Story by Hollis Lance Liebman
"And Mr. Olympia for the year 1983 is Samir Bannout.” The first athlete to showcase a shredded Christmas-tree formation that is the erector spinae, Samir’s convincing win that year would be the last of the smaller man to the ascension of the Olympia throne.
The era of the big man would commence with Lee Haney (1984-1991), whose formidable torso would dominate the lineup for 8 straight years and was then elevated by Dorian Yates (1992-1997), whose back and overall conditioning upped the ante yet again until an alien named Ronnie Coleman (1998-2005), in all likelihood the greatest bodybuilder of all time, would redefine the sport bringing a near 300 pound contest ready physique to the stage. Was there ever to be a ceiling?
King Ronnie might still be collecting Sandows had injury not plagued him from the winner’s circle by an exceedingly hungry challenger named Jay Cutler (2006-2007), who would make history after four second place attempts and become the only man ever to graduate to Olympia glory. Some feel Jay, as great a champion as he is, would not possess the heavy dominance of a Haney, Yates or Coleman, when in fact his greatest years may have been spent in chasing after Coleman.
Our sport, although not as concrete in conclusion as dunking a basketball or hitting a homerun; it is an educated opinion that separates first from last. And although many a qualified judge was in house September 27, 2008, some were unsure the right educated opinion would be utilized. So astonished were those in attendance at the Orleans Arena that night, one emcee extraordinaire, Bob Cicherillo would prompt and press a depleted, dehydrated, determined and destined new Mr. Olympia, Dexter “The Blade” Jackson for his take.
Our mouths agape, the 5000 plus capacity crowd was on its feet desperately awaiting Dexter’s words. It was a sight to behold and a true leap forward for our sport. Dexter dedicated this victory to those who had come within a hair of Olympia gold in previous attempts: the Shawn Rays, Flex Wheelers, Kevin Levrones, Lee Labradas, Rich Gasparis and the Chris Cormiers.
Some may argue the stars truly lined up for this one as last year’s favorite Victor Martinez was sidelined due to injury and Jay Cutler was all but forced to come in sliced this year with a disappointing showing last season and controversial win. Dexter hit upon his all time best condition earlier in the season with a convincing third victory at the Arnold Classic and would now be expected to improve upon that showing. He’d announced in previous weeks this Olympia would indeed be his last and when he strode onstage for the first of his mandatory poses, it was obvious Dex had indeed taken his prep to new levels of sacrifice, especially for one whom in years past, did little to no cardio while preparing for such.
In regards to our sport, while it’s worth mentioning that we the dedicated fan are forced to trudge from the convention center with bags of t-shirts and supplements in hand back to the hotel room for a quick drop-off and then across town to the event’s hosting sight, what other sport can you interact with the elite the day of the big show? When’s the last time you asked your favorite Met player how he feels about going into that year’s World Series? While many would enjoy a return to one locale for all of the Olympia weekend’s exciting events (Mandalay Bay anyone?), they could hold it in an icebox and we’d come out and support our athletes. That being said, here’s a rundown of the athletes and how this humble scribe saw them at the 2008 Mr. Olympia contest.
1. Dexter Jackson – From the moment “The Blade” took center stage to begin his mandatory poses, those in attendance were witnessing something special. Having never truly been off in any show and having beaten everyone at one time or another, including current champion Jay Cutler, Dexter was on, besting his previous best Arnold form and victory earlier this year. Possessing the best side chest pose in the business, his is a study in completeness. Like former champions Lee Labrada and Shawn Ray, nothing stands out, but the package as whole, conditioning and presentation plus the WOW factor makes Dexter deadly onstage. The experienced eye hands down will tell you this was Dexter’s show and thusly a new era many thought extinct has begun. Although not without flaw, Dexter needs to bring his calves up and continue to elongate what are genetically high lat attachments. In addition, perhaps a more aggressive free pose routine might be in the cards but no matter, he is rightfully so our new Mr. Olympia!
