โDid that guy win again?โ he asked.
โYeah,โ I answered. โFor the fifth time.โ
The man nodded and walked away with a ladder. He had work to do, breaking down the stage an hour after Phil Heath secured his fifth Sandow. When even the Las Vegas stagehands backstage recognize you as a multiple Mr. Olympia, you know youโve settled in to a long reign atop the bodybuilding world. And what a compelling contest it was, the 2015 Mr. Olympia, because of who wasnโt there, who was still there, for what couldโve been, for what changed, and, ultimately, for the most important thing of allโthe thing that has stayed the same for so long that even those who donโt know Phil Heathโs name know heโs the king.
2015 MR. OLYMPIA: PRELIMINARIES
Letโs first address who wasnโt there. That would be Kai Greene, the runner-up the previous three years, the heir apparent who twice signed โMr. Olympiaโ after his name on the contestโs promotional posters, the top contender whose rivalry with Phil Heath had heated until it almost erupted on stage last year. Presumably, Greene wouldโve been in the Olympia top two again this yearโif only he had entered. Though he received the contract in April, he never returned it. As September approached, he had to be removed from ads, posters, and programs.
Still, promoter Robin Chang was optimistic bodybuildingโs No. 2 would enter. โAs a businessman, of course I wanted Kai here,โ Chang stated. โHeโs popular. He sells tickets. We always wanted him in the show.โ But for reasons known only to Greene, he decided against competing in the ultimate contest. โThe decision was solely his, as it is for any and all athletes,โ Chang said. Heath put it succinctly, โIn my eyes, he just didnโt want to compete.โ [Kai Greene won all four contests he entered in early 2016, including the Arnold Classic, but that was it for his career. He never again competed in the Mr. Olympia after 2014.]
At the press conference, 31 hours before judging began, many competitors dodged questions regarding Greeneโs absence. Not Dexter Jackson. โIโm glad Kai is out,โ the Blade said with a laugh. โIโll take that money.โ An equally prophetic answer came to this query, directed at Heath: Who would win the Olympia if you werenโt here? โDexter,โ Heath replied, even though 45-year-old Jackson hadnโt placed higher than third in the Mr. O since winning the title in 2008. โHeโs done it before, and he won the Arnold Classic this year.โ
COMPETITOR NO. 9
Four years ago when Dexter Jackson was fifth in the Arnold Classic and sixth in the Olympia, he seemed on the verge of shrinking to irrelevance. His legs, especially, were taking on the middle-aged look of diminishing returns. But he rededicated himself under the tutelage of Charles Glass in Venice, California, and when he strolled to center stage this year, he was a changed man. With his first (and best) pose, the front double biceps, it was evident that he was bigger than he was in March when he won his record-setting fifth Arnold Classic. His quads had never been fuller, even if his calves remain his greatest weakness. The Blade is no longer as finely cut as he was a decade ago. Nevertheless, he displayed corrugated glutes. In his record-setting 16th Olympia, bodybuildingโs ironman was once again in contention for the ultimate title.
COMPETITOR NO. 13
When it comes to contest weights in open pro shows, you almost always have to take the competitorโs word for it. But unlike bodybuilders, the scales donโt lie. After the athletesโ meeting two days before the contest, fully-dressed Mamdouh Elssbiay stepped on the scales (there to weigh-in the 212 athletes) and a shocking number appeared: 316. In posing trunks and having dried out, the 5’10” Elssbiay likely got into the 305-310 range on stage at Friday’s prejudging. Some of that weight was somehow crammed onto his quads, which have grown so ginormous that his vastus lateralis hung far from each side like spare appendages. His calves had also improved, though they remain a long way from in balance with the rest of him.
Thereโs just so much of him. His hang-glider rear lat spread garnered one of the biggest cheers of the contest, and still Big Ramy wanted more, thumping his chest and scowling, encouraging the crowd between poses. If those in the audience who clapped tepidly felt like me and the judges, they wanted to see deeper separation. Phil Heath wasnโt concerned when he heard 316, but if heโd heard 275 he may lost sleep, for that could signify the largest man on stage was going high-def. As it was, Elssbiay was nowhere near HD. Heath had another perceptive observation: Whoever named Elssbiay โBig Ramyโ did him no favors. Ever greater body weights may grow his cult status, but they wonโt earn him a Sandow. Conversely, if he can become worthy of โBig and Ripped Ramy,โ watch out above. [Ramy went on to win the Mr. Olympia in 2020 and 2021.]
COMPETITOR NO. 20
Frankly, Dennis Wolf looked older than 36. The physique that was a sensation at the 2007 Mr. Olympia (a year before Heathโs Olympia debut)โlean, dense, glowing, and impossibly wideโhas been replaced with grainy muscle and abrupt angles. Heโs going the way of Branch Warren, which is to say heโs still a phenomenal bodybuilder but of a different type. His lats and delts have retreated, and, as a result, no longer do his rear double bi and most muscular poses induce audience gasps from their sheer breadth. Still, itโs never a contest between a bodybuilder and his younger self. His front lat spread is, as always, phenomenal. If this Olympia had ended with competitor No. 20, it wouldโve been a close call between Wolf and Jackson for the title.
