Stunt, I vote for you to produce the next Mr. O.
I was not at this Mr. Olympia and actually have never been to one. I was at the 2017 Arnold Classic in Columbus. I don’t know how many seats that ballroom held but it was at least several thousand. There were hardly any empty seats anywhere. I suppose perhaps the big draw there was seeing Arnold as he was the award presenter. But, the contest was also staged very well. Btw Cedric McMillan was the winner.
The Mr. Olympia contest should be a grandiose extravaganza, something to dazzle your eyes and make your jaw drop. Like modern Broadway musicals. Of course not only does that take imagination but it also takes money.
The number one problem with bodybuilding contests, and this is why they’re not on television anymore, is that they are BORING to watch. And it doesn’t matter what level of contest, be it local or national, or what category it is. You can only watch so many back lat spreads, or even worse, Men’s Physique or Bikini or Figure (regardless of how stunning the women are).
If bodybuilding were half as exciting to watch as MMA this industry would be worth billions and the Mr. Olympia Winner would take home millions. If the Mr. Olympia is the same old “quarter turn to the right,” “side chest” that’s a shame.
One thing I would like to see in contests is showing the contestant’s scores right after they perform, much like it’s done in figure skating or gymnastics or diving. The audience then knows how a competitor has done with the judges.
Regarding ticket prices, the nosebleed seats were $115. That’s a lot. I don’t know if that was a factor in ticket sales this year compared to previous years.