The 10 Most Exciting Mr. Olympia Contests

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Published on Tuesday, 27 August 2013 21:39

Written by John Hansen

The 10 Most Exciting Mr. Olympia Contests

The 2013 IFBB Mr. Olympia contest is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in the 49 years of the most prestigious competition in Bodybuilding. The return of 4-time champ Jay Cutler, the debut of the massive Big Ramy, the threat of the incredible Kai Greene as well as the defending champ himself, Phil “The Gift” Heath, is going to make this year’s event one for the history books.

The Mr. Olympia started out small in the mid 1960’s but quickly grew to become the biggest bodybuilding contest in the world. By the late 1970’s, it was recognized as the premier contest in the sport. Whoever won the Mr. Olympia contest was regarded as the Best Bodybuilder in the World, hands down.

As the 2013 Mr. Olympia contest rapidly approaches, let’s take a look at the Top Ten Most Exciting Mr. Olympia contests that have taken place since it all began in 1965.

1965 Mr. Olympia– The very first Mr. Olympia contest was held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 1965. The Weider Brothers wanted to create a contest in which only world champions would be invited to compete, so they began the Mr. Olympia contest. The contest would be exclusively for previous Mr. Universe winners in order to ensure that only the best of the best would compete onstage.

Although legendary bodybuilders like Reg Park and Bill Pearl refused the invitation to compete, the rabid bodybuilding fans were not let down by the inaugural Mr. Olympia competition. Larry Scott, the California bodybuilding demi-god, frequently featured in the pages of Joe Weider’s magazines, Mr. America and Muscle Builder, was greeted with a reception that would have shamed the Beatles. 

As Larry hit one jaw-dropping arm pose after another, the frenzy and noise continued to escalate. Witnesses of the first Mr. Olympia contest still remember the thunderous applause as it echoed off the walls decades later. What a great beginning to the biggest contest in bodybuilding!

1970 Mr. Olympia – After Larry Scott won the Mr. Olympia twice, a massive Cuban bodybuilder who possessed proportions never seen on a human body before easily stepped up to take the crown. Sergio Oliva, nicknamed “The Myth” for a physique that didn’t seem real, won the Mr. Olympia three consecutive times. After his initial win, the top bodybuilders of the day decided that they would not embarrass themselves by competing against Oliva and Sergio won the 1968 Mr. Olympia unopposed. Could Sergio ever be beaten?

That question was answered in 1970 when the young Arnold Schwarzenegger stepped up to knock off the defending champ for the first time in Mr. Olympia history. Arnold was just as cocky and sure of himself as the proud Oliva and their confrontations turned out to be legendary in the bodybuilding world. Taller and bigger than Sergio, Arnold had increased his muscle mass over the last year to beat Sergio at his own game. Although no one could match Sergio’s amazing proportions, Arnold boldly challenged Olivamano a mano  and came out ahead. 

The New York fans were split in their admiration for these two bodybuilding giants and the noise level at the Brooklyn Academy of Music rivaled the appearance of Scott five years earlier. In the end, Arnold’s superior muscle definition and posing ability was enough to wrest the crown from Sergio’s massive arms and Schwarzenegger began his reign as the best bodybuilder in the world.

1974 Mr. Olympia – Now in his fifth year as the champion, Arnold Schwarzenegger faced stiff competition as the Mr. Olympia was held in the prestigious Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York. Arnold was in the best shape of his life, competing at over 240 pounds in ripped condition. This was to be Schwarzenegger’s final bodybuilding competition and he wanted to end it by competing at his all-time best!

 

For the first time ever, the Mr. Olympia would be judged in two categories. The Under 200 Pound Class featured Arnold’s best friend and training partner Franco Columbu competing directly against multiple Mr. Universe winner Frank Zane. In the Over 200 Pound Class, Schwarzenegger would be defending his title against the new young giant Louis Ferrigno from New York. Ferrigno had won the IFBB Mr. Universe title two years in a row and, at 6’5” and weighing over 260 pounds, he was the biggest man in bodybuilding at only 23 years old.