COMPETITOR NO. 23
With Greene out of the lineup, the best bet was that Shawn Rhoden would move up from the third spot he occupied last year. (He and Wolf jostled for third in the previous three Oโs, with Rhoden taking it twice to Wolfโs once.) Could he leap all the way to first? The jury was still out as Rhoden rolled through his mandatory poses, but it was evident he was less than his best. What were typically ice cube abs seemed to be melting, and his waist sometimes appeared bloatedโa crucial deficiency for Flexatron, who depends on his fab abs and slender middle to accentuate his X-frame despite his less-than-wide shoulders. He had clearly been crisper in prior years, but, as with Wolf, we canโt judge him against his past. This was a three-man race.
COMPETITOR NO. 24
Then a fourth man joinedโthe four-time and defending champ, Phil Heath. Previous Mr. Olympiaโs were duels between him and Kai Greene, so, with his rival gone, many expected the Gift to separate himself from the pack. Heath professed that he wanted to return to peak form after murky conditioning last year. But from his first pose, it was evident he was off. His legs were larger, as he had prioritized this area to better fend off big wheelers Rhoden, Greene, and Elssbiay. However, his upper body, especially his chest and back, was not as crisp as his lower half. From the waist up, his normally โlights outโ rear double biโthe most important pose in bodybuildingโlacked its 3-D, HD pop. The lights were left on.
FIRST CALLOUT
When head judge Steve Weinberger called six names, the last man beckoned to center stage, Roelly Winklaar, pumped his fist with glee. He had previously professed his goal of cracking the top six, and this time he was rewarded for keeping his middle svelte and bringing out cuts. Even his deficient back had improved. His making the first callout in bodybuildingโs Super Bowl was a career highlight.
From left to right, the members of the sextet were: Winklaar, Rhoden, Heath, Wolf, Jackson, and Elssbiay. (Before the final two poses, Rhoden and Wolf were switched.) Here was further evidence that none of the top names brought their best. If Rhoden was leaner, if Wolf was fuller, if Ramy had forgot the scales, if the Blade was sharper, if the champ was truly onโso many ifs, and thatโs not even bringing up the guy who wasnโt there. All those ifs made for a disappointing lineup, but they also spawned a contest that was compelling because the top spots could shake out in virtually any order.
SECOND CALLOUT
This one went (left to right): Branch Warren, Winklaar, Elssbiay, Essa Obiad, William Bonac. Even at 40, Warren continues to come in consistently grainy and veiny, and his legs remain as spectacular as ever. The most interesting thing about this callout, where everyone was presumed to be in the top 10, was the inclusion of Obiad (previous Olympia best: 14th) and Bonac (previous Olympia best: 15th). Both were justly rewarded for their high-def conditioning, though Obiadโs lagging legs eventually dropped him below Victor Martinez. The gold-toothed Bonac has been a juggernaut since growing out of the 212 division in 2013. If he can cram even more muscle on his 5’7″ frame, watch for him to climb still higher in future Oโs. [Bonac did indeed keep growing and climbing, getting as high as second in the 2019 Mr. Olympia.]
SIXTH CALLOUT
The final melee on day one was the quartet of Jackson, Wolf, Heath, and Rhoden. Head judge Steve Weinberger later told me it was a โvery close four-man contest,โ and the movement of the scores from Friday to Saturday reflect this. With half of the judging complete, Dexter Jackson was in fourth.
2015 MR. OLYMPIA FINALS
โPhil was pushed,โ Weinberger told me backstage after Heath won his fifth straight Sandow. โYesterday he was pushed to the wall. Today he came back with better conditioning. Honestly, if he wouldโve come back today like he looked yesterday, he wouldโve lost.โ The question is who wouldโve beat him? The most likely suspect was Rhoden, but Rhoden was also off. Would he be the 14th Mr. Olympia now if heโd brought his best? Weinberger answered with a smile: โIโve got to see him on [meaning: in top condition] for me to say that, but it wouldโve been a lot different probably.โ If not Rhoden, then it wouldโve likely been Jackson for the win. For that to happen, Heath wouldโve needed to drop to at least third on Saturday.
That was certainly possible after his underwhelming Friday, but, as is his habit, Heath improved markedly on day two. While his posing routine progressed, it became obvious he would remain Mr. O. The pop had returned to his rear shots. By the way, his routine, which began with Phil Collinโs โIn the Air Tonightโ and ended with Aloe Blaccโs โIโm the Man,โ was his best yet. Two other routines of note were Winklaarโs popping-and-locking dance-a-thon and Wolfโs striking heroic shots to John Paesanoโs โThe Maze Runnerโ theme (the rare case when a modern bodybuilder poses to one song from start to finish). Both were audience favorites.
