2001 Mr. Olympia Review

Unlike last year, I was able to attend this year's dramatic Mr. Olympia competition held in the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 27, 2001. This year's competition was more exciting than usual due to the large amount of competitors (21 this year compared to 13 last year) and the number of first-time Olympia competitors entered in the contest. Many of these "rookies" were making lots of noise in the various bodybuilding publications in the months leading up to the Big Show and there was lots of anticipation on who would back up their words and who would eat crow.

1st Place - Ronnie Coleman. No surprise here. I think everyone, even the competitors themselves, expected Big Ron Coleman to win his 4th straight Mr. Olympia title. What was a surprise, however, was how close the final score was thanks to surprise competitor Jason Cutler (see below). After much criticism last year on his poor level of condition, Ronnie came in ripped to the bone at this year's Arnold Classic. He DESTROYED the competition there and I expected him to show up in similar condition for the Olympia.

That's why I was somewhat shocked to see Ronnie at the pre-judging bigger and thicker than ever but sporting a protruding gut along with all that other mass. He was NOT in the same condition that he achieved at the Arnold Classic earlier in the year. He looked to be in the 260 pound range again unlike the shredded 247 pounds he sported at the Arnold.

Not to say Ronnie was not in great shape. He was still bigger and thicker than any other competitor onstage. There is still not a bodybuilder around who can compare to him in the back department and his arms and quads are also pretty extraordinary. He was hard and vascular all over but his expanding waistline did detract from the perfect condition he had displayed earlier in the year. Word has it that Ronnie was ill during the day and that had much to do with his somewhat bloated midsection. He did look much harder in the evening.

2nd Place - Jason Cutler. Cutler was the big surprise of the whole weekend. Although I predicted the future success of this young (28) competitor in last year's Olympia review ("Once he learns how to peak consistently and really show up totally dialed in, I see him winning this title one day"), even I was shocked at the condition Cutler showed this year. The audience and judges were shocked also as they witnessed a bodybuilder who stood right next to Coleman and matched him structure for structure, thickness for thickness and incredible proportions to incredible proportions. The major difference between the two competitors is that Jason was much drier and harder than the reigning champ was. This was noticeably evident in the front ab and thigh pose. Abs have never been Ronnie's strong point and Jason's abs on this Olympia evening were rock hard! As for thighs, Cutler has always been known for his outrageous quadriceps.

When these two mega-monsters turned around, however, Coleman stole the show. No one can match Ronnie in the back department. Ronnie's back was much thicker and harder than Cutler. Even though Ronnie stood apart from the rear, Cutler beat the then 3 time champ in both rounds of the pre-judging. Ronnie was able to somehow pull ahead in the evening rounds and win his fourth title. Coleman was harder at night and he had a very energetic posing routine that featured a surprise patriotic theme but this judging turn-around has garnered much criticism from the bodybuilding public.

In a surprising development since the Olympia contest took place, Jason Cutler was announced to have failed the drug test for diuretics and has lost his placing. I have heard that Cutler is seeking legal representation on this matter. If this is true, it's a shame for one of biggest surprises of the year in the bodybuilding world.

3rd Place - Kevin Levrone. Last year's big surprise was rumored to be a last minute drop-out at this year's Olympia. Instead, Kevin snuck in under the wire and was allowed to compete in this year's event even though he had failed to sign the competitor's contract. However, he had to pay the price by forking over a hefty fee to the IFBB.

Kevin looked like he was sticking with last year's successful game plan by showing up lean and mean for the Big O. However, it was heard that he only trained for a total of three months this year for the contest. I don't know if that's true or not but Kevin didn't look nearly as thick or massive as he normally does. He was hard, no doubt about it, but he couldn't compare to Coleman or Cutler in the mass department.

Kevin performed a nice posing routine to the Enrique Iglesias song "Hero" (one of the many posing routines that used the September 11 terrorist attacks as the theme for their performances) at the evening show but he choose a poor color for his posing trunks. It was a flesh color and seemed to blend with his skin color instead of standing out as a bold color. I thought it was very close for third place between Kevin and Shawn Ray.