 

The sold out crowd went wild as all four competitors stood onstage at the end of the competition and posed down for the delight of the fans. George Butler and Charles Gaines, the photographer and author of the book Pumping Iron, were in attendance along with a writer and photographer from Sports Illustrated magazine to cover the event. Bodybuilding was finally reaching the big time, being held at Madison Square Garden and covered by the biggest sports magazine in the world.

 

Schwarzenegger easily defended his title, gliding smoothly from one pose to another, displaying his massive and ripped physique to overwhelm not only Ferrigno but also his friend Franco, the winner of the Under 200 Pound Class. As Arnold left the building and walked down the New York City streets, he was quickly surrounded by his entourage of supporters (“Arnie’s Army”) who chanted his name. The fans followed Arnold and Franco into the hotel they were staying at, quickly flooding the lobby and refusing to leave until the hotel staff finally called the police.

 

1977 Mr. Olympia – After the reign of Schwarzenegger was over, Franco Columbu won the Mr. Olympia by a slim one-point decision over a drastically improved Frank Zane in 1976. Unfortunately sidelined by a devastating knee injury, Columbu would not be defending his title one year later, leaving the contest wide open for a new champion. The bodybuilding world was growing in excitement all year long as the Mr. Olympia approached in 1977.

Lou Ferrigno, who had been defeated by Schwarzenegger twice, had spent a full year training in California to fulfill his destiny as the new Mr. Olympia. Louie was looking bigger and more ripped than ever before. However, Robby Robinson was also quickly emerging as the most dominant physique in the bodybuilding world. Already having won the Mr. Universe, the Mr. World, the Mr. International and the Mr. America titles over the last two years, Robby had the scary combination of both mass and symmetry that brought to mind the great Oliva.

 

Having now moved to Columbus, Ohio, the Mr. Olympia was being promoted with outstanding success by the team of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Lorimer. The crowd was on the edge of their seats as they waited for the competitors to take the stage at the 1977 Mr. Olympia. The crew from ABC-TV’s Wide World of Sports was on hand to record the action for the world at large. They were in for a treat!

 

Frank Zane surprised the critics by showcasing his best physique to date after his disappointing loss to Columbu one year earlier. He defeated a big but slightly smooth Robby Robinson to become the 5th Mr. Olympia winner in history as the Zane supporters screamed, cheered and literally jumped up and down with frenzied excitement. 

The Master Poser himself, Ed Corney, received a record three standing ovations for his dramatic and inspiring posing routine. In a year when the movie “Pumping Iron” was released, bodybuilding was now the hip new sport that had captured the general public’s interest and the fans of bodybuilding showed their support by demonstrating more love and excitement than had ever been displayed at a Mr. Olympia contest.

1980 Mr. Olympia– Still regarded as the most controversial Mr. Olympia contest of all time, the 1980 Mr. Olympia was also one of the most exciting events in the history of the sport, featuring a line-up of the world’s best bodybuilders ever. Of course, we all know the story, how Arnold Schwarzenegger, having retired in 1975 with an unprecedented six Mr. Olympia titles, made a comeback after five years off to win a surprising and very controversial seventh Mr. Olympia title. The fact that Arnold had kept his comeback a secret from everyone and had only trained a total of 8 weeks to whip his body back into shape only added to the drama.

At 220 pounds, Arnold was about 15 pounds lighter than his normal competition weight. His reduced size, particularly his leg development, was contrasted with the world’s top professional bodybuilders who had all trained hard for a full year, specifically for this contest. The line-up for the 1980 Mr. Olympia included Chris Dickerson, Boyer Coe, Mike Mentzer, Dennis Tinerino, Roy Callendar, Roger Walker, Danny Padilla, Samir Bannout and Tom Platz as well as the reigning three-time champ, Frank Zane. It was the greatest collection of bodybuilding talent in the history of the Mr. Olympia contest up to that date.

The 1980 Mr. Olympia took place in Sydney, Australia and was promoted by Arnold’s good friend Paul Graham. The fact that many of Arnold’s good friends and business associates were on the judging panel only added to the controversy over his win. Although definitely not at his best, Arnold still towered over the competition with his height, shoulder width and those amazing Arnold arms. He wisely only did poses in which he looked his best, at one point even ignoring the head judge’s instructions to hit poses which did not favor his physique. Mr. Universe Bill Pearl, who was in Australia to do commentary for CBS Sports, commented after the contest that Arnold was the fiercest competitor he had ever seen.