The judging comparisons on Saturday were highlighted by various combinations of the top quartet, and it was clear that Wolf was the odd man out as Jackson, Heath, and Rhoden were shuffled. When Weinberger moved Heath so that Jackson and Rhoden were delt-by-delt in the center, the crowd roared. The Gift certainly has his detractors, but much of the crowd’s reaction was simply an acknowledgment that maybe, just maybe, the unpredictable could happen. Still, wherever he stood, Heath was winning poses, especially the two crucial rear shots. And in the end he was moved between Jackson and Rhoden again. The two Mr. Oโs slapped hands while Rhoden gave Heath the side eye and reluctantly retreated to a bookend position. This was a contest between the 12th (Jackson) and 13th (Heath) Mr. Oโs. Forget No. 14 for another year. Backstage soon thereafter, No. 13 caught up with his old friend No. 11, Jay Cutler, the legend whose four Olympia titles he was destined to surpass an hour later. [The late Shawn Rhoden became the 14th Mr. Olympia in 2018.]
2015 MR. OLYMPIA PLACINGS
On Saturday, Branch Warren made up a seven-point deficit to squeak by Roelly Winklaar via a single digit, denying the Caribbean the top six finish he sought. When Big Ramyโs fifth received a tremendous clamor, the colossus thumped his chest and jabbed a fist at the sold-out Orleans Arena crowd in appreciation. That clamor was topped by the boos and lupine howls when Wolf was announced fourth. The most dejected man at the Olympia was Rhoden, who felt this shouldโve been a duel between him and Heath. It never was, despite his straight seconds on Friday. And on Saturday, when the judges re-evaluated the top quartet, Jackson soared from fourth to overtake Rhoden by one painful point, costing Flexatron $50,000 and the unofficial title of heir apparent.
In the end, when it was just the two Mr. Olympiaโs, Jackson and Heath, at center stage, emcee Bob Cicherillo bellowed, โTake the Sandow trophy, the check for four hundred thousand dollars, the Olympia gold medal, and the title of 2015 Mr. Olympia…โ Before he heard his name but when he heard โto your five-time champion,โ Heath pumped a fist and fired a most muscular and rocked on his feet in ecstatic triumph.
2015 MR. OLYMPIA AFTERMATH
The question is, can anyone beat him? Next year, Jackson will be 46. Rhoden, Warren, and Greene will all be 41. Though still dangerous, Wolf peaked years ago. Big Ramy has to decide to be more than just big. The next generation may be many years away from contention. When Dorian Yates won his six Sandows, he had several legitimate threats. For most of Ronnie Colemanโs eight-year reign, Jay Cutler was on his tail. And when Cutler was king, Heath was rising fast. Who can prevent the Gift from getting to not just six next year but a record nine in 2019? Thatโs unclear today, but a lot can change over four yearsโor one year. [Heath won again in 2016 and won his seventh and final Mr. Olympia title in 2017.]
โFour was great,โ Heath said backstage just after he won Sandow No. 5 (a larger, redesigned statue). โBut no one has won five since Ronnie Coleman, and, Iโll be honest, that puts me in a different category. The only guys Iโll be compared with in the legend category are Dorian [Yates], Arnold [Schwarzenegger], and the two eight-timers [Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman]. So itโll really solidify my dynasty, and thatโs why Iโve been hashtagging it so much, just as motivation to myself.โ
As for winning at less than his best, Heath stated, โI think on Saturday I just find a way to get it done. More importantly, I just take Saturday really personally. I have experience with all of these guys. Iโve taken their best shots and come out on top. I was only 90% this time, and Iโm going to be chasing that perfection next year. Thatโs what Iโm excited about. I know my legs can get better, because they were this year. So I can work on maximizing that and just continue to keep that roundness up top, and I proved to everyone that I can keep my waist in shape. The other four [Mr. Olympia wins he needed to break the record of eight], I canโt think about them yet. I just have to do my job. Iโm going to try some things this off-season, because I think I can make it lights out. In my heart, I want to start doing that. I want to be known as a dominating Mr. Olympia. These guys pushed me. Iโm not gonna lie. But I just pushed back harder.โ
2015 MR. OLYMPIA RESULTS
September 18-19, 2015 / Orleans Arena / Las Vegas, Nevada
1. Phil Heath ($400,000)
2. Dexter Jackson ($150,000)
3. Shawn Rhoden ($100,000)
4. Dennis Wolf ($55,000)
5. Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay ($45,000)
6. Branch Warren ($35,000)
7. Roelly Winklaar ($25,000)
8. William Bonac ($20,000)
9. Victor Martinez ($19,000)
10. Essa Obiad ($16,000)
11. Juan Morel ($4000)
12. Maxx Charles ($4000)
13. Dallas McCarver ($4000)
14. Ronny Rockel ($4000)
15. Johnnie Jackson ($4000)
The following competitors did not place and are listed here alphabetically.
Mohamad Bannout ($2000)
Brandon Curry ($2000)
Jonathan DeLaRosa ($2000)
Abdelaziz Jellali ($2000)
Steve Kuclo ($2000)
Robert Piotrkowicz ($2000)
Brad Rowe ($2000)
Fred Smalls ($2000)
2015 MR. OLYMPIA SCORECARD
This article originally appeared, in a slightly different form, in FLEX magazine under the title “Take the Fifth.”
