uncrowned Mr Olympia - the real winner of 1981

[NarcissisticDeity]

You decide 

[Sherief Shalaby]

franco should have come 4th or lower!!.. no legs, gyno, not the best shape overall too!!..

[pellius]

Yeh, Platz should have edged it and Danny 2nd - 1980 and 1981 were both Weider Gift years to Arnold & Franco.

Yeah, that was my pick. I think he really improved his upper body a lot and his back looked great. He also had a different over all looked. Like he took his body to hell and back for the show. There was a certain polish and gleam to his physique and overall presentation. Padilla was sheer perfection with no weak points but Platz had a certain freakiness about him. I had Callendar third. He also had bow legs like Franco and it really distracts from his overall presences. But at least his quads had cuts unlike Franco.

It was that year, I was around 21 at time, that I stopped following bodybuilding. I thought 1980 was fixed but '81 was just a travesty. I concluded it was just all politics and not a legit sport. I saw it kind of like WWE wrestling. Just a prearrange show. I missed the whole Haney and Dorain era and caught the tail end of Coleman and only started following it again I think in 2004 when I saw "Unbelievable" at a friend's house. Going from Franco to a prime Coleman was a shock. So much had changed. And being on this board keeps me current. In fact, if it wasn't for this board I probably wouldn't follow the sport. The fact that we get to discuss so many different and varied issues with people all over the world keeps me here. I've tried other bodybuilding boards and it's gets old. I can only talk bodybuilding for so long.

[Sherief Shalaby]

if any of the judges who juged this contest is still alive he must be killed!!..

[MORTALCOIL]

Franco's tits were just short of hanging low enough to hide his non existing legs. What a sham. PLatz, Padilla or Callendar were all good enough to take it; just a matter of perspective. Arnold's win in 80 wasn't even as bad (though he "crushed" no one and nothing at all that year).

[asiansensation]

Based on the above pics, i still think Chris Dickerson looked the best (at least in the front double bicep shot). I like his quads shape and separation and v-taper. How did Chris fare in 81? 

[whitewidow]

yes danny got robbed they said he looked over-dieted-lol. he was super shredded and he only weighed 160pds that night. so it is possible to be short and be light yet still have the illusion that you weigh 200pds. alot of people idolize danny and franco I know I do being 5-6. I am going for that kind of look right now I am 188pds 6% getting there! Franco was way stronger and just a weider brown noser. although franco is my favorite he did get a gift that year

[MORTALCOIL]

Based on the above pics, i still think Chris Dickerson looked the best (at least in the front double bicep shot). I like his quads shape and separation and v-taper. How did Chris fare in 81?  

2nd and he had a much better case then Mentzer to be pissed off that year. From what I remember, Arnold really looked terrible, his legs (rarely one of his strong points already) were just non existing. Chris was the only one who was actually in shape (Zane was comming back from an injury and was nowhere near his best, Mentzer looked like shit compared to the year before and not even the same guy who won Mr Universe) '81 was actually a much more competitive edition then '80 though.

[Sherief Shalaby]

Based on the above pics, i still think Chris Dickerson looked the best (at least in the front double bicep shot). I like his quads shape and separation and v-taper. How did Chris fare in 81? 

how come with his left injured bicep?!..

[asiansensation]

how come with his left injured bicep?!..

i cant really tell from the pix that he had a torn left bicep. Its not a very bad torn like Dorian's so it didnt affect that pose much. 

[erics]

In the pictures he looks great, but next to normal sized people he's a muscular dwarf, and that looks very stupid..

Judges ought to be placing the best physique as the winner.

[erics]

2nd and he had a much better case then Mentzer to be pissed off that year. From what I remember, Arnold really looked terrible, his legs (rarely one of his strong points already) were just non existing. Chris was the only one who was actually in shape (Zane was comming back from an injury and was nowhere near his best, Mentzer looked like shit compared to the year before and not even the same guy who won Mr Universe) '81 was actually a much more competitive edition then '80 though.

Dickerson should have won in 1980. That night, Zane was a bit light but his balance and conditioning were light years above everyone else so placing behind Dickerson was a fair call.

It's impressive that Arnold was even able to be competitive with only 8 weeks of training for the show but that doesn't mean he deserved to win.

Franco winning in 1981 was just a complete and utter joke. Padilla, Platz, Dickerson and Callendar were all so much better than him. Based on physique alone, Padilla deserved to win that night but I could have accepted Platz winning.