 

The posedown featuring Arnold, Dickerson, Zane, Mentzer, Coe and Roger Walker from Australia was one of the best in Mr. Olympia history. The bodybuilding fans were shocked and overjoyed to witness their hero, Schwarzenegger, onstage one last time before ending his career as a competitor. It was also the last contest for fan favorite Mike Mentzer, who would never compete again after his controversial fifth place decision. 

This contest has continued to inspire heated debates, more than thirty years later, over who should have placed where and whether Arnold, admittedly not at his best, deserved to win.

1984 Mr. Olympia– For several years after Arnold’s retirement, the Mr. Olympia title was passed around to bodybuilders who, although in winning condition, did not have the structure or mass to dominate the contest like Oliva and Schwarzenegger had. That all changed in 1984 when Lee Haney took the stage.

Showing great promise after winning the NPC Nationals and the Mr. Universe contest in 1982, Haney combined a winning structure with magnificent muscle mass. By the time the 24-year-old entered the 1984 Mr. Olympia competition, he weighed 243 pounds with a tiny waist and yard-wide shoulders. Those who were lucky enough to witness this historic event admit to being astounded at the physique of Haney, a man who essentially won the contest the minute he stepped onstage.

 

The emergence of a new superstar on the bodybuilding scene was only the cherry on top of this Mr. Olympia treat which was full of excitement and suspense. Returning to the contest’s birthplace of New York City for the first time in 10 years, the 1984 Olympia also featured the dramatic return of “The Myth” Sergio Oliva. The legendary Oliva had refused to compete in the Mr. Olympia since losing the 1972 contest to a subpar Arnold Schwarzenegger in Essen, Germany. Fans of The Myth looked forward to their hero returning to the stage to take back the title. Visualizing the historic Victory Pose in their romantic fantasies, Sergio’s hardcore fans felt that if he could compete in his 1972 condition, he would easily blow away the competition.

The 1984 Mr. Olympia was the perfect melding of the older generation of bodybuilders meeting the younger, new generation of athletes. In addition to Oliva, Chris Dickerson was returning to the Olympia after winning the title in 1982. Boyer Coe was also back after a several year hiatus. The popular Tom Platz was also returning to the Olympia stage after tearing his biceps in 1982. They were joined by other veteran bodybuilders such as Bill Grant, Bob Birdsong, Roy Callendar and Albert Beckles. Of the old school contingent, only Beckles would be able to achieve the hardness and conditioning that was required to succeed in the current Mr. Olympia line-up.

 

The line-up of the 1984 Mr. Olympia included three former Mr. Olympia winners (Oliva, Dickerson and the returning champ Samir Bannout) as well as the rising stars of the sport represented by Haney, Bob Paris, Mohamed Makkawy and JusupWilcoz. Although Haney was so dominating that the final outcome was never in doubt, it was the  exciting return of Sergio Oliva (who can forget his memorable speech to his fans after placing a disappointing eighth place?) that made this contest one for the history books. Lee Haney began his historic reign as the King of Bodybuilding and he was able to compete against and defeat his hero all in the same night.

 

1988 Mr. Olympia– Although Southern California is widely known as the Mecca of Bodybuilding, the biggest contest in the sport was not held there until 1988. Lee Haney had by now firmly established his hold on the Mr. Olympia and was planning to annex his fifth title. In the years since Haney’s first win, however, a new group of young and hungry bodybuilders had moved to the top and were ready to challenge Lee for the biggest contest in bodybuilding. This group included Rich Gaspari, Lee Labrada, Mike Christian, Berry DeMey, Gary Strydom, Mike Quinn, Phil Hill and Shawn Ray.

The smarter bodybuilders of this group had learned that trying to out-mass Haney was a mistake that only led to dismal placings. The combination of superior muscle mass and a perfect structure possessed by the current champ was almost impossible to beat. Adding more size was not a surefire way to success when trying to bypass Haney.

