The Olympia is "primarily" about size, not only about size. Ronnie at 287 pounds was in good condition. He has striated glutes at that weight so his condition isn't bad. His condition isn't Dorian 93 condition but it's good enough with his unbelievable muscularity and size to beat anyone competing today or in years past. I like Ruhl, but he doesn't have the structure, shape and detail to ever beat Ronnie. Dorian at 257 was awesome, I've said that many times, but even at good as he is at that weight, he's simply never had the shape, separation and detail that Ronnie has.
Ok, I'm gonna say it flat out: Ronnie, in 2003 was the most
muscular bodybuilder ever. But the thing is that being the most
muscular does not immediately = the
best bodybuilder. But yes, if the 257 lbs Dorian went agains the 287 lbs Ronnie, the latter would probably win. Why? Because of fans like you. Fans who favor sheer size above everything else. Fans like you are the ones who pay the tickets to watch pro shows; ergo, to please you and others like you, the judges would give the nod to Ronnie. The is that, however, even though Ronnie would
officially win, he wouldn't
really be the winner. Why? Because the I.F.B.B official judging criteria says so. A 260 lbs bodybuilder with a flat midsection, an etched six-pack, superior hardness and a superbly balanced physique defeats a 287 lbs bodybuilder with a distended midsection, no visible six-pack, lesser details and no calves. Ronnie's gut, by itself, is enough to make him lose the symmetry round flat out. There goes half the judging! And it also severely compromises him at several mandatories: the abs-and-thigh, the side triceps and the side chest - because his gut distension is clearly visible from the sides. Ronnie has a single strengh over Dorian at this weight: muscularity. But he has several weaknesses that Dorian hasn't: gut distension, poor abs, no calves and lesser back details. You're right that the judges would probably give him the nod, because it seems that muscle diameter is everything that matters nowadays, even if it comes with lesser quality and severe symmetry flaws. And by the way, 30 lbs don't mean shit: pro bodybuilders have been known to defeat rivals ho outeight them by 50 lbs. To me, Dorian had more than enough muscle quality and size, coupled ith better balance, to defeat a pregnant 280+ Ronnie. But yeah, the
judges ould overlook that, even though the
I.F.B.B official judging booklet would not. It's as simple as that. Dorian also on, in 1997, for the same reason Ronnie did in 2003: he was the most muscular man onstage. Well, at least Dorian's gut distension, although considerable, wasn't half s bad as Ronnie's in 2003.
SUCKMYMUSCLE