Ramy Wins

[True_Security]

Phil got robbed.

[youandme]

Haha Ramy smoked Phil.

[anvil]

Phil got robbed.

hahahahahahaaaa PHILDO was gifted third, no way he should've even been higher than 4th (and even that is being generous)

[Methyl m1ke]

Well deserved sandow for Ramy. Now what will he do as Mr Olympia? Time will tell.

[SOMEPARTS]

Cheath = Palumboism. Won't recover.

[ChristopherA]

Phil will go down as the most hated Mr. Olympia

[BIG ACH]

Beautiful Arabian Genetics 

[MCWAY]

He finally got shredded for the Olympia. But, to me, his legs are too big for his upper body and his calves. I would have given it to Curry again. But, congrats are in order for the big man.

[Randomum]

So Ramy 1st? Phil 3rd? Where was Rhoden, or Curry's placings?

[wes]

He finally got shredded for the Olympia. But, to me, his legs are too big for his upper body and his calves. I would have given it to Curry again. But, congrats are in order for the big man.

In fact he looks like a great big spider!  LOL 

[Methyl m1ke]

Ramy has paid his dues and paid his dues and paid his dues so I am happy for the man. Let's hope he puts out a good video or two while he is on top.

Come to think of it has Ramy ever done a training video a la "The Unbelievable" or no?

[Taffin]

So Ramy 1st? Phil 3rd? Where was Rhoden, or Curry's placings?

Ramy
Curry
Heath
Choopan
Bonac

Rhoden was in the third row 

[hazbin]

In fact he looks like a great big spider!  LOL 

haha ok Waller!!

[MCWAY]

In fact he looks like a great big spider!  LOL 

You took the words right out of my mouth. He's a lot like Mike Katz from Pumping Iron. Actually, the first 21st century bodybuilder to whom I made that comparison was the late Art Atwood.

[MCWAY]

So Ramy 1st? Phil 3rd? Where was Rhoden, or Curry's placings?

Rhoden wasn't there (it appears he's still banned from competing). Curry got 2nd.

So, we have had three new Mr. Olympia in three years. Are people digging this or will we have yearning for the dynasty stuff?

Plus, I'm a bit sad that Dexter Jackson is retiring. But, congrats also to the 2008 Mr. Olympia. He went out in style and didn't get "16th" place repeatedly, the way Bannout did.

[TheShape.]

Rhodes wasn't there (it appears he's still banned from competing). Curry got 2nd.

So, we have had three new Mr. Olympia in three years. Are people digging this or will we have yearning for the dynasty stuff?

Plus, I'm a bit sad that Dexter Jackson is retiring. But, congrats also to the 2008 Mr. Olympia. He went out in style and didn't get "16th" place repeatedly, the way Bannout did.

It’s refreshing to see that somebody different could actually win it, seeing as past Mr. Olympias had many titles they didn’t deserve.

[hazbin]

Ramy is the first mr. Olympia to also win the amateur mr. Olympia.

[Bevo]

4 different winners in the past 4 years, who will it be next year

[Royalty]

Damn, Curry let someone take the Olympia from him on his first defense. He can only blame himself because his legs were not impressive at all. One cannot be Mr Olympia and have the worst legs in show.


Good job Ramy

[Matt]

Cheath = Palumboism. Won't recover.

Phil just turned 41 on Friday...I don't think he can do much to improve at this stage in the game, given he has already "maxed out".  The most he can do is come as close as possible to maintaining what he has, trying to keep his waist as under control as possible, remain injury-free so he doesn't see an entire side of his body atrophy like we saw with Ronnie in 2006, and to a much greater extent - in 2007, and maintain the highest level of conditioning he can while doing all of that.

In other words, what he did this weekend is most likely the best he can do - literally the best he was able to do, so I can't knock the guy for being lazy, or not putting the time in.  It's just that he won't be able to respond at 41 like he did at 31.  Ronnie's last Mr. Olympia victory was in 2005, when he was 41.