Samir should have won in 1982 with Viator in second and Makkawy or Dickerson in third. Frank Zane is probably my favourite bodybuilder but he didn't look all that great in 1982.

[MikMaq]

This is the irony between today and back them, realistically they should of had a 1 win limit on how many times a person can place first to allow all the other talent floating around to get some credit. In todays age it'd be better if they only a differ winner every second decade.

[Your Average GymRat]

In the pictures he looks great, but next to normal sized people he's a muscular dwarf, and that looks very stupid..

You look very stupid, you annoying asshole.

[Natural_O]

I was at both the prejudging and night show at the '81 Olympia and everyone in the audience thought the top three were Platz, Callendar and Padilla. Dickerson looked good and had a complete physique but those other three were great. Padilla looks unbeatable in pictures but in person on stage, he almost looked a little too flat. Callendar was very aggressive onstage and ripped with great thickness. I could have seen him in 2nd place. Platz had it all that year. He looked 15 pounds heavier than the year before but he was ripped with great charisma onstage, perfect tan, he had it all. He outsized most of the guys in the upper body, not to mention the legs. When the judges asked for a comparison of the abs-thigh pose, he was standing right next to Franco. Franco hit his abs and was twisting his legs to try and show some separation but he had none. Platz just smiled and then flexed his right leg and it exploded in striations. The crowd went nuts! Franco actually had a great upper body. He was super thick in the pecs, back and delts and even his arms looked great. His abs were rock hard. However, you can't have a missing bodypart like legs and place 1st. Not with guys like Platz, Callendar, Padilla and Dickerson in the line-up. All those guys had incredible leg development, especially in the early 1980's.

[Figo]

Dickerson should have won in 1980. That night, Zane was a bit light but his balance and conditioning were light years above everyone else so placing behind Dickerson was a fair call.

It's impressive that Arnold was even able to be competitive with only 8 weeks of training for the show but that doesn't mean he deserved to win.

Franco winning in 1981 was just a complete and utter joke. Padilla, Platz, Dickerson and Callendar were all so much better than him. Based on physique alone, Padilla deserved to win that night but I could have accepted Platz winning.

Samir should have won in 1982 with Viator in second and Makkawy or Dickerson in third. Frank Zane is probably my favourite bodybuilder but he didn't look all that great in 1982.

this

[ChristopherA]

You look very stupid, you annoying asshole.

Good one.

[ob205]

Franco Columbu = Worst Mr. O EVER  gifted by being Arnold's friend.

How about anyone in the top 5 BUT Franco

[Dr Dutch]

You look very stupid, you annoying asshole.

Shove it, shorty...

[abijahmaniaco]

now you see how his knees are past his feet? i swear i'll never know what is the correct way to squat.

[Figo]

now you see how his knees are past his feet? i swear i'll never know what is the correct way to squat.

the way that works for you

I  prefer front squats

not everyone can go deep, not everyone can keep back straight, some cant even squat

[French]

How about Chris Dickerson? Many may disagree with me here. In my opinion, he should be Mr O in 80 and 81.  Chris muscle maturity was out of this world. Not forgetting his symmetry and proportion. Great Legs and back. A well deserved win at the 82 'O'. I still have one of the very old muscle mag 'Muscle Training Illustrated' had a report on the 82 Mr.O. My brother brought it back from Canada for his summer college break. I was only 12. 

Yes, people don't realize how good he was.

[pellius]

yes danny got robbed they said he looked over-dieted-lol. he was super shredded and he only weighed 160pds that night. so it is possible to be short and be light yet still have the illusion that you weigh 200pds. alot of people idolize danny and franco I know I do being 5-6. I am going for that kind of look right now I am 188pds 6% getting there! Franco was way stronger and just a weider brown noser. although franco is my favorite he did get a gift that year

I remember that. But according to Danny when he spoke with the judges they commenting on his face. They'd say stuff, "I could tell by your face that you looked drawn and over dieted." That's bullshit because his physique was not only rock hard but full. Not drawn at all. True his face very lean and a bit drawn. Very different to what we were use to seeing but so what? I just remember and article where Danny said that he didn't know that they also judge the condition of someone's face.

[dantelis]

You decide 

Anybody but Columbu.  Not to knock Franco.  He was a great BB, but he shouldn't have won the O that year.

[NarcissisticDeity]