Why did Lee Haney retire at a young age??..

[Sherief Shalaby]

Why do u think Lee Haney chose to retire in 1991 when he was still 31??..

- Was he bored of bodybuilding after breaking Arnold's record??..

- Or he didn't want to take the risk of competing against Dorian in 1992??.. Put in mind that he achieved his best ever shape at Mr. Olympia 91 but hardly beat the new comer Dorian (by only 4 points).. Sure he was expecting Dorian to improve in 92..

[Benny B]

Intelligence. 

[Meso_z]

Why do u think Lee Haney chose to retire in 1991 when he was still 31??..

- Was he bored of bodybuilding after breaking Arnold's record??..

- Or he didn't want to take the risk of competing against Dorian in 1992??.. Put in mind that he achieved his best ever shape at Mr. Olympia 91 but hardly beat the new comer Dorian (by only 4 points).. Sure he was expecting Dorian to improve in 92..

Look at that chest in the 1st pic! omg  

[oldman]

Haney was a bodybuilder his whole life, he was a teenage america.  He did his thing and left healthy.  He is a spiritual man and had a family.  Our sport is selfish and only a few rise to the top and can make a real living at it.  Kidneys only last so long...

[musclecenter]

 Haney is the greatest bodybuilder ever !
(no distended gut,no tits.. and the most V-shape Mr.Olympia....)

[BayGBM]

Intelligence. 

Exactly.  It was time for him to retire.  He did everything he wanted to do in bodybuilding: achieved security for himself and his family, beat Arnold's Mr.  O record, and left with his health and reputation intact.  Unlike many others, Haney had a full life.  Sure, he loved bodybuilding, but he had the perspective to know that there is more to life than pumping iron.  

Besides, after this cheesy photo, his reputation was sullied.  

[Purge_WTF]

  He had done all that anyone could in pro-bodybuilding, and he probably knew that it was just a matter of (short) time before Dorian took over.

[RZA]

Dorian Yates. Haney felt the wind shifting. Or actually blowing harder in a direction which he helped establish somehow. Haney added mass to the game but still had classic features, something Yates didn't care for. Yates just went for strictly "objective" elements (Mass, conditioning,...). Haney had nothing to win, nothing to prove. Wise man.

[MCWAY]

Here we go again, with someone claiming that Haney retired, because of Yates.

What makes you think that Haney couldn’t have made more improvements as well? If I'm not mistaken, the two are fairly close in age.

And for the margin of victory, if my memory is correct, Yates only beat Haney in the muscularity round. The other rounds all went to Haney.

Also, keep in mind that Vince Taylor was heavily favored to win the Olympia in 1992.

[RZA]

Here we go again, with someone claiming that Haney retired, because of Yates.

What makes you think that Haney couldn’t have made more improvements as well? If I'm not mistaken, the two are fairly close in age.

And for the margin of victory, if my memory is correct, Yates only beat Haney in the muscularity round. The other rounds all went to Haney.

Also, keep in mind that Vince Taylor was heavily favored to win the Olympia in 1992.

And Yates showed up and crushed the competition. Haney himself said that he had never seen anything like Yates before. Haney could have improved "maybe". He did show up in great shape in '91 but that hadn"t been the case for a while ('88 and '89 had been controversial). I don't think Haney could have beaten '92 Yates even though I find Haney's physique more aesthetic by far.

[dyslexic]

Haney has always been gracious in the sport. I remember seeing him train his competitors. I can't imagine him even thinking about talking the way Kamali does...or acting like that type of person.

[Jeffro]

Look at that chest in the 1st pic! omg  

His chest is making Dorian's look like two flat pancakes in that shot.

[Sherief Shalaby]

Here we go again, with someone claiming that Haney retired, because of Yates.

What makes you think that Haney couldn’t have made more improvements as well? If I'm not mistaken, the two are fairly close in age.

And for the margin of victory, if my memory is correct, Yates only beat Haney in the muscularity round. The other rounds all went to Haney.

Also, keep in mind that Vince Taylor was heavily favored to win the Olympia in 1992.