4th Place - Shawn Ray. Shawn was competing in his unbelievable 13th Mr. Olympia and made the top 5 again for the 12th year in a row! This is an absolutely incredible accomplishment. However, I was more impressed with Shawn's physique last year than the one he presented this year. He seemed to look thicker and harder last year than he did this time.

Shawn looked to be holding water at the beginning of the pre-judging but he definitely hardened up as the pre-judging continued. I thought it was neck and neck between him and Kevin and I would have put Shawn in third by a hair. One thing that might have helped Shawn move up a placing would have been a NEW posing routine. Although one of the sport's most accomplished and gifted posers, Shawn needs a more inspired and innovative routine. Can you believe he used the same song and music that he used in the 1987 Nationals and the 1994 Olympia?? C'mon Shawn, this is the only show you do all year. Surely, you have the time to come up with a new song!

5th Place - Chris Cormier. Chris had to be one of this year's big disappointments as he believed that the Olympia this year was going to be between him and Ronnie. Instead, Chris showed up too heavy to challenge for one of the top spots. He was very thick and well proportioned but it was obvious during his performance of the mandatory poses that he was not as ripped as he needed to be.

Chris had a great year in 2001, winning most of the professional shows he entered in the early part of the year. Perhaps he burned himself out by competing so much. However, he was not depleted in any way but was instead too heavy. I also thought it was a mistake to enter the show with his hair in dreadlocks compared to his normal short haircut. Longer hair always detracts from the final look onstage. Just ask Robby Robinson after his experience in the 1977 Olympia and he'll tell you.

6th Place - Orville Burke. Another surprise competitor this year has to be New York's own Orville Burke. Orville received some criticism earlier this year after winning the Toronto Pro Show and the Night of the Champions. Many thought Dexter Jackson should have won both of those events.

Orville has a freaky physique that has some weak areas but also contains some incredible strong points. He is a very big man with some of the widest lats in bodybuilding. Orville has high lats and they are truly freaky when viewed from the front or back. His legs are also very large and separated. However, his arms are out of proportion and he has that familiar protruding midsection that tends to detract from the overall aesthetic look of the physique. To his credit, though, Orville was in very good condition for this year's Olympia and was harder than most of the other competitors. He earned his placing.

7th Place - Dennis James. Based on the incredible photographs posted on his website in the weeks leading up the Olympia, I predicted that Dennis James would place in the top 5. He has some of the most incredible thickness in the off-season but somehow tends to lose much of that impressiveness on the day of the show. Today, Dennis was a little flat and his face was so sunken in that he almost was unrecognizable.

Dennis's weak point seems to be his back. He also has somewhat high lats and he loses points during the mandatory poses when he faces competitors who have thicker lower lats (like Coleman and Cormier). His pecs and delts are extremely thick especially in combination with his wide shoulder structure.

8th Place - Dexter Jackson. Dexter was again disappointed with his placing at this year's Olympia. He has fantastic genetics with his tiny joints and full muscle bellies. I thought Dexter looked better than ever this year. He was bigger than before but was ripped (as always). I agree with Shawn Ray who said that Dexter needs to take a full year off and just concentrate on the Olympia. With a longer off-season, I think Dexter can make the type of difference in size and thickness that will make the judges sit up and take notice.

9th Place - Nasser El Sonbaty. Nasser needed to come into this year's Olympia in much better shape than he has shown in his last two appearances. The last time Nasser showed his winning form is when he captured the Arnold Classic in 1999. Since that time, Nasser has competed too smooth (at the '99 Olympia) and too small (at last year's Olympia).

For this year's contest, Nasser WAS in much better shape but it still wasn't enough. He was definitely thicker and bigger than last year but he doesn't seem to be able to recapture that thick, ripped look that he displayed so dramatically between the years of 1995-98. His one bicep muscle seems to have been torn and the Synthol bug seems to have bitten his delts. This may be the end of Nasser's career as one of the top Olympia contenders.

