How come no one saw Ronnie Coleman coming?

[Wiggs]

Discuss...

I must say I was very surprised when I looked on getbig and saw that he had won.  It left me scratching my head.  How come no one saw him coming?

[WillGrant]

It was dark 

[Wiggs]

It was dark 

cue all the sarcastic remarks

[Boost]

i wasn't following bodybuilding when he first won (I was 10 years old)

I think Flex was the major front runner, along with Kevin and Shawn, and then when Dorian retired it was almost a given that one of those 3 would take the title....apparently Flex magazine did an article before the Olympia 98, showing four athletes who could possible win, I think they had Flex, Kevin, Shawn and then it also featured Ronnie as having an outside chance, because he was the only guy that coudl really hang with Flex from the back.

Of course Ronnie made a dramatic change in his physique and the rest is history!

Listen to the "ronnie tribute" on PBW radio.....it is really good....they talk alot about this....aswell as talking to Brian Dobson, Peter M and Ronnie himself.

Brian says "When he (Ronnie) first walked through the door, he had on an old pair of sweatpants, and you could see the veins in his legs through the damn pants!"

FREAK

[Viking11]

I saw contest pics of him in the early 90's and thought why isn't this guy winning shows? I swear. I don't m,ean the O but other pro shows. I must have been his only fan. I think later on he ruined his physique.

[kiwiol]

Discuss...

I must say I was very surprised when I looked on getbig and saw that he had won.  It left me scratching my head.  How come no one saw him coming?

I wouldn't say no one saw it coming. When Dorian announced in 98 that he was pulling out of the Olympia, most people in the industry thought that the winner would either be Flex Wheeler (mainly because of his 98 AC showing) or Nasser, although Kevin, Shawn, Ronnie and even Paul Dillett were also contenders - all these guys had beaten each other in competition before, unlike Dorian who had been undefeated since he became Mr Olympia.

Ronnie started working with Chad in 98 and that made a huge difference in the way he looked - he went from being a guy who had some freaky body parts to someone who was a lot more complete. Plus, he had a fair bit of momentum at that stage cause he had won the last Grand Prix show in 97 (the Russian Grand Prix, in which he beat KLo who'd won the other 5 or 6 prior shows) and also the Night of champions in 98, which probably played a part in how dry he was at the Olympia.

Nearly everyone thought it was Flex's show if he showed up in his 98 AC form, but Flex came in relatively smooth and it showed in the areas which were Ronnie's strong points - (lower) back, hams and other areas. Bottom line, Ronnie showed up dry and conditioned and simply outmuscled a less-than-stellar Flex.

[just_a_pilgrim]

He was very big in 1996 i think he just stuffed up a bit in 1997 and people thought he was on the way down.

I agree with above, in 1992 he was still very good, better than a lot of the rest but didn't have a name.

I have one old mag with an interview with Dillet and he was asked about a few guys, he said about Ronnie 'he's a dark horse but i think he's peaked already' LOL guess not

[Hulkster]

Nearly everyone thought it was Flex's show if he showed up in his 98 AC form, but Flex came in relatively smooth and it showed in the areas which were Ronnie's strong points - (lower) back, hams and other areas. Bottom line, Ronnie showed up dry and conditioned and simply outmuscled a less-than-stellar Flex.

very true. and yet the idiot judges only had them a few points apart on paper LOL

 

[affeman]

Nearly everyone thought it was Flex's show if he showed up in his 98 AC form, but Flex came in relatively smooth and it showed in the areas which were Ronnie's strong points - (lower) back, hams and other areas. Bottom line, Ronnie showed up dry and conditioned and simply outmuscled a less-than-stellar Flex.

That's BS. It WAS Flex's show to win. Flex outmuscled Ronnie badly, especially in the arm-shoulder department. But the Weiders wanted an underdog to win, to bring controversity in the game, and that was Colemans luck.

[kiwiol]

very true. and yet the idiot judges only had them a few points apart on paper LOL

 

Yeah, that was total BS. You can bet if Ronnie had won the previous year(s), he'd have gotten straight firsts given the shape he showed up in. It was like during the first couple of rounds, the judges had fallen for the Flex hype and automatically scored him accordingly. Good thing that they corrected the mistake with the posing round and the pose down. Ronnie was as much ahead of Flex in 98 as Dorian was ahead of Flex in 93.

[kiwiol]

Flex outmuscled Ronnie badly, especially in the arm-shoulder department.

Umm, No. Flex never out muscled Ronnie in 98 or afterwards. Flex was a lot bigger in 99 compared to his 98 form (he was 242 lb), but even in 99, he got out-muscled by a much bigger and muscular Ronnie. Ronnie's only flaw in 98 other than the usual calves issue was his gyno. Check out the difference in the torso size and thickness between Ronnie and Flex, as well as the legs. The following year, Ronnie's legs were MUCH bigger (as was his upper body).