I didn't say that.. I just asked every one 2 say his opinion.. Ys they were close in age but Yates was much hungrier with no sandows while Lee already had 8 at home.. I belive if Lee was still hungry 2 take more sandows he would compete in 1992.. I myself don't think Lee could gain more size coz from 84 till 91 he didn't do this so it was hard to expect him suddenly to do it after all these years.. Still if he competed in 92 and repeated the shape of 91 he could beat Yates again coz Yates in 92 was only 3 pounds heavier than in 91..

[pumpster]

Haney is the greatest bodybuilder ever !
(no distended gut,no tits.. and the most V-shape Mr.Olympia....)

Serious imbalances. 2/3s of physique the arms and legs, never matched the great torso. Yates-type imbalance, they both had that.

It was common sense to leave, nothing else to prove.

Besides which uncle Joe probably whispered to him as he does to all "winners" telling him that "it was time now" that the white hope was available to jack mag sales. Just as Serge Nubret her on getbig confirms the favoritism that's quite evident. Something like Arnold "winning" over Oliva in 70 and 72. Also i suspect he preferred Yates' looks and blowjobs.

[Petrucci]

<classic getbig response> because he had no arms, subpar legs and would loose badly to yates on all the years to come....
</classic getbig response>

seriously, for me he only won so many trophies because he didnt had the same competition as Yates, or Coleman for instance...just IMHO

[pumpster]

<classic getbig response> because he had no arms, subpar legs and would loose badly to yates on all the years to come....
</classic getbig response>

seriously, for me he only won so many trophies because he didnt had the same competition as Yates, or Coleman for instance...just IMHO

Absolutely, he's the Michael Jordan of BB, never having beaten greatness.

[Trev]

Haney was pure class and could have gone on for another 10 years. Yeh, he'd have looked pretty much the same but would have been top 3 in the world until he was 40 easily. He got out when it suited him re his family and business.

[local hero]

only reason yates didnt come in more than 3lbs heavier is because his competition were much smaller, he stated that he did over diet for that very reason...

[Sherief Shalaby]

only reason yates didnt come in more than 3lbs heavier is because his competition were much smaller, he stated that he did over diet for that very reason...

I don't buy this and I don't belive him if he really said this silly reason.. Yates was always known 4 pushing himself to his limits.. He was always saying that his biggest competitor was Dorian Yates which meant his goal was to keep improving no matter how the others looked.. I red that the dramatic change in his size between 92 and 93 was mainly coz he was able to reach the most effective diet for his body..

[Harley Buckshot]

probably this little thing called health.... which not too many people are concerned about nowadayus

[MuscleMcMannus]

Haney was a bodybuilder his whole life, he was a teenage america.  He did his thing and left healthy.  He is a spiritual man and had a family.  Our sport is selfish and only a few rise to the top and can make a real living at it.  Kidneys only last so long...

Spiritual? He's a harcore Christian bible beater.  A hypocrite.  Unless the sleazy side of bodybuilding is why he got out of it.  Kind of like Ronnie.  Yeah real spiritual all the while shooting his ass up with boat loads of drugs and taking part in one of the most sleazy, narcissistic endeavors.  I'm sure Jesus loves bodybuilding.  LOL. 

[local hero]

I don't buy this and I don't belive him if he really said this silly reason.. Yates was always known 4 pushing himself to his limits.. He was always saying that his biggest competitor was Dorian Yates which meant his goal was to keep improving no matter how the others looked.. I red that the dramatic change in his size between 92 and 93 was mainly coz he was able to reach the most effective diet for his body..

not very hard to beleive, in seminars he's always said he tended to be over dieted just to make sure he was the hardest, always contest ready 4 weeks out...

[Cleanest Natural]

only guys who live vicariously through their paper idols want them to keep going ...

he achieved EVERYTHING...

smart move ..

[dj181]

His chest is making Dorian's look like two flat pancakes in that shot.

All torso baby!

[Sherief Shalaby]

only guys who live vicariously through their paper idols want them to keep going ...

he achieved EVERYTHING...

smart move ..

I agree.. Sure Ronnie hopes now he retired after his 8th sandow..