by Matt Meinrod
1. Big Ramy Comes Out of Nowhere…
There was a buzz in the air. Mamdouh Elssbiay won the 2012 Mr. Olympia Amateur and people already wanted to crown him the #1 contender for the Mr. Olympia title. Look out Phil Heath, watch out Kai, you guys are old news; it’s Big Ramy time. Well, it didn’t quite turn out that way for the 280+ pound Kuwaiti native, whom by all accounts lacks or takes a myostatin inhibitor. He came onto the scene and won the New York Pro and in my opinion should have placed higher than his 8th place Olympia finish would lead us to believe. With another year under his trainer, Dennis James, I’m expecting a legitimate push for a top 4 Mr. Olympia finish in 2014.
2. Dexter, Not Done Yet…
Forget freaks like Beyeke, Wolf, and Kai. Dexter is in a class of his own. His birth certificate might as well be Obama’s, because there’s no way I’m buying that he’s only 44 years old. First place at The Arnold, Australia, and Tijuana and fifth at the Olympia, Dexter seems to be defying the odds in modern bodybuilding. If his legs can continue to match his upper body, there’s no reason to believe he won’t continue his success into next year and beyond.
3. Jay returns for 6th place…
Well, it wasn’t the grand return to the stage that we had all envisioned. Cutler looked a little tired after the long year promoting BPI and it showed in his physique, with a newly torn right biceps, atrophied quad, and less overall muscular density. By all accounts, this is the last we’ll see from Cutler in terms of competition, but from my view, that ok, he’ll go down as one of bodybuilding’s all-time greats.
4. Arnold Classic No Shows…
So many bodybuilders missed out on a huge opportunity in their careers. Dexter Jackson won the show, but he was really only pushed by Ben Pakulski. Everyone’s world beater, Cedric McMillian looked unimpressive. And the rest of the field never really nibbled at the top spot. I don’t expect to see a blunder like that, made by so many bodybuilders, at an Arnold Classic ever gain.
5. Iris Kyle wins unprecedented 9 Ms. Olympia’s…
Never is the word that first comes to mind when I think about Iris Kyle: Never challenged, never “off”, and NEVER again. The world’s best female bodybuilder proved it once again with her unprecedented 9th Ms. Olympia championship, that there will never be another female bodybuilder with the titles and accomplishments that she’s accumulated during her career. She’s so good she could compete in the 212 division against the men and do very well.
6. Nicole Wilkins ripped to shreds…
Just when most people thought she was done, she comes back better than ever. Wilkins heard the buzz surrounding the fitness division for months leading up to Septembers Olympia. All signs were pointing to Candice Keene riding on a high from her Arnold win to continue that roll onto Vegas. Wilkins had other plans, she started working with Hany Rambod, and the duo mapped out a plan for 2013 that resulted in a much more conditioned and bigger Nicole Wilkins. The results proved to be wonderful, as she coasted to an easy win.
7. Heath 3-Peats…
Love him or hate him, he’s simply the best bodybuilder in the world. Three peats aren’t easy to accomplish in bodybuilding and in doing so, Heath fought off two very good bodybuilders in Kai Greene and Dennis Wolf. Three titles clearly make Heath a fighting champion and one that will be remembered for decades to come. That said, he wasn’t the peoples champ in Las Vegas, that award goes to Kai Greene, who had the crowd in a frenzy from the moment he walked out on stage.
8. Wolf and Winklaar, Climb the Rankings…
These two bodybuilders surged the charts to close out their seasons. For Dennis, he went from placing 6th in 2012’s Olympia to 3rd in ’13 and Roelly did just as well, going from 12th to 7th at the O. Fans argued that Wolf could have won the show and that Winklaar should have jumped Cutler for 6th place. If both stay on the same pace, we could see them unseat even more top bodybuilders in 2014.
9. Dana Linn Bailey is Simply the Best…
She was the first WPD competitor to earn a pro card and she topped that feat by earning the division’s first Olympia championship. Flag Nor Fail is exploding in popularity. And all signs point to a long reign of championships for the pint sized superhero with a larger than life persona.
10. Generation Iron…
Hyped for over a year prior to its September release date, it was the finest production of bodybuilding melodrama since Pumping Iron over three decades ago. Writer/Director Vlad Yudin hit it out of the park in most cases, but for many hardcore fans it left a little to be desired due to the nature of year old events. Having that said, it made bodybuilding seem interesting for those not entrenched in the day to day antics. Hopefully, this isn’t the last we’ll see from bodybuilding on the big screen.
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