2. Jay Cutler – A year can do wonders for a competitor when not at their best. Just ask Dorian Yates of 1995 or Ronnie Coleman in 2003. Jay came into this show with something to prove. Having been sick for the last two Olympias and admittingly not at his best for both Olympia victories, we all awaited the true return of Jay Cutler. Unfortunately, this was not to be. Sporting a thick layer of water at prejudging, a less than shredded lower back, one thigh larger than the other, and an overall less than ripped physique, Jay needed a miracle to pull this one off. By the finals, he had greatly improved, dropping some 12 pounds of fluid; but by then it was too late. No-one has tried harder and succeeded more so than Jay, for his many years battling Ronnie may have been his best. He took the loss as the champion he is and motioned to the audience that Dexter had indeed arrived. At this point, Jay has nothing left to prove and his legacy is intact, however a return to Olympia gold may seem unlikely at this time – but he has proven us wrong before.
3. Phil Heath – “The Gift” finally made his Olympia debut with a bronze finish not seen since Rich Gaspari did so at the 1985 Olympia. At just 28, Phil has all the time on his side and has thus far wisely maneuvered the pro circuit. Here he at least duplicated his all-time best which was at this year’s Ironman, where he unanimously won. Phil combines near flawless genetics with bone-dry conditioning and is already a contender for the title. If he continues to add muscle to his upper body while bringing the same quality and specifically attempting to widen his relatively narrow clavicles and continues to fill out his chest, he will be a very real threat at this level for top honors.
4. Dennis Wolf – One of the most anticipated sights was that of the 2008 rendition of one Dennis Wolf. While many of the competitors could be spotted around the expo, the Wolf was seemingly in hiding. Earlier press conference photos showcased a sunken-Skeletor-like face which all but usually insures the athlete is in shape, but once onstage Wolf failed to not only improve but was unable to duplicate his 5th place 2007 form. My immediate guess was perhaps he fell victim to a last minute virus. By the show’s finals Wolf appeared to have filled out and was even harder, but by then it was too late. He needs to thicken the area around his lower lats and fill out those calves in order to be a top contender.
5. Toney Freeman – The uber confidant 2007 Ironman winner, Tony was impeccably conditioned for this show. It would seem as though all his other outings this year were treated as guest posings as compared to this version. He was truly outstanding here and reminiscent of Flex Wheeler in both the aesthetics of his body and the way in which he displayed it. So difficult is it to fill out an athlete of Tony’s height 6’2”, yet both the size and quality of his legs were amazing. If he can continue to add mass to his upper body, a Sandow trophy could very well be his. Now at 42, Tony seems to age like fine wine.
6. Melvin Anthony – Almost always the best routine in any shows he enters, “The Marvelous One” is a master at presenting his physique in its best light. He is about as complete as can be and was fairly sharp for this one, perhaps a tad less than his win a few weeks prior at the Atlantic City Pro. His weakness continues to be a lack of extreme definition through his hamstring/glute area. If, and when he nails it, it’s lights out.
7. Silvio Samuel – Many in attendance considered this “El Matador’s” finest outing. Showcasing ungodly outer sweep to his thighs and spot-on conditioning in which his skin appears to have been wrapped in cellophane, Silvio is one of the few pros who can stand next to a heavier athlete and more than hold his own. He must continue to slowly add muscle upstairs in order to hit that top 5.
8. Dennis James – Welcome back one Dennis “The Menace” James. In the gym he IS Mr. Olympia but something gets lost once he takes the stage. This version, although slightly scaled down in size, was very sharp. He maintains a slight distension in the stomach which has in the past affected his placings. He needs to curtail pleasing others and bring the real menace to the stage.
9. Mo Elmoussawi – Having qualified for this year’s Olympia, his first by a 3rd place at the Ironman season opener, Mo brings the classical lines of yesteryear with the ultra shredded conditioning needed to place high today. He was complete throughout and brought fully striated glutes to the table. More mass and a switch to the old standby Protan and Mo may continue climbing the ranks. The rookie Olympian conducted himself as the true gentlemen and champion he is.
10. Gustavo Badell – The Gustavo of the past few seasons seems to have slipped in the ranks. Here he was tight, the legs looking fuller than in recent contests. A new hair color and ever-present commitment to fight were not enough to scale back up the Olympia ladder. The wow factor, Gustavo’s previous calling card was amiss and he still sports a slight distention in the abdominals. This placing may have been a sign from the judges. Perhaps a cleaned out year off will renew his system.