10th Place - King Kamali. The outspoken King Kamali has generated more controversy and excitement than any other contender in this year's Olympia. He backed up his bold statements, however, by presenting a physique that was big, thick and hard. Kamali has obviously practiced his mandatory poses numerous times and was able to outscore many of his opponents by putting more into each pose and getting the most mileage out of his physique.

In addition to his physique, Kamali also performed THE BEST posing routine of the evening. In a competition that featured many great posers, Kamali was by far the best. I was amazed at the number of audience members who initially booed Kamali when he was introduced (based on his magazine press) but later were literally standing on their feet to cheer him by the time he reached the conclusion of his routine. It was something to see. I would have had Kamali a few notches higher in the end.

11th Place - Melvin Anthony. Melvin has one of the most genetically gifted physiques of all the pros competing today. He was in good shape today but not quite as hard as he was when he placed runner-up to Chris Cormier at the Pro IronMan Show earlier in the year. His waistline, in contrast to so many of the bodybuilders competing today, is small and tight. Melvin also has extremely full muscle bellies which make him look even bigger than he actually is. When he comes in peaked, look out!

12th Place - Craig Titus. Craig trained very hard for this year's Olympia and was hoping to make the top 10. Unfortunately, he looked too flat and depleted and lost much of the impressive thickness that he displayed so prominently at the San Francisco Pro Show and the Arnold earlier in the year. Craig was trying to bring his waistline down to accentuate his V-taper but, in the process, lost alot of muscle. I actually would have had Markus Ruhl and Vince Taylor ahead of Titus.

13th Place - Vince Taylor. I thought Vince was very impressive, especially for a 45 year old bodybuilder. He was in great condition and, although he seems to have lost a little of the thickness that he once displayed, he definitely did himself proud. His posing routine was basically the same one that he performed ten years ago in 1991 except his Terminator character was now assigned to eliminate Osama bin Ladin instead of Lee Labrada and Shawn Ray. The crowd loved it and Vince made a very positive addition to this year's Olympia line-up.

14th Place - Markus Ruhl. Markus created the biggest uproar of the evening when the judges choose not to place him among the top ten finalists. Markus again displayed incredible size and proportions but he was not quite as hard as last year when he should have made the top 6. The judges seem to mark down Markus because of his lack of shape and aesthetics. The hardcore bodybuilding fans sure love his physique though!

15th Place - Gunter Schlierkamp. Gunter looked fantastic for this year's Olympia. He is a very big man, competing onstage at 290 pounds. He is big, full and hard as a rock. The only thing that hurts Gunter is his wide waist in the front ab and thigh pose. Since this is his structure, there is little he can do about it but the judges seem to be finally awarding Gunter for his continued hard work and the progress he makes every year.

16th Place - Tom Prince. Tom really hit his peak this year at the Night of the Champions where he took third place. He has incredible size and thickness, especially in those world class legs. If he can dial it in like he did at the NOC, Tom will be a top contender. The potential is there.

17th Place - J.D. Dawodu. J.D. also has incredible thickness. He was also relatively hard but he is held back by his somewhat narrow structure. It seems incredible that an impressive physique like his places as low as 17th place but this contest had some tough competition. I think J.D. should show up hard as a rock and really get aggressive onstage. His thickness would be hard to ignore then.

18th Place - Darrem Charles. Darrem was a disappointment to me this year. I think he has a great physique, good shape and hard as a rock. However, Darrem needs to be bigger to compete with all the mass monsters that are out there now. I think Darrem could have trained harder for this show and added more mass while showing up even harder. Maybe he was intimidated by the large number of entrants and knew he didn't have much of a chance to place high. His much heralded posing routine was underscored by a poor choice of musical selection. Darrem's routine from the '98 Olympia still stands out as one of the best ever.