[affeman]

but even in 99, he got out-muscled by a much bigger and muscular Ronnie.

Who outmuscles who?

Btw, listen to the crowd's reaction and you know who was the rightfull winner....

[kiwiol]

Who outmuscles who?

Ronnie out-muscles Flex Flex's arms are disproportionately big compared to the rest of his body. Ronnie just plain kills him in size, volume AND weight

[spinnis]

Ronnie out-muscles Flex Flex's arms are disproportionately big compared to the rest of his body. Ronnie just plain kills him in size, volume AND weight

And Ronnies arms are Real.

[DK II]

still flex looks better.

[Bear]

Who outmuscles who?

Btw, listen to the crowd's reaction and you know who was the rightfull winner....

Haha, I think Gunter in 2002 was the rightful winner of the 1998 Mr O, did you hear the crowd?

P.S. Anyone looking at those 98 pics would be mad to think the guy on the right has better development than the guy in the middle. Flex was less thick and less detailed, what does this tell you? He lost even with his name power.

AND, when they turn around Flex's lat spread doesn't exist. Has anyone got photos of this?

Ronnie is riddles with lines and depth.

[DK II]

ronnie's fucking ugly compared to Flex.

[Big Bro]

ronnie's fucking ugly compared to Flex.

lol

[Relentless]

I wouldn't say no one saw it coming. When Dorian announced in 98 that he was pulling out of the Olympia, most people in the industry thought that the winner would either be Flex Wheeler (mainly because of his 98 AC showing) or Nasser, although Kevin, Shawn, Ronnie and even Paul Dillett were also contenders - all these guys had beaten each other in competition before, unlike Dorian who had been undefeated since he became Mr Olympia.

Ronnie started working with Chad in 98 and that made a huge difference in the way he looked - he went from being a guy who had some freaky body parts to someone who was a lot more complete. Plus, he had a fair bit of momentum at that stage cause he had won the last Grand Prix show in 97 (the Russian Grand Prix, in which he beat KLo who'd won the other 5 or 6 prior shows) and also the Night of champions in 98, which probably played a part in how dry he was at the Olympia.

Nearly everyone thought it was Flex's show if he showed up in his 98 AC form, but Flex came in relatively smooth and it showed in the areas which were Ronnie's strong points - (lower) back, hams and other areas. Bottom line, Ronnie showed up dry and conditioned and simply outmuscled a less-than-stellar Flex.

This is a man who knows pro bodybuilding well.  Great post!

[240 is Back]

wow... ronnie is bigger but flex looks a lot better there.

[Sam]

I wouldn't say no one saw it coming. When Dorian announced in 98 that he was pulling out of the Olympia, most people in the industry thought that the winner would either be Flex Wheeler (mainly because of his 98 AC showing) or Nasser, although Kevin, Shawn, Ronnie and even Paul Dillett were also contenders - all these guys had beaten each other in competition before, unlike Dorian who had been undefeated since he became Mr Olympia.

Ronnie started working with Chad in 98 and that made a huge difference in the way he looked - he went from being a guy who had some freaky body parts to someone who was a lot more complete. Plus, he had a fair bit of momentum at that stage cause he had won the last Grand Prix show in 97 (the Russian Grand Prix, in which he beat KLo who'd won the other 5 or 6 prior shows) and also the Night of champions in 98, which probably played a part in how dry he was at the Olympia.

Nearly everyone thought it was Flex's show if he showed up in his 98 AC form, but Flex came in relatively smooth and it showed in the areas which were Ronnie's strong points - (lower) back, hams and other areas. Bottom line, Ronnie showed up dry and conditioned and simply outmuscled a less-than-stellar Flex.

Spot on,Kiwiol, spot on.

[Brutal_1]

Discuss...

I must say I was very surprised when I looked on getbig and saw that he had won.  It left me scratching my head.  How come no one saw him coming?

1995 Mr Olympia:

"I don't know why Ronnie's not getting a better crowd response with a body like that.  Once he learns how to use that crowd he's going to place very very high."

-Frank Zane

[CalvinH]

I knew that Sascha Grey was up and coming but as far as an oiled up dude in a g-string

[dr.chimps]

And Ronnies arms are Real.

I was noticing that, too. Ronnie's look like marble and Flex's like oil bags.

[CalvinH]

I was noticing that, too. Ronnie's look like marble and Flex's like oil bags.

Your arms are pretty marble like yourself,you just need to shave off all that hair