Although...it's interesting to think that Shawn Rhoden was 43 when he won in 2018.    Rhoden still holds the record for oldest Mr. Olympia, having beaten Chris Dickerson's longstanding record, who was also 43 when he won in 1982, but some months older than Rhoden's 43.

I had Phil in 2nd from the pictures that I saw, but I only looked over about 3-4 shots, lol.  I would think anything between 2nd and 4th would have been fair, and if he got 3rd, that sounds about right to me.  Good for him...but too bad it's now going to be basically impossible for him to tie Ronnie and Lee for eight Sandow trophies.  I'm sure he wanted that, but...looks like he will have to be content tying Arnold's personal record for seven Olympia wins.

[Matt]

Phil will go down as the most hated Mr. Olympia

Christopher, what do you mean by hated?  As in, for having a negative attitude and/or being a bad spokesman or "ambassador" for the "sport"?  Or do you mean Phil will be the least impressive with respect to the reign of wins he had?  Or...something else?

[Matt]

He finally got shredded for the Olympia. But, to me, his legs are too big for his upper body and his calves. I would have given it to Curry again. But, congrats are in order for the big man.

Sounds to me like you have an Ironage judging standard.  That's fine...but by post-Haney era bodybuilding judging standards, I think Big Ramy deserved to win.  Sure...he could bring down his legs to create more balance between his upper and lower body, or his upper legs and his calves...but ultimately, it's bodybuilding, and I don't think Ramy is like Tom Platz where he has massive legs but an upper body that wasn't even close.  Ramy is big everywhere.  His calves aren't small by any means - I would bet they are at least 20"...it's just that Ramy's legs are so big, your eyes can get drawn to the disparity.  Maybe by an actual Ironage judging standard, Ramy should not have won.  Like Serge Nubret beating Lou Ferrigno in 1975, even though Lou was 75-lb heavier and 5" taller than Serge...that made it clear that Ironage judging was definitely not solely about mass.  Nor is today's judging - but it's much more about mass today than it was in the Ironage.

MCWAY, just one more thing.  I've been meaning to ask you since 2004...do you agree with this statement?:

"From Goo to You by Way of the Zoo!"

[powerdome]

Phil will go down as the most hated Mr. Olympia

True that!

[MCWAY]

Sounds to me like you have an Ironage judging standard.  That's fine...but by post-Haney era bodybuilding, I think Big Ramy deserved to win.  Sure...he could bring down his legs to create more balance between his upper and lower body, or his upper legs and his calves...but ultimately, it's bodybuilding, and I don't think Ramy is like Tom Platz where he has massive legs but an upper body that wasn't even close.  Ramy is big everywhere.  His calves aren't small by any means - I would bet they are at least 20"...it's just that Ramy's legs are so big, your eyes can get drawn to the disparity.  Maybe by an Ironage standard though, Ramy should have lost [like Serge Nubret beating Lou Ferrigno...that made it very clear that judging was definitely not solely about mass, and nor is it today - but it's much more about mass than it was in the Ironage.

.

Platz had a great upper body, especially his pecs and biceps (before he tore one of them). But, once you see those legs, it all gets lost in the wash. The same thing goes with Ramy. Ironically, I think if Lou Ferrigno at 6'5" had Elssbiay's legs, he would have been Mr. Olympia (don't those two tie the record for the heaviest Olympia competitor at 316 lbs?).

Curry had the opposite problem: great upper body but weak legs. He fixed it and won the O last year. Elssbiay fixed one problem (showing up shredded) but not the other (balancing those legs with his upper body and calves; that's also why, to me, Kai Greene could never best Phil Heath at the O). No, his calves aren't small, in and of themselves. But, compared to those ro-beast legs, the calves look like twigs.

That said, I think appearing super-shredded with his size is why he got the nod over Curry this time.

MCWAY, just one more thing.  I've been meaning to ask you since 2004...do you agree with this statement?:

"From Goo to You by Way of the Zoo!"

Of all things, you waited SIXTEEN years to ask me that? 

No.

[Diesel618]

Hopefully he can make a decent run before Chad kills him or cooks his kidneys.