At the 1988 Mr. Olympia, an official weigh-in was conducted the night before the big event. The surprisingly reduced body weights of some of the most popular competitors revealed their strategy of playing their own game instead of trying to outmuscle Haney. Labrada weighed in at 176 pounds and Gaspari, who at the previous Mr. Olympia was in excess of 220 pounds, had reduced his weight (and waistline) and entered the show at 208 pounds. Even big Gary Strydom, one of the few bodybuilders who was taller and potentially bigger than Haney, weighed in at a streamlined 220 pounds. When Haney stepped on the scale and registered a jaw dropping massive weight of 247 pounds, everyone in attendance knew who would win the contest.

 

But the dominance of the current champ did not diminish the quality of the 1988 Mr. Olympia line-up. Berry DeMey, taking a page from former champ Samir Bannout (who was also returning to the Mr. Olympia stage after a four year absence), dropped some excess pounds and appeared in dry and ripped condition. His Christmas tree lower back shocked the jaded L.A. audience and catapulted the Flying Dutchman into third place. Gaspari returned to the ripped and vascular look that had gained him such prominence in the pro bodybuilding community. Strydom was also ripped, his face noticeably lean and gaunt, with the best abs in the show and his massive quads were laced with cross striations.

 

Another factor that made the 1988 Mr. Olympia one of the best ever was the quality of the presentations. In an era when well-choreographed posing routines to music was highly regarded by both the judges and the fans, this Mr. Olympia was full of entertaining, inspiring and rousing performances and the beautiful people from L.A. loved it!

 

Berry DeMey received raucous applause posing to U2’s “In the Name of Love”, Labrada constructed a winning routine to the theme music from Arnold’s movie “Running Man”, Mike Quinn had a series of high energy pop songs that matched his new winning physique and powerful upper body. Phil Hill, who was unfairly left out of the top ten because he was a few pounds too heavy, brought the audience to their feet with his posing routine to the theme music from “Phantom of the Opera”. But the highlight of the night was the champ himself posing to music from the movie “Rocky 4”. It was a performance so inspiring that I will forever correlate that song to Lee Haney’s winning posing routine at the 1988 Mr. Olympia, a song that cemented Haney’s lock on the Mr. Olympia title as he knocked out the competition.

1991 Mr. Olympia– After an unprecedented seven consecutive Mr. Olympia titles, beating Arnold Schwarzenegger’s record, Lee Haney wanted to gain his place in the history books by winning eight Mr. Olympia titles. The year was 1991 and the biggest contest in bodybuilding was held in Orlando, Florida for the first time ever. Haney took on his greatest challenge ever in the form of Dorian Yates and the rest of the line-up was all in top shape to the delight of the crowd.

 

Dorian Yates, fresh off his Night of Champions win that same year, was the only bodybuilder since Haney took the title who could match him in both muscle mass and structure. Standing one inch shorter than the champ, Dorian had lats just as wide and thick as Lee and his legs were bigger and with a superior sweep to the quads. He could not match Haney in the chest or the tiny waist however. The experience and stage presence of the 7 time Mr. Olympia was also far ahead of the rookie pro who was competing in only his third professional event. However, Dorian beat Haney in the muscularity round but was edged out in the symmetry and posing categories.

 

1991 was also the year in which Vince Taylor introduced a new version of posing. Accustomed to posing to slow songs, as mentored by his coach John Brown, Vince stepped out of the box at this year’s Olympia and developed a new character for the stage. “The Transformer”, an obvious take off of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character in “The Terminator”, was introduced to a stunned audience who quickly got into the act. Using a voiceover for his music, his character first loads his massive guns (Vince’s 21 inch arms) before targeting specific bodybuilders for extermination. Both Lee Labrada and Shawn Ray (who Taylor had never defeated in competition before) were his victims and his prophesy came true as he placed 3rd in the contest ahead of both Labrada (4th place) and Ray (5th place).

