12th at the 2020 Tampa Pro. Websites claiming he turned pro in 2017 are wrong: he competed as an amateur at the 2017 NPC Nationals, and at four more national shows after it.
How many pro wins does Drew Cullen have?
Three: the 2023 Chicago Pro, then back-to-back Toronto Pro Supershow titles in 2024 and 2025. The 2025 win made him the only 2024 champion to defend a title at that show, according to BarBend.
Has Drew Cullen competed at Mr. Olympia?
Yes, four times in a row — 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. He tied for 16th on each occasion, appearing on the official scorecard in Las Vegas (Orlando in 2023) against fields of more than fifty qualified athletes.
What is Drew Cullen’s age, height and weight?
Honestly, no primary source publishes them. The IFBB Pro League and NPC do not list his date of birth, height or stage weight, and the figures repeated on biography websites — a 1990 birth year, 5’8″, around 185–190 lbs — are never cited to any source. Rather than repeat guesses, we leave these fields blank until Cullen or an official source publishes them.
Is Drew Cullen still competing in 2026?
Yes — more than ever. He competed seven times in 2026, including 3rd at the Miami Pro, 2nd at the Toronto Pro Supershow and 4th at the Houston Pro, and finished the season at his fourth consecutive Mr. Olympia on September 26, 2026. There has been no retirement announcement.
🏁 Final Words
Drew Cullen’s career is a study in persistence. Six national amateur shows to earn a card, three winless pro seasons before his first title — and then, once he broke through, three wins and four straight Olympia appearances. 🇺🇸
The division’s spotlight usually lands on its champions, but its backbone is athletes like Cullen: 31 pro shows deep, still adding podiums in 2026, and still, as he put it years ago, convinced that he’s next up.