19th Place - Pavol Jablonicky. Pavol has very impressive thickness in the upper body and ALWAYS shows up in rock hard shape. His abs are thick as bricks and he seemed to be getting frustrated during the pre-judging with his lack of call-outs. Pavol also seems to suffer from his somewhat inadequate structure. He doesn't display that coveted V-taper as much as some of his competitors do.

20th Place - Claude Groulx. Claude was another bodybuilder, like Pavol, who was very thick and impressive. He was in great shape but seemed to be penalized for his thick waist. He has some incredible delts and shows fantastic back thickness and detail from the rear. He'll be back.

21st Place - Mike Matarazzo. Well, somebody had to be last in this impressive line-up and, this year, it was audience favorite Mike Matarazzo. In all fairness, I've seen Mike compete in much better condition than he displayed today. His back development hurts him in comparison to the top dogs but Mike could have been much harder. In addition to his world famous arms and calves, Mike has great thighs and magnificent abs. When he is really ripped, Mike can beat many of the men who placed above him and make a run for the top 10.

In retrospect, this year's Olympia was very, very exciting. Jay Cutler made it crystal clear that there is a serious contender for Ronnie Coleman's throne. The veterans such as Shawn Ray, Kevin Levrone and Chris Cormier seem to have a lockhold on the top five positions but there are some new rookies on the horizon that will definitely be a factor in the next few years. Once Dennis James learns to peak, watch out! Others such as Orville Burke, Dexter Jackson, King Kamali and Melvin Anthony are really going to cause some upsets next year. Make your reservations for the Mandalay Bay early next year. It should be a great event!