 

Not be outdone, Haney himself delivered one of the most intense and inspiring posing routines of his winning career. Posing to two songs, Haney dropped down to a deep lunge with his arms held out to the sides as he paused for dramatic effect before the next song began. The music he chose was from the movie “Excalibur” and it was the same music he used to win his initial Mr. Olympia title in 1984. By using the same routine and the same music, Lee Haney was completing the circle and fulfilling his destiny. It was one of the best performances ever in the history of the Mr. Olympia contest!

The highlight of the 1991 Mr. Olympia came during the posedown and the awards presentation. As the crowd sat on the edge of their seats to see if this new, massive challenger from England could defeat the unbeatable champ, the tension was finally severed when Wayne DeMilia announced Lee Haney as the eight time champion. The joy was evident all over Haney’s face as his fellow competitors seemed genuinely happy for this triumphant achievement and they each congratulated the champ with smiles and hugs as confetti rained down on the stage.

 

1995 Mr. Olympia– The 30th edition of the Mr. Olympia was one of the most exciting events in the history of the contest, not only for the action onstage but also for a special event that took place behind the scenes. The three time champ, Dorian Yates, had won a somewhat controversial victory the year before by competing with a torn biceps and a bloated waistline. However, Yates still managed to pull off a victory over a perfectly peaked Shawn Ray and a thick and ripped Kevin Levrone.

 

One year later, Dorian was hungry and anxious to prove to the bodybuilding world that he was better than ever and deserved the title of Mr. Olympia. Although he faced stiff competition from the new mass monster, Nasser El Sonbaty, and a ripped Kevin Levrone, Yates displayed his trademark granite hardness and excellent conditioning as well as the best back in bodybuilding to easily take his fourth title. Shawn Ray, Vince Taylor and Chris Cormier made up the remaining excellent top six.

What really made this event so special was the appearance of all the Mr. Olympia winners together onstage for the first time ever. Promoter Wayne DeMilia arranged for this historic occasion without revealing his big surprise to anyone. Even the Master Blaster himself, Joe Weider, was taken by surprise with this historic gathering. The crowd was thrilled beyond belief to see all nine Mr. Olympia champions standing together onstage as the curtain was raised. Larry Scott, Sergio Oliva, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbu, Frank Zane, Chris Dickerson, Samir Bannout, Lee Haney and the current champion, Dorian Yates all waved to the shocked and surprised fans.

 

Joe Weider greeted his champions one by one as each Mr. Olympia winner told stories about their careers and their history with Joe Weider. Arnold was at the height of his movie stardom so the sold out audience was shocked to see him along with the other champions laughing and telling stories. This was the only time that every Mr. Olympia winner was brought together so it really was a special occasion.

1998 Mr. Olympia– 1988 was another “passing of the torch” year for the biggest contest in bodybuilding. For the past 14 years, only two men (Lee Haney and Dorian Yates) had held the title of Mr. Olympia. After sustaining a torn tricep tendon in 1997 only weeks before that year’s Mr. Olympia, Dorian Yates decided to step down from competing in 1998. Harder on himself than anyone else, Yates could not give his heart and soul to another Mr. Olympia event knowing that he would not be able to give his training 100%. The bodybuilding world soon began speculating who would be the one to take over the crown as the new King of Bodybuilding.

Over the six-year reign of Yates, only four men had placed in the runner up position to Dorian. This exclusive list included Flex Wheeler, Shawn Ray, Kevin Levrone and Nasser El Sonbaty. 

Although it was Nasser who was second at the 1997 Mr. Olympia, it was Flex Wheeler who was quickly becoming the fan favorite to win the next Mr. Olympia. In early 1998, Flex had stunned the bodybuilding fans at that year’s Arnold Classic with his outrageous combination of size and beautiful shape. Many felt that this version of Flex was the best that anyone had ever seen. If he could repeat this condition at the Mr. Olympia six months later, no one would stand a chance of beating him.

 

So outstanding was the condition of Flex Wheeler at the Arnold that not too many people took note of a potential dark horse who was quickly gaining momentum leading up to the Mr. Olympia. Although Ronnie Coleman had won a couple of pro shows in his career in 1995 and 1996, he had yet to make the top six in the Olympia. In fact, in 1997 he had placed a disappointing ninth. By 1998, however, Ronnie started displaying a dramatically new physique. Remarkably bigger with improved conditioning, Coleman had taken a close second to Kevin Levrone at the San Francisco Pro before turning the tables on the veteran champion only one week later at the prestigious Night of Champions contest in New York. Could Ronnie upset some of the favorites at the Mr. Olympia only a few months later?

