1998 Olympia - Where would Rhoden have placed 20 years ago at the 98 Olympia?

[Earl1972]

1st place ronnie coleman



2nd place flex wheeler



3rd place nasser el sonbaty




4th place Mr. Levrone





5th place shawn ray









E

[Kwon3]

1st place ronnie coleman



2nd place flex wheeler



3rd place nasser el sonbaty




4th place Mr. Levrone





5th place shawn ray









E

Behind Levrone and in front of Shawn. The other three guys were unbeatable and in their own dimension.

[Wiggs]

2nd behind Coleman. Better legs and hams and glutes than Flex. That would put him over.

[Dave D]

2nd behind Coleman. Better legs and hams and glutes than Flex. That would put him over.

Flex had a better upper body and better aesthetics.  I'm not sure Rhoden is better than Ray but based on the size difference he may have placed above him but it's a toss up.

[Wiggs]

Flex had a better upper body and better aesthetics.  I'm not sure he is better than Ray but based on the size difference he may have placed above him but it's a toss up.

You're right but you have to remember, the Mr. O is a back, and glutes/ham's show. Flex's glutes and hams from 98 on were garbage.

[Dave D]

You're right but you have to remember, the Mr. O is a back, and glutes/ham's show. Flex's glutes and hams from 98 on were garbage.

True.

Flex thought he had the 98 show locked up and didn't bring his best, or he wasn't able to match his best,  and it cost him.

Rhoden is a deserving champion and he would not look out of place at 2nd in that 98 line up. He is complete.

Phil, even with his strengths, mostly his arms being among the greatest ever, would be exposed in this lineup because of his narrow shoulder girdle. Due to his physical structure I think he'd be more comparable, in terms of placing, to Lee Preist.

[Bevo]

6th place at best

[MORTALCOIL]

Probably just in front or behind Ray.

[G_Thang]

He'd beat Shawn if he was in equal sharp.  Wheeler type genetics > Shawn.  4th

[johnny1]

3rd place could see him beating Nasser but not flex or Ronnie

[robcguns]

3rd place could see him beating Nasser but not flex or Ronnie

He’s to lanky to compete with Ronnie,flex,Levrone or nasser.

[kyomu]

4th. Behind Nasser.

[Parker]

2nd behind Coleman. Better legs and hams and glutes than Flex. That would put him over.

Nope. Rhoden is a xerox version of flex. Minus Flex’s full round muscles. Flex had better pop to his muscles, better posing, better arms, and cross striations in his quads,  and a better back, which would push him over. Hams and glutes go to Rhoden.
Shawn would probably place ahead of Kev or Nasser.

[Disgusted]

Hahaha get the fuck out. All things (drug stacks) being equal prob not even top 8. If the guys from the 90’s were just competing in today’s competions you also wouldn’t see nearly the same physiques. The top 90’s guys were genetic superiors, add in drugs and you have an era of freaks. In today’s world with enough GH IGF insulin and money almost anyone can become a ballooned up mess.

[AbrahamG]

The Haney, Yates and Coleman era's were far superior to todays god awful Olympia's. 
@Disgusted - I agree with you above post, but I wonder if the 90's guys used what the guys today are using if they wouldn't have ruined their physiques.  I am of the opinion that whatever guys are using/abusing today is ruining the look.  Is it too much AAS in additon to DNP, GH, Insuling and Peptides?  Whatever it is, it aint pretty.  Shawn Rhoden is the only guy in that lineup that could have competed and compared with the 98 line up. Maybe Roelly could have and the finals version of Ramy.   

[Iceman1981]

Top 3

[BSN]

pics from 98 MO

[The Scott]

Hahaha get the fuck out. All things (drug stacks) being equal prob not even top 8. If the guys from the 90’s were just competing in today’s competions you also wouldn’t see nearly the same physiques. The top 90’s guys were genetic superiors, add in drugs and you have an era of freaks. In today’s world with enough GH IGF insulin and money almost anyone can become a ballooned up mess.

Agreed.  It can be difficult to compare different eras because for some folk, the golden age is just over the horizon.  I tend to think that the 40s through the 50s was the golden age of natural trainers and the 70s was the golden age for those on AAS.  I'm not a big fan of either Haney's or Dorian's time although both were quite good but they were gifted more than a couple of Sandow's and Coleman was a waste of bloated skin that made the case that too much was way too much for everyone but schmoes in heat. Jay too. And Heath?  Was his time a golden era?

Phil's era is more golden showers.  He did it to himself.

[Irongrip400]

Based on the pics and placings you have posted, I would say 6th.

Was the lighting different back then?  With todays better caeras you would think you could get someone looking as good as these guys, given that they're handicapped by shitty photo quality.

[Bevo]

Nope. Rhoden is a xerox version of flex. Minus Flex’s full round muscles. Flex had better pop to his muscles, better posing, better arms, and cross striations in his quads,  and a better back, which would push him over. Hams and glutes go to Rhoden.
Shawn would probably place ahead of Kev or Nasser.

Then he isn’t a xerox version of flex, to even mention his name to flex is a disgrace

[Bevo]

Hahaha get the fuck out. All things (drug stacks) being equal prob not even top 8. If the guys from the 90’s were just competing in today’s competions you also wouldn’t see nearly the same physiques. The top 90’s guys were genetic superiors, add in drugs and you have an era of freaks. In today’s world with enough GH IGF insulin and money almost anyone can become a ballooned up mess.

The only post on here with some sense

However 2011 Phil was really good for modern standards

[Parker]

Then he isn’t a xerox version of flex, to even mention his name to flex is a disgrace

He has the blueprint—-namely the same structure/shape/phenotype, as Brian Buchanan, Tony Person, Flex, and Melvin, and a few others. Flex was the only one really to come close to winning the Mr. O, plus he had full round muscles. The others didn’t. So, Flexatron, wins the Mr. O with the same “shape”, but doesn’t have Flex’s superior  full, round muscle bellies.

[Dan-O]

Flexatron has great lines, flow and aesthetics and possibly the best X-frame of the current pros.  But 20 years ago he would have placed in the middle of the pack.  He wasn't better than Shawn Ray.

I do appreciate, however, this apparent shift in judging criteria to reward flow and aesthetics and penalize out-of-control guts.

[illuminati]

Hahaha get the fuck out. All things (drug stacks) being equal prob not even top 8. If the guys from the 90’s were just competing in today’s competions you also wouldn’t see nearly the same physiques. The top 90’s guys were genetic superiors, add in drugs and you have an era of freaks. In today’s world with enough GH IGF insulin and money almost anyone can become a ballooned up mess.

"In today’s world with enough GH IGF insulin and money almost anyone can become a ballooned up mess."

That is so accurate - I know at least 2 average national level competitors ( yes good physiques but not pro class level ) who have Lots of $ and now using IGF who are pro's.

[Randomum]

He would be shown on the magazines with a "-DNP" after his name.