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	2001 Mr. Olympia Review Unlike last year, I was able to attend this year's dramatic Mr. Olympia competition held in the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 27, 2001. This year's competition was more exciting than usual due to the large amount of competitors (21 this year compared to 13 last year) and the number of first-time Olympia competitors entered in the contest. Many of these "rookies" were making lots of noise in the various bodybuilding publications in the months leading up to the Big Show and there was lots of anticipation on who would back up their words and who would eat crow. 1st Place - Ronnie Coleman. No surprise here. I think everyone, even the competitors themselves, expected Big Ron Coleman to win his 4th straight Mr. Olympia title. What was a surprise, however, was how close the final score was thanks to surprise competitor Jason Cutler (see below). After much criticism last year on his poor level of condition, Ronnie came in ripped to the bone at this year's Arnold Classic. He DESTROYED the competition there and I expected him to show up in similar condition for the Olympia. That's why I was somewhat shocked to see Ronnie at the pre-judging bigger and thicker than ever but sporting a protruding gut along with all that other mass. He was NOT in the same condition that he achieved at the Arnold Classic earlier in the year. He looked to be in the 260 pound range again unlike the shredded 247 pounds he sported at the Arnold. Not to say Ronnie was not in great shape. He was still bigger and thicker than any other competitor onstage. There is still not a bodybuilder around who can compare to him in the back department and his arms and quads are also pretty extraordinary. He was hard and vascular all over but his expanding waistline did detract from the perfect condition he had displayed earlier in the year. Word has it that Ronnie was ill during the day and that had much to do with his somewhat bloated midsection. He did look much harder in the evening. 2nd Place - Jason Cutler. Cutler was the big surprise of the whole weekend. Although I predicted the future success of this young (28) competitor in last year's Olympia review ("Once he learns how to peak consistently and really show up totally dialed in, I see him winning this title one day"), even I was shocked at the condition Cutler showed this year. The audience and judges were shocked also as they witnessed a bodybuilder who stood right next to Coleman and matched him structure for structure, thickness for thickness and incredible proportions to incredible proportions. The major difference between the two competitors is that Jason was much drier and harder than the reigning champ was. This was noticeably evident in the front ab and thigh pose. Abs have never been Ronnie's strong point and Jason's abs on this Olympia evening were rock hard! As for thighs, Cutler has always been known for his outrageous quadriceps. When these two mega-monsters turned around, however, Coleman stole the show. No one can match Ronnie in the back department. Ronnie's back was much thicker and harder than Cutler. Even though Ronnie stood apart from the rear, Cutler beat the then 3 time champ in both rounds of the pre-judging. Ronnie was able to somehow pull ahead in the evening rounds and win his fourth title. Coleman was harder at night and he had a very energetic posing routine that featured a surprise patriotic theme but this judging turn-around has garnered much criticism from the bodybuilding public. In a surprising development since the Olympia contest took place, Jason Cutler was announced to have failed the drug test for diuretics and has lost his placing. I have heard that Cutler is seeking legal representation on this matter. If this is true, it's a shame for one of biggest surprises of the year in the bodybuilding world. 3rd Place - Kevin Levrone. Last year's big surprise was rumored to be a last minute drop-out at this year's Olympia. Instead, Kevin snuck in under the wire and was allowed to compete in this year's event even though he had failed to sign the competitor's contract. However, he had to pay the price by forking over a hefty fee to the IFBB. Kevin looked like he was sticking with last year's successful game plan by showing up lean and mean for the Big O. However, it was heard that he only trained for a total of three months this year for the contest. I don't know if that's true or not but Kevin didn't look nearly as thick or massive as he normally does. He was hard, no doubt about it, but he couldn't compare to Coleman or Cutler in the mass department. Kevin performed a nice posing routine to the Enrique Iglesias song "Hero" (one of the many posing routines that used the September 11 terrorist attacks as the theme for their performances) at the evening show but he choose a poor color for his posing trunks. It was a flesh color and seemed to blend with his skin color instead of standing out as a bold color. I thought it was very close for third place between Kevin and Shawn Ray. 4th Place - Shawn Ray. Shawn was competing in his unbelievable 13th Mr. Olympia and made the top 5 again for the 12th year in a row! This is an absolutely incredible accomplishment. However, I was more impressed with Shawn's physique last year than the one he presented this year. He seemed to look thicker and harder last year than he did this time. Shawn looked to be holding water at the beginning of the pre-judging but he definitely hardened up as the pre-judging continued. I thought it was neck and neck between him and Kevin and I would have put Shawn in third by a hair. One thing that might have helped Shawn move up a placing would have been a NEW posing routine. Although one of the sport's most accomplished and gifted posers, Shawn needs a more inspired and innovative routine. Can you believe he used the same song and music that he used in the 1987 Nationals and the 1994 Olympia?? C'mon Shawn, this is the only show you do all year. Surely, you have the time to come up with a new song! 5th Place - Chris Cormier. Chris had to be one of this year's big disappointments as he believed that the Olympia this year was going to be between him and Ronnie. Instead, Chris