Aging physique)
His body is showing signs of age/expansion in the BBing era now... it's just science, not a knock on Phil. Midsection growing, arms shrinking a bit. It happens. 2011 may have been the best Phil we'll see.
They caught him)
Kai's right there. others are close. If Phil drops off 2%, he can easily lose on any night now. Phil isn't unbeatable. You can ask Iris Kyle if they'll give a retiring multi-champion a parting gift title. They will. Phil knows he will win in 2015 if he's off yet retiring on top. Does anyone here think, after seeing the 2014 show, that Phil is unbeatable in 2 years?
So anyway, that's my guess. I have no 'inside information'. Just as a fan, looking at Phil's situation, legacy, position and trying to predict his mindset... and of course, Ron's sly comment above, seeing as Phil would give insiders like Ron the wink and the nod...
I think Phil Heath goes out on top and retires after winning the 2015 Mr. Olympia contest.
We definitely saw these 2 factors at work last night. Phil's midsection has grown and there's no coming back. Rhoden or Wolf could take the title and nobody would complain.
I still stand by the belief they give it to him like they did Iris Kyle last year - out of respect for legacy, etc. But this is it, IMHO.
Prepare for the glorious retirement speech, self-indulgent to a point we've never seen before.