 

Returning again to its origin, the 1998 Mr. Olympia was held in New York City. This was the same location where bodybuilding legends like Larry Scott, Sergio Oliva, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lee Haney had first ascended to the throne of the Mr. Olympia. A new champion would be crowned this year and another legendary winner would begin his place in history with this event.

At the prejudging, Flex Wheeler easily won the first round of judging, the symmetry round, with his aesthetic and ripped physique. Nasser appeared massive and hard although he was a little soft from the rear compared to his 1997 shape. Kevin Levrone was big and thick with his newly shaved head but he had sacrificed conditioning for thickness. Shawn Ray was again in great shape but he was lacking that extra crisp look that had earned him the runner up position in both ’94 and ’96. As for Big Ronnie Coleman, he stepped onstage huge and hard but he had failed to apply enough oil and appeared dry and somewhat less impressive. It was an inauspicious beginning for a new legend.

 

By the second round of judging, the mandatory poses, Ronnie had changed posing trunks and had applied a fresh coat of oil. As head judge Jim Manion called the first comparison, he instructed Ronnie Coleman to stand in the middle of Flex Wheeler and Nasser El Sonbaty. Ronnie was much bigger than Flex but nearly matched him with his tiny waist. Nasser, sensing a new challenger to the throne, glared at Ronnie and actually barked at him before Manion called the first pose. Not be intimidated, Ronnie stared back at Nasser and barked back. It was on!

 

Every contest has one crucial moment that decides the eventual outcome. Peter McGough reported in Flex Magazine that this turn of events occurred during the first callout of the mandatory comparisons. When the judges asked for a rear double biceps pose, Flex Wheeler, feeling that he had the contest clearly in the bag, casually relaxed and glanced over at Ronnie as he struck the pose. Only seconds later, Flex hit the same pose for the judges comparison. What may not have been immediately evident to the cocky Wheeler is that Ronnie Coleman was extremely thick and shredded on this night. His rear double biceps pose showcased a wide, massive back that was detailed even more than the legendary Flex. Ronnie’s arms were the biggest in the contest and the ultimate coup de grâcewas revealed in his extremely striated glutes and cable thick hamstrings. For all his gifts, Wheeler was notoriously soft in the glutes and hams. As he mistakenly glanced over at his opponent’s “assets”, Flex Wheeler had been knocked out by the challenger!

 

By the time the evening show arrived, Ronnie Coleman was still trailing Flex Wheeler because of the big deficit in the first round. As Ronnie slowly walked down the ramp leading to the stage, the audience was shocked to see the immense size and thickness of this unexpected dark horse. An impromptu poll conducted by ESPN TV in the lobby of the theater before the contest began revealed an overwhelming majority of the fans thought Flex Wheeler would win. As Ronnie Coleman smoothly glided from pose to pose in his routine, everyone began to suspect an upset.

 

As Flex, Nasser, Levrone, Ray and Cormier all posed to the audience’s delight, no one seemed more massive or ripped than Coleman. How could a bodybuilder who was not on anyone’s radar leading up to the show prove to be such a dominating force?

When the posedown finally began for the top six competitors, Ronnie took the lead by following Flex around the stage, matching him pose for pose and clearly dominating him with muscle mass and sharp conditioning.

As Wayne DeMilia began announcing the placings, Ronnie was just hoping to make that coveted top five. This was the first time he had ever participated in a Mr. Olympia posedown so that in itself was a victory. If he could just make that rare top five spot, Ronnie would have come farther than he had ever expected in only one year. “In fifth place”, DeMilia announced, “Shawn Ray”. Fourth place went to a disappointed Kevin Levrone. With only Nasser, Flex and Coleman remaining, Ronnie prepared himself for the third place trophy. Nasser was last year’s runner up and Flex was the current Arnold Classic champion. The Arnold this year had come down to these two top bodybuilders so it only made sense that they would be one and two at the Olympia. “In third place”, DeMilia slowly announced, “Nasser El Sonbaty!” Ronnie looked confused as a shocked Nasser stepped forward to receive his check and award. Coleman closed his eyes and tilted his head up as Flex gazed out into the audience, a slight look of doubt appearing in his eyes. DeMilia took his time announcing the winner and milked the crowd for all the tension and anticipation he could muster. “The winner of the 1998 Mr. Olympia goes to............RONNIE COLEMAN!”