11. Darrem Charles – Always sporting a routine that awakens the audience, the king of the $10,000 shows, Darrem, at this point has pretty much maxed out his physique in terms of muscle density. Here he was good but has been tighter. His relative lack of brute size causes him to be overlooked at this level of competition.
12. Johnnie Jackson – The strongest bodybuilder in the world was in decent shape but appeared, for him, smaller in the upper body which at least made him seem more symmetrical due to his undersized wheels. Johnnie has definitely been better and needs calves to at least draw the eye from his lacking underpinnings.
13. Craig Richardson – Craig possesses some of the best wheels in this lineup if not in all of bodybuilding. He arrived with decent conditioning but needs to add more mass to his upper body including his arms to be considered truly competitive at this level.
14. Ronny Rockel – Ronny sports a classical physique that is capable of pulling itself into top condition. He is seemingly overlooked, and none so more than at the big dance. Perhaps if he was taller he’d fair better. Very complete but nothing stands out, he is missing that something that catapults a bodybuilder of shorter stature to higher placings.
15. David Henry – The 2008 Mr. Olympia 202 class winner is about as complete in development as anyone. Here he was in good condition but has been crisper, most notably his appearance and win at the 2005 Olympia wildcard showdown. He needs ultra sharp detail to stand out and aside from being unable to alter the genetic shape to his chest he’s all but done everything he can do to further advance himself.
16. Kevin English – The Olympia rookie is able to get into good condition but was simply overpowered and out massed on this stage. He needs to fill out more overall.
17T. Fouad Abiad – Sporting the most unique haircut of the evening via a Mohawk, Fouad brings a pleasing shape but at this level the rookie needs more mass, refinement and bone-dry conditioning to further himself up bodybuilding’s elite.
17T. Sergey Shelestov – One of the heavier athletes on stage, Sergei appeared smooth and water-laden and is not blessed with a full band of muscle across his chest. In addition, he needs to refine his tan.
17T. Leo Ingram – Leo is reminiscent of Bertil Fox in the overall thickness department. The Olympia rookie was clearly ecstatic about his inclusion in the show of shows. The 20 year plus military veteran possesses some of the freakiest guns in the sport today. He needs to focus on keeping his midsection in and bringing the ultimate in conditioning to this stage.
The 2008 rendition of Joe Weider’s Olympia left many in attendance with the feeling that justice was served and in the show’s 44 years, Dexter Jackson became the 12th man to claim the Sandow trophy. For the athletes who came close but could never put away the big one, this was a special night indeed. For the hard gainer who struggles to put on any appreciable amount of muscle mass, this Olympia proved what is possible. The early 90’s saw Dexter competing at a bodyweight of less than 140 pounds. Now he competes nearly 100 pounds heavier. What makes this rendition particularly special aside from the changing of the guard, is Dexter is not automatically a lock for next year’s show. We may not see the likes of a battle for second place with first as a foregone conclusion for some time and that makes for a very exciting contest.
It should be noted this is the first Mr. Olympia 8 time champ Ronnie Coleman has skipped since the early 90’s and his larger than life presence onstage was indeed missed. Although the contest is larger than any one person, Ronnie always brought something special to the big O, put butts in seats and smiles on faces. Enjoy yourself big guy, you deserve it.
I must mention the unfortunate passing of Chief Expeditor of the Olympia weekend Steve Stone who always put the athletes first and was considered bar none the best at what he did. He passed away doing what he loved. Pose in peace.
It is on the heels of the Mr. Olympia that has allowed female bodybuilding and its offspring to survive. Gone are the days when the Ms. Olympia contest was held of its own accord on its own day. Now the prejudging is held on the expo stage and its finals piggybacked on the men’s prejudging. The female athletes are champions and work just as hard as the men for little to no regard. A return to Ms. Olympia’s former glory is in order.
Kudos to the entire Olympia staff headed by event director extraordinaire Robin Chang for yet another exiting year of Olympia action which sets up many questions regarding next year: Will newly healed Victor Martinez claim what many feel was rightfully his in 2007? Will Dexter repeat or will one Sandow rest upon his mantel? Will Jay return? Will the young phenom Phil Heath live up to and take his early place in history by sweeping the field? Will the real Dennis Wolf please stand up? Tune in next year to find out!
