GUNTER dismantling Ronnie 2002 GNC!

[Simple Simon]

I'm fairly sure that I read that Dorian had a "record" of being the heaviest pro bodybuilder on stage at one point, at 257-lb.  It must have been a record from a very narrow window - maybe 1992 - because Lou Ferrigno would have been much heavier in 1993 - I believe 318.

So Ronnie was was indeed 45-lb heavier than prime Dorian, but not the 242 to 287 comparison you are making.  Probably 257 compared to 302 in 2004 for Ronnie.

So yes - that 45-lb figure is accurate.

let me just leave one thing with you, when they officially weighed the competitors at the 88 Olympia there were a few red faces regarding weight claims.

[Matt]

let me just leave one thing with you, when they officially weighed the competitors at the 88 Olympia there were a few red faces regarding weight claims.

The 1988 weigh-in was mandatory?

The ones at the Ironman were not.  Dexter Jackson missed every one.

[Danimal77]

I need to defend Royalty here.

I don't think he was speaking about specific contests for Ronnie.  Gunter was customarily around 300-lb.  He was 285-lb as far back as the 2000 Mr. Olympia, and even going back before then, he must have been 275 or 280.  Maybe in 1994 he was 260.

As far as Olympia showings go, Gunter was 295 in 2002, and 300 in 2005.  Ronnie was 287 in 2003 and 296 in 2004.  Someone from Getbig - could have been Hulkster - asked Ronnie via e-mail in 2004 what his weight was at the British Grand Prix.  It was something ridiculous like 304.  I would have remembered it if it was 305 or more.  It was either 302 or 304.  At least that is what Ronnie claimed.

Gunter himself stated that he was 6'1.5" in the BFTO 2000 VHS/DVD.  Ronnie Coleman was often pegged at 5'11, but I think that was rounded up from 5'10.5".  However, he is not that height today.  I would be surprised if he was 5'10 barefoot today, but I am 5'8.5" and have been around pros many times, and it has been my observation that while some of them have lied about their weight before - Dexter Jackson being 235, but skipping every Ironman weigh-in, lolz - pros rarely lie about their height.

I also have big hair and wear a shoe with a nice sole so that I look more like 5'9.5" in public, so I judge the height of pros based on that height.  Ronnie appeared to be around that height or a bit taller in the years I saw him (2007 to 2014).  Gunter was and probably still is just under 6'2.

And to Royalty's point - yes, both competed around or at 300-lb at different contests in their career.  At the 2004 Mr. Olympia, Ronnie was 296-lb, and Gunter was at least that.

I have Muscle and Fitness and Flex magazines from the 90's where Gunther's height was listed at 6'0.5" at a time where he was being BILLED at 6'1" and Ronnie's height was listed at 5'10" in the magazines before he became popular and then he was all of a sudden boosted to 5'11". Same thing happened to Kevin who was listed at 5'9" and then we see 5'10" listings. Even Jay Cutler was given 5'8.5" in the late 90's and then boosted to 5'9". Same thing with Flex listed at 5'8" and 5'9" and then 5'10.5" and Chris Cormier at 5'9" and then 5'10" and as high as 5'11". Even Lou was only 6'4" in his prime, not 6'5". He's between 6'2" and 6'3" today due to hip replacement and older age. Arnie is a shell of his former 6'1.5"-6'1.75" height. Met him at the Arnold 3 times (there for the Arnold Strongman Classic), once in 2002, once in 2008 and once a year ago. I was 5'10" in 2002 and I literally had to look up to him (he was still over 6'1"). In 2008 he looked to be 6'0"-6'0.5"). I'm 5'9.5" today and he was barely taller than me last year (fractionally over 5'10"). Sad but true.

[Nether Animal]

They lie about height the most because they want to keep that illusion alive for the ignorant newer fans who think their heroes are truly bigger than life. Then they meet them in person and are shocked they only come up to their chest.

Gunter looked massive on stage, just like Wolf does, because he is a good 4+ inches taller than any of the other competitors. And Gunter isn't THAT tall.

[Simple Simon]

The 1988 weigh-in was mandatory?

The ones at the Ironman were not.  Dexter Jackson missed every one.

Mandatory, they weighed everyone onstage at the press conference.

[Matt]

They lie about height the most because they want to keep that illusion alive for the ignorant newer fans who think their heroes are truly bigger than life. Then they meet them in person and are shocked they only come up to their chest.

Gunter looked massive on stage, just like Wolf does, because he is a good 4+ inches taller than any of the other competitors. And Gunter isn't THAT tall.

Gunter is 6'1.5" which I think we can say is legitimately "tall".  Not 6'3 or taller, but I think most people would describe Gunter as "tall".  He's also about as tall as a pro can get, as the demands for any taller than that would be 320-lb on the Olympia stage.

Dennis Wolf is 6'0, which is not short.  Some would call him tall.  I would probably call him medium-tall, but I guess it depends on the person describing him.  He's not short though, and is massive in person.  When I last saw him at the 2014 Arnold Classic in the pump room, he had a sort of toxic look to him.

Arnold showed up while my camera was running, and I decided to stop my camera to get footage that was in better focus.  In the seconds it took me to do that, he was literally surrounded by photographers.  Even Jason Statham had nowhere near as many photographers interested in him.

Mandatory, they weighed everyone onstage at the press conference.

Interesting.  I wonder why it would be mandatory for an open contest - must have been a press obligation imposed by Weider.

[Nether Animal]

See, I don't keep track of the numbers (because doing so is a chore), and for the longest time I thought Wolf was 6'2''-6'3'', just based on how he compares to other pros on stage. Heh.

[Matt]

I have Muscle and Fitness and Flex magazines from the 90's where Gunther's height was listed at 6'0.5" at a time where he was being BILLED at 6'1" and Ronnie's height was listed at 5'10" in the magazines before he became popular and then he was all of a sudden boosted to 5'11". Same thing happened to Kevin who was listed at 5'9" and then we see 5'10" listings. Even Jay Cutler was given 5'8.5" in the late 90's and then boosted to 5'9". Same thing with Flex listed at 5'8" and 5'9" and then 5'10.5" and Chris Cormier at 5'9" and then 5'10" and as high as 5'11". Even Lou was only 6'4" in his prime, not 6'5". He's between 6'2" and 6'3" today due to hip replacement and older age. Arnie is a shell of his former 6'1.5"-6'1.75" height. Met him at the Arnold 3 times (there for the Arnold Strongman Classic), once in 2002, once in 2008 and once a year ago. I was 5'10" in 2002 and I literally had to look up to him (he was still over 6'1"). In 2008 he looked to be 6'0"-6'0.5"). I'm 5'9.5" today and he was barely taller than me last year (fractionally over 5'10"). Sad but true.

Gunter is 6'1.5", unless he wears lifts, which I doubt.  It was being in the 6'1 range that caused it to be rounded down.  I can't imagine Gunter being under that figure.  If you look at him, his limbs look like they belong to a 6'2 guy rather than a 6'0 guy.  I think the 6'1.5" claim he made on the BFTO 2000 video is accurate.

Kev is probably 5'9.5", Jay 5'8.5".  Cormier was probably 5'11.

I would think Flex was at least 5'10.5".  He didn't look shorter than 5'11 when I saw him.

I think Lou was a legit 6'5, and Arnold's height was as you claimed - and basically the same as Gunter.  It's hard to know for sure of course.

How come you lost height?