***EDITORS NOTE***
Since the initial reporting, additional reports have surfaced that Brandon Curry may have suffered from a bout of food poisoning and, as of November 2:20pm, he has not officially withdrawn from this year’s contest.
Less than forty-eight hours away from the start of Olympia weekend, the Men’s Open lineup sustained another dramatic loss, following the announcement that 2019 Mr. Olympia champion, Brandon Curry, is pulling out of this year’s competition after being hospitalized with an undisclosed illness.
Curry, who finished 4th in last year’s contest, was widely considered by many to be a top five contender again at this year’s show. Unfortunately for bodybuilding fans, news of Curry’s withdraw came less than two days after fellow top five contender, Nick Walker, shocked the bodybuilding community with his announcement that he was also pulling out of this year’s show after suffering a debilitating hamstring injury.
Curry now joins a growing list of high-profile contenders that includes former two-time Olympia champion Big Ramy, the aforementioned Nick Walker, Behroz Tabani, Iain Valliere, Brett Wilkin, Nathan Deasha, and William Bonac, who decided to sit out of the entire 2023 season, who’ve all made the decision to forgo this year’s contest for a myriad of reasons.
Their absence, presumably, could signal an unexpected passing of the guard for bodybuilding fans, as it opens up a substantial void in the top ten, with Curry, Nick, Ramy, and William all occupying spots inside the top ten in last year’s contest.
***EDITORS NOTE***
Since the initial reporting, additional reports have surfaced that Brandon Curry may have suffered from a bout of food poisoning and, as of November 2:20pm, he has not officially withdrawn from this year’s contest.