showed up too heavy to challenge for one of the top spots. He was very thick and well proportioned but it was obvious during his performance of the mandatory poses that he was not as ripped as he needed to be. Chris had a great year in 2001, winning most of the professional shows he entered in the early part of the year. Perhaps he burned himself out by competing so much. However, he was not depleted in any way but was instead too heavy. I also thought it was a mistake to enter the show with his hair in dreadlocks compared to his normal short haircut. Longer hair always detracts from the final look onstage. Just ask Robby Robinson after his experience in the 1977 Olympia and he'll tell you. 6th Place - Orville Burke. Another surprise competitor this year has to be New York's own Orville Burke. Orville received some criticism earlier this year after winning the Toronto Pro Show and the Night of the Champions. Many thought Dexter Jackson should have won both of those events. Orville has a freaky physique that has some weak areas but also contains some incredible strong points. He is a very big man with some of the widest lats in bodybuilding. Orville has high lats and they are truly freaky when viewed from the front or back. His legs are also very large and separated. However, his arms are out of proportion and he has that familiar protruding midsection that tends to detract from the overall aesthetic look of the physique. To his credit, though, Orville was in very good condition for this year's Olympia and was harder than most of the other competitors. He earned his placing. 7th Place - Dennis James. Based on the incredible photographs posted on his website in the weeks leading up the Olympia, I predicted that Dennis James would place in the top 5. He has some of the most incredible thickness in the off-season but somehow tends to lose much of that impressiveness on the day of the show. Today, Dennis was a little flat and his face was so sunken in that he almost was unrecognizable. Dennis's weak point seems to be his back. He also has somewhat high lats and he loses points during the mandatory poses when he faces competitors who have thicker lower lats (like Coleman and Cormier). His pecs and delts are extremely thick especially in combination with his wide shoulder structure. 8th Place - Dexter Jackson. Dexter was again disappointed with his placing at this year's Olympia. He has fantastic genetics with his tiny joints and full muscle bellies. I thought Dexter looked better than ever this year. He was bigger than before but was ripped (as always). I agree with Shawn Ray who said that Dexter needs to take a full year off and just concentrate on the Olympia. With a longer off-season, I think Dexter can make the type of difference in size and thickness that will make the judges sit up and take notice. 9th Place - Nasser El Sonbaty. Nasser needed to come into this year's Olympia in much better shape than he has shown in his last two appearances. The last time Nasser showed his winning form is when he captured the Arnold Classic in 1999. Since that time, Nasser has competed too smooth (at the '99 Olympia) and too small (at last year's Olympia). For this year's contest, Nasser WAS in much better shape but it still wasn't enough. He was definitely thicker and bigger than last year but he doesn't seem to be able to recapture that thick, ripped look that he displayed so dramatically between the years of 1995-98. His one bicep muscle seems to have been torn and the Synthol bug seems to have bitten his delts. This may be the end of Nasser's career as one of the top Olympia contenders. 10th Place - King Kamali. The outspoken King Kamali has generated more controversy and excitement than any other contender in this year's Olympia. He backed up his bold statements, however, by presenting a physique that was big, thick and hard. Kamali has obviously practiced his mandatory poses numerous times and was able to outscore many of his opponents by putting more into each pose and getting the most mileage out of his physique. In addition to his physique, Kamali also performed THE BEST posing routine of the evening. In a competition that featured many great posers, Kamali was by far the best. I was amazed at the number of audience members who initially booed Kamali when he was introduced (based on his magazine press) but later were literally standing on their feet to cheer him by the time he reached the conclusion of his routine. It was something to see. I would have had Kamali a few notches higher in the end. 11th Place - Melvin Anthony. Melvin has one of the most genetically gifted physiques of all the pros competing today. He was in good shape today but not quite as hard as he was when he placed runner-up to Chris Cormier at the Pro IronMan Show earlier in the year. His waistline, in contrast to so many of the bodybuilders competing today, is small and tight. Melvin also has extremely full muscle bellies which make him look even bigger than he actually is. When he comes in peaked, look out! 12th Place - Craig Titus. Craig trained very hard for this year's Olympia and was hoping to make the top 10. Unfortunately, he looked too flat and depleted and lost much of the impressive thickness that he displayed so prominently at the San Francisco Pro Show and the Arnold earlier in the year. Craig was trying to bring his waistline down to accentuate his V-taper but, in the process, lost alot of muscle. I actually would have had Markus Ruhl and Vince Taylor ahead of Titus. 13th Place - Vince Taylor. I thought Vince was very impressive, especially for a 45 year old bodybuilder. He was in great condition and, although he seems to have lost a little of the thickness that he once displayed, he definitely did himself proud. His posing routine was basically the same one that he performed ten years ago in 1991 except his Terminator character was now assigned to eliminate Osama bin Ladin instead of Lee Labrada and Shawn Ray. The crowd loved it and Vince made a very positive addition to this year's Olympia line-up. 14th Place - Markus Ruhl. Markus created the biggest uproar of the evening when the judges choose not to place him among the top ten finalists. Markus again displayed incredible size