92 - unspectacular. Could of went to any of the tp three that year. unfortunate for the sport taht it went to yates
93 - dominated. New level of size and conditioning previously unseen.
94 - appaling. Off colour, visible stomach distension, bulging obliques. Oh and torn bicep. How much he changed in only a year. Sort of like the change during 92 and 93 only in reverse.
95 -better. Dry, similar to 93 but with torn arm
96 - showing age already. Physique degrading, gut widening, arms getting smaller (relative to torso).
97 - possibly the worst package ever presented to win bar franco and dickerson. Twiggish arms, more torn muscles, gut as big as ever, less quad flair, noticebly decreasing taper. Looks 50. No, actually looks nearer 55. 
93, 95, 92, 94, 96, 97 in order probably.
3 years on, 3 years off
Ronnie:
1996 Canada Pro Cup - His best shape ever. 260 lbs, very separated, with great density. Taper not as good as at the 1998 Olympia, but muscularity is spectacular.
1997 Mr.Olympia - Gets defeated by a Dorian Yates who has torn muscles and a distended midsection. Ronnie is holding water, smaller than in previous contests and has terrible separations. Standing next to Dorian during one of the call-outs, looks like "nothing but a peanut", as Dorian is 20 lbs heavier, with greater fullness and incomparably superior density.
1998 Olympia - Second best Ronnie form ever. Very dry - although not on Dorian's league in this regard -, with his highest degree of muscle separations and striations ever. His taper is at his best, and his abdominal definition, which was never outstanding, is now
almost as good as Dorian's. His only shortcomings are his relative lack of thickness on his chest and back, and also of density. But at only 249 lbs, perhaps this should be expected. A great showing, nevertheless.
1999 Olympia - 257 lbs. Comes in with greater fullness and density than at the previous year's Olympia, but not as sharp. His front quadriceps, latissimus, rhomboids and teres major shows clearly decreased separations in relation to his previous Olympia form. His abdominal shows less crispness and separations and also the begginings of a distension. His serratus are barely visible and also thicker than at the previous showing. All things considered, Ronnie is no better than at the previous Olympia, although not much worse either.
2000 Olympia - Too big. Holding water. Little abdominal separations and distended midsection. Fullness is actually worse than at the previous Olympia and not better than that of 1998. Ronnie's major shortcoming, at this contest, was his overrall lack of hardness.
2001 ASC - Great showing. Super-dry. Posesses fantastic taper and, for the only time ever, has an abdominal-and-thighs shot that comes close to Dorian's. Fullness is superior to 1998 and almost comparable to 1999. My only criticism is that I think Ronnie was lacking a little in muscularity and density, being only 242 lbs. Great showing, in any case.
2001 Olympia - Not criticizing Ronnie, at this showing, reveals immidiate
bias: he is extremely flat, water-logged, has a distended midsection and his muscularity is at it's all time worse. When turning to the back, even his hmastrings, which always had astounding separations, are holding water. His calves are as pathetic as usual. His latissimus are narrower than at his previous showings and his christmas-tree is almost completely hidden. When it omes to thikness, even Dorian's 1992 version destroys him. Ronnie's worst showind ever. Won due to protocol and posing routine.
2002 Olympia - Almost as bad as in the previous year, only with a slightly improved taper. Is holding water and is lacking in fullness and density. His back double biceps mandatory is at it's worst ever. If it weren't fro his great back lat spread and good taper from the front - not from the sides, where his gut distension is apparent -, would have lost the contest. A pathetic showing, although perhaps good enough for a reigning Mr.Olympia to retain his title - which was definitely not the case in the previous Olympia, when he was so bad that not even protocol should have saved him.
2003 Olympia - This contest is overrated for several reasons. The
only great thing about Ronnie, at this contest, was his muscularity, which was undoubtedly incredible. Nevertheless, his abdominals were far less separated than in his 1998/9 forms and his gut was even more distended than at the previous Olympia. His front quadriceps and upper back details, which were phenomenal in 1998/9, were now just as bad as in 2001/2. His calves were even more of a liability, when compared to his gigantic quads. And furthermore, Dorian still had a thicker middle back and his lats were just as wide as Ronnie's, despite being 30 lbs ligher. Yet, Ronnie added some 40 lbs of muscle, so his muscularity compensates for his decreased separations, at least to some degree. I have already written several very long posts about Ronnie at the 2003 Olympia, in respsonse to PF, explaining why muscularity is not the only criteria that should win contests. Nevertheless, in the single criteria of muscularity, and despite his many, many
severe flaws in ohter areas, Ronnie was impeccable. I still think he should have lost due to his grotesque assymetries, but I give him major props when it comes to sheer muscular size.
2004 Olympia - His worst showing, besides the 2001 Olmpia. His gut distension, which was already grotesque in 2003, became absolutely appalling in 2004. At 296 lbs, Ronnie is a water-buffalo, and is holding more water than the Mississippi River dam. He has practically no muscular details at all, when standing relaxed on the symmetry round. His width on the rear lat spread is only comparable to that of his previous Olympia, but with far less details. Ronnie should have lost this contest for several reasons: his gut distension is so extreme as to be
unacceptable, he lacks density and dryness, and he almost looks alike an off-season bodybuilder. On conditioning alone, Ronnie should have lost the contest: what's the point of big musles if you lack the separations to display them? His gut distension makes him lose the symmetry round flat out - just like it should have, at the 2003 Olympia. An appalling display for any bodybuilder, let alone to a standard-bearer.
2005 Olympia - His best showing in years. Almost as musular and dense as in 2003, but with better separations and a trimmer waistline. I think he deserved to win. His back shots are still incredible - although Cutler has now a comparable back double biceps, and his abdominal-and-thighs, always one of his weak points, was actually very good - even if not on Dorian's league. I think there were better bodybuilders on the symmetry round, but he improved himself dramatically on this category in relation to 2003, and especially in relation to 2004. A very good showing.
I conclusion, Ronnie should have lost in 2000/1/2/4. 2003 is debatable: should incredible muscularity compensate for extreme symmetrical and qulaity weaknesses everywhere else? I don't think so. In any case, 2003 is open to deabate, because Ronnie clearly lost rhe symmetry round and his distended midsection and decreased separations actually worsened him on several of the mandatories(abs-and-thighs, side tris, side chest, back double biceps and the rear lat spread.
SUCKMYMUSCLE