Upon hearing his name announced as the winner, Coleman’s massive legs collapsed underneath him and he hit the stage face first. The broadcaster from ESPN TV mimicked the famous line from Howard Cosell, screaming “Down goes Coleman! Down goes Coleman!” Flex Wheeler managed a slight smile as he bent down to congratulate the shocked Ronnie Coleman was sobbing uncontrollably into his massive arms. It was only after Ronnie’s loving mother took the stage and helped her son up that the new Mr. Olympia champion was able to gain his composure and accept the Sandow trophy, thus ending one of the most exciting Mr. Olympia competitions of all time.

Special Mention: 2009 Mr. Olympia – I can’t let this list of the Most Exciting Mr. Olympia Contests end without mentioning the 2009 Mr. Olympia. After Ronnie Coleman dominated the sport of bodybuilding by being the first man to tie the incredible record of Lee Haney with eight consecutive Mr. Olympia wins (1998-2005), he was finally defeated by his closest rival, Jay Cutler. The historic battles between Coleman and Cutler began in 2001 when Jay took a very close second to Ronnie and was actually winning coming out of the prejudging before narrowly losing the title. After returning to the Olympia two years later, Jay battled Ronnie but was never able to defeat him and took second place to the champ three years in a row.

In 2006, history was made when Jay Cutler became one of the few Mr. Olympia winners to actually dethrone the existing champ. The last time this happened was in 1984 when Lee Haney beat Samir Bannout. By 2006, Ronnie had increased his muscle mass to inhuman proportions. However, injuries had begun to take their toll and nerve damage was clearly evident on the back and triceps of the champ. Cutler had continued to make improvements to his wide and massive physique and was able to do the impossible by beating the feared King of Bodybuilding.

Life at the top was not all fun and games for the new Mr. Olympia, however. In 2007, Jay had badly mistimed his peak for the Friday night prejudging and stepped onstage clearly holding water. A razor sharp Victor Martinez appeared to be leading going into the finals the next day. However, Cutler had corrected some of his mistakes and was able to barely win his second title.

After a year of internet complaining that Cutler was given a gift, the judges were more critical of the returning champ as the 2008 Mr. Olympia competitors took the stage. Again missing his peak, Jay was trailing a ripped and ready Dexter Jackson after the prejudging. This time, Cutler could not gain the lost ground and he was announced in second place to Dexter, his short reign as the Mr. Olympia seemingly over forever.

When Cutler announced that he was planning to return to the Mr. Olympia to reclaim the Sandow trophy the following year, the critics came out in full force. Never in the history of the Mr. Olympia contest had a former Mr. Olympia lost the title and then came back to reclaim it. Many had tried over the years (Sergio Oliva, Samir Bannout and Ronnie Coleman among them) but no one had ever succeeded. Could Jay Cutler make Mr. Olympia history?

At the press conference for the 2009 Mr. Olympia, Cutler looked down at the table in front of him, seemingly unable to muster enough energy to hold his head up. His face was sunken in, a sure sign that his bodyfat levels were exceedingly low. It was obvious that Jay Cutler was serious this year and had nothing left to chance with last minute peaking mistakes.

 

When Cutler took the stage for the Friday night prejudging, the fans roared their approval at his dramatically improved physique! Sporting a spiky haircut, Cutler revealed a massive, fat free physique that was bursting with striations and energy. Pumping his fist into the air, the “People’s Champion” quickly won over the crowd who exploded into screams of approval for the underdog who was trying to do the impossible. Taking center stage, Jay shoved his left leg forward, flexing his enormous quadriceps that exploded into striations and crevasses. It was all but over! Jay Cutler had made history!