I think Ronnie just missed his peak for the '97 Olympia. If you watch "Battle for the Olympia '97", you can see how great he looks in the gym. He smoothed out for the show and was placed really low. He also looked great in the '96 Olympia and could have easily made the top six. In '98, he won the Night of the Champions and had learned how to peak for the contests so he showed up full and ripped. After winning the NOC, he was one of the favorites for the Olympia but he was the only one to really come in peaked condition. He outsized Flex, Nasser was just a little too smooth, Levrone and Shawn Ray weren't at their best and this left the door open for Ronnie to win.