Could Dorian have improved upon his physique POST 1997?

[Danimal77]

If he would have continued to compete after the 1997 Mr. Olympia, could he have improved any? Could he have filled out his arm and streamlined his waist? Could he have gotten even bigger?

Discuss

[NarcissisticDeity]

If he would have continued to compete after the 1997 Mr. Olympia, could he have improved any? Could he have filled out his arm and streamlined his waist? Could he have gotten even bigger?

Discuss

streamlined his waist yes , the arms were destroyed if he went injury free he would have kept improving but not what happened

[Royal Lion]

I don't think so, which I would think is why he retired. 

[bailey]

By his own admission, No ! He alway's said if he could not train at 100 percent and improve over his previous outing, he would hang it up. He did just that !
And for sure he could not improve his arms. ( Bi + Tri ) torn. At least he new when to hang it up. As for others ( Nasser, Ronnie ) they should have followed suit.

[webcake]

nah.....

[Danimal77]

I always thought he called it a day because of politics. That he was essentially forced (or politely asked to step down by the powers that be) to retire, so that the sport could have a NEW face (a NEW Mr. Olympia)?

Kind of like Bill Kazmaier not being asked to compete in 1983.

[NarcissisticDeity]

I always thought he called it a day because of politics. That he was essentially forced (or politely asked to step down by the powers that be) to retire, so that the sport could have a NEW face (a NEW Mr. Olympia)?

Kind of like Bill Kazmaier not being asked to compete in 1983.

No he retired in 1998 because he thought he could have the triceps tendon reattached but after realizing it would never be right so he retired on his own accord

[bailey]

Well my post was verbatim from Dorian himself. End of thread !

[Danimal77]

No he retired in 1998 because he thought he could have the triceps tendon reattached but after realizing it would never be right so he retired on his own accord

I wonder what he would have brought to the table in 1998 if he chose to compete. Would it have been worse than 1997?

[Danimal77]

Well my post was verbatim from Dorian himself. End of thread !

I know what he said to the public, but we also know that the sport was run by ONE man: Joe Weider and we all know that Dorian was a fighter. After all, he competed in 1994 with a bicep tear and quad tear and in 1997 with a tricep tear. SO, we know that injuries never stopped him before (he did not improve from 1993 to 1994, nor did he improve from 1995 to 1996).

[YoungBlood]

I don't think so, which I would think is why he retired.  

He announced at the 98 Olympia that he felt because he was unable to make any improvements with his arm, he felt it best to retire.

By his own admission, No ! He alway's said if he could not train at 100 percent and improve over his previous outing, he would hang it up. He did just that !
And for sure he could not improve his arms. ( Bi + Tri ) torn. At least he new when to hang it up. As for others ( Nasser, Ronnie ) they should have followed suit.

Dorian could have hung it up one year earlier, and nobody would have complained, except maybe ND.

No he retired in 1998 because he thought he could have the triceps tendon reattached but after realizing it would never be right so he retired on his own accord

Never heard that version.

[bailey]

Danimal : For sure Dorian was a warrior ! And for sure there was Uncle Joe politics around back then, but Dorian said he could not improve with his past injuries. I tend to believe that, since his body was not getting any better. At least he did not ruin his legacy by continuing to compete.

[NarcissisticDeity]

He announced at the 98 Olympia that he felt because he was unable to make any improvements with his arm, he felt it best to retire.

Dorian could have hung it up one year earlier, and nobody would have complained, except maybe ND.

Never heard that version.

he was a tad smaller in 96 but good enough to beat everyone

and yeah he was holding out hope for 98 but it never panned out

[kiwiol]

he was a tad smaller in 96 but good enough to beat everyone

and yeah he was holding out hope for 98 but it never panned out

Spot on. He didn't announce his retirement until the night of the 98 Mr Olympia - he only said that he was pulling out of that contest. But then he then learned that the arm would never be as good as before, not to mention it would compromise all his lifts and therefore, his look onstage.

I think if he never got injured, he could have eventually competed at 280 - 285 lb, with his trademark dryness and would've carried it way better than Ronnie did.

[Danimal77]

Spot on. He didn't announce his retirement until the night of the 98 Mr Olympia - he only said that he was pulling out of that contest. But then he then learned that the arm would never be as good as before, not to mention it would compromise all his lifts and therefore, his look onstage.

I think if he never got injured, he could have eventually competed at 280 - 285 lb, with his trademark dryness and would've carried it way better than Ronnie did.

I clearly remember a Flex magazine article from a month or two before the Mr. Olympia, where Dorian was picking his favorites for 1998, so it couldn't have been the night of that he announced he wasn't retiring.

[kiwiol]

I clearly remember a Flex magazine article from a month or two before the Mr. Olympia, where Dorian was picking his favorites for 1998, so it couldn't have been the night of that he announced he wasn't retiring.

Before the contest, he only said he was pulling out of it. He wished the competitors good luck and said he'd be back the following year (99). But on the night of the contest, he announced that he wasn't just pulling out of that contest but was in fact, retiring from competition altogether.

He was picking his favorites for 98 pre-contest because he knew he wasn't going to compete in it anyway.

[Hulkster]

and he was glad he didn't.

he would have lost badly..

[Sherief Shalaby]

If he would have continued to compete after the 1997 Mr. Olympia, could he have improved any? Could he have filled out his arm and streamlined his waist? Could he have gotten even bigger?

Discuss

you mean if he didnt tear his triceps??.. in this case only yes he could have at least repeated the shape of 95..

[NarcissisticDeity]

I clearly remember a Flex magazine article from a month or two before the Mr. Olympia, where Dorian was picking his favorites for 1998, so it couldn't have been the night of that he announced he wasn't retiring.

This is Dorian at the 1998 Mr Olympia announcing his retirement

[Royal Lion]

Hulkster being an idiot again in a Dorian thread...nice pic comparison there

[delta9mda]

he was actually training for the 98, but in may he said he was not at the place he wanted to be, and knew the triceps would keep him from being better than the year before so he went out w/ a 15-2 record (and the 2 losses were second place).

keep taking shit hulky, Yates with a repaired triceps and 95-96 condition would have won again. and again. and again. 

[JasonH]

This is Dorian at the 1998 Mr Olympia announcing his retirement

There used to be a framed copy of that retirement speech Dorian is holding in his hand there up in Temple Gym - I can't remember exactly what it said but it was taken down some years ago - I imagine it's still in the gym somewhere.

To answer the question, would he have improved upon the 97 Olympia? IMO who knows - it's just speculation, but one thing's for certin, if hadn't tore his tricep, he would have competed and yes, he would have won over Ronnie and Flex.

[bigbobs]

This is Dorian at the 1998 Mr Olympia announcing his retirement

Looks to be size 50" ish pants     No way was his waist getting streamlined for 98!

[NarcissisticDeity]

Looks to be size 50" ish pants     No way was his waist getting streamlined for 98!

50ish? 

[bigbobs]

50ish? 

BOOOOOM!!!!

(btw the 98 pose of Dorian is generous in that one's waist usually looks streamlined when stretching an arm out like that, as opposed to shots you posted with Nasser sucking in air)