The 1977 Mr. Olympia was the beginning of an era. With no previous Mr. O in the lineup, everyone knew a new champ would be crowned. The question was: Would it be juggernaut Robby Robinson or familiar face Frank Zane or one of the seven others? And what would it mean to have a slimmer, more aesthetic Mr. O? Let’s journey back to the venerable Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Columbus, Ohio, in the year of Star Wars, Roots, and “Stayin’ Alive” for the 1977 Mr. Olympia.
1977 MR. OLYMPIA: PREAMBLE
Franco Columbu won the 1976 Mr. Olympia after years of competing in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s shadow. He certainly would’ve been the favorite to repeat, but, competing in the World’s Strongest Man earlier that year, the Sardinian strongman suffered a dislocated knee while carrying a refrigerator on his back during a race. The devastating injury seemed to end his bodybuilding career. It definitely dashed any hope of competing in ’77. (Columbu returned at 40 in 1981 to win a very controversial Mr. Olympia.)
Frank Zane had also considered retirement. His close loss to Columbu the year prior had stung. At 35, he was far from washed up, but he’d been competing frequently and at a high level for many years (he defeated young Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Mr. Universe nine years prior), all with little compensation. Forget muscle mag covers, Zane was still toiling as a math teacher. Maybe it was time to move on. Instead, he renewed his commitment to his ultimate goal of winning bodybuilding’s ultimate title. His new mail order ads for his training courses declared “1977, THE YEAR OF ZANE”; he took a sabbatical from teaching; and he lifted heavier than ever before, determined to pack more meat on his slight frame.
Robby Robinson was Apollo Creed to Zane’s Rocky Balboa. He was a more gifted bodybuilder. Having won the loaded Mr. Universe (over Mike Mentzer and several other future legends) the year prior, he had momentum going into his debut Olympia. He sported pointy biceps and a relief map back, vertical blind hamstrings, a wispy waist. Though he was only 5’7″ and 210-ish, small by 21st century Olympia standards, the 32-year-old appeared bigger. And badder. His body was both pleasing and shocking. As Phil Heath said of his own physique three decades later, Robby was “pretty but freaky.” There was something else. With his high afro, drooping moustache, and such workout accessories as a beaded necklace, all in the year of Roots, Robby Robinson, aka The Black Prince, was positioned as an avatar of Black pride in bodybuilding. And in Rocky, Apollo Creed won.
At this time, the Mr. Olympia was judged in two divisions: under-200-pounds and over-200-pounds. The top three from each class then competed in a posedown round for the overall title. This put Frank Zane (under-200) and Robby Robinson (over-200) on a likely collision course for the crown. Greek statue vs. modern muscle marvel. Veteran vs. rookie. White vs. Black. Aesthetics vs. freakiness. Rocky vs. Apollo.
1977 MR. OLYMPIA: EYEWITNESS REPORT
Staged in the Veterans Memorial in Columbus, Ohio, before 5000 fans, the 1977 Mr. Olympia was the second consecutive O promoted by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Lorimer. Bodybuilding legend (and Arnold’s idol) Reg Park was the emcee. He wasn’t the only icon featured. A new trophy modeled after bodybuilding pioneer Eugen Sandow would be awarded to the winner along with the prize money (the total purse was $13,000), and a giant, statuesque version of that trophy stood at center stage.
In the preliminary contest, lightweight class winner Mohammed Makkawy beat heavyweight class winner Roy Callender for the Mr. International title. Both would go on to have impressive Olympia careers, but they had to wait another year for their O debuts. This year there were nine Olympia competitors—tied with 1975 for the contest’s biggest lineup ever, until 1979’s 10.
The following excerpts (rose-colored background) appeared in the MuscleMag Annual #3 and are credited to “The Editors”:
Ken Waller, in his best shape ever, placed fifth. Waller was the biggest man in the competition at 231 pounds and was ripped. He had his act together, as usual, and it unfortunate such a good competitor heads into retirement without having won the Olympia.
Waller didn’t retire but probably should have. It was downhill from here as he competed five more times over the next three years.
An impressive Boyer Coe earned a respectable fourth. Only one point behind Corney [in the under 200-pound division], Coe amazed the assembled mass with his superior arm and leg development, and had he been a tad more defined he would very well have placed higher.
In photos from this show, Boyer Coe looks very impressive. He was one of those guys you never really saw as Mr. Olympia (his abs, chest, and back trailed his limbs), but what he had could wow and keep him in contention in even the most prestigious shows.
Third-place was awarded to 44-year-old Ed Corney, who proved to be the most popular competitor after two standing ovations (pre-judging and evening presentation), for what observers describe as the finest posing routine in the sport’s history. Indeed, the response to Corney’s distinctive style was deafening. The emotional impact of the crowd’s thunderous approval was written all over Corney’s face. It proved the greatest moment of the contest, if not the sport.
Though Coe seems to have the edge over Corney in MuscleMag‘s contest photos, that doesn’t account for movement; and Ed Corney is one of the greatest posers in bodybuilding history.
Robby weighed in at 214. A week before he scaled at 220. At that weight, he looked ripped. However, on the morning of the contest, at a lighter bodyweight, Robby didn’t appear as sharp as he was for many months leading up to the event. He appeared a trifle puffy—what most insiders attributed to water retention. Nevertheless, the man was awesome.
This is generous. Robby Robinson was off and not just “a trifle.” He wasn’t as awesome as usual. He was blurry. There wasn’t much competition in the over-200 class, so the Black Prince won easily, but Ed Corney came within two points of catching him for second place in the overall. It’s unfortunate, because Robinson’s musculature was the best in the world in the late ’70s, with qualities never before seen. If he had only nailed his conditioning this time…
At 187 [pounds], Zane staved off dramatic challenges for the title from a field of eight others, each a superlative champion in his own right. Zane combined his typically flawless presentation of what is considered bodybuilding’s most symmetrical physique with the ineffable Zane charisma, a new degree of muscularity, shape, and a smattering of chutzpah. With noticeably bigger arms and a thicker, ripped-up back Zane defeated much larger opponents in an emotionally-draining evening posedown that stretched for over five minutes for the benefit of ABC’s Wide World of Sports cameras and the delight of the zealous throng which came to its collective feet in a rush of heart-pounding enthusiasm.
Frank Zane, too, was not as ripped as he would be in coming years. But “Rocky” was good enough against this lacking lineup to take the title and become the fifth Mr. Olympia. He was first Olympia winner to earn the now-iconic Sandow trophy, which all Mr. Olympias since have carried home.
1977 MR. OLYMPIA: AFTERMATH
Months later, Robby Robinson said:
“Well, after one solid year of non-stop bombing I was certainly disappointed at first. I wanted to quit and move back to Florida [from Southern California], but while on my European tour shortly afterwards, I poured over the competition and realized that it was a great experience for me to get up there in the posedown with Zane and Corney. It was a great thrill that posedown. I’ll be back next year.”
After winning two pro shows, Robby Robinson was once again favored by most to become Mr. Olympia in 1978. It just seemed inevitable he’d get there. He was again the heavyweight winner but second overall, again, to Zane. In his long pro career, the Black Prince never again came so close to bodybuilding’s ultimate title, though he did win the first Master’s Olympia (for those 40 and over) in 1994 and was fourth in that contest as late as 2001 at age 55.
Frank Zane said:
“It has been a long time in the coming, but this victory is definitely my most satisfying. In 1976, I thought was unbeatable, but I wasn’t. That loss [to Franco Columbu] gave me all the more incentive to train for this year. I wanted this one so bad and I knew from the beginning that I could take it. Everything went according to schedule. I was bigger and more muscular, and I knew there wasn’t a bodybuilder around that could beat me on stage.”
In the aftermath, Frank Zane retired as a schoolteacher and pursued bodybuilding full time. He won the Mr. Olympia the following two years, establishing his own aesthetic dynasty. Zane retired from competitive bodybuilding after the 1984 Olympia. As he predicted, 1977 was indeed the year of Zane.
1977 MR. OLYMPIA RESULTS
October 1, 1977 / Veterans Memorial Auditorium / Columbus, Ohio
Under 200 Pounds
1. Frank Zane (279 points)
2. Ed Corney (270 points)
3. Boyer Coe (269 points)
4. Albert Beckles (250 points)
5. Bill Grant (244 points)
Over 200 Pounds
1. Robby Robinson (278 points)
2. Ken Waller (263 points)
3. Dennis Tinerino (239 points)
4. Roger Walker (236 points)
Overall
1. Frank Zane (11 points)
2. Robby Robinson (15 points)
3. Ed Corney (17 points)
4. Boyer Coe (28 points)
5. Ken Waller (34 points)
6. Dennis Tinerino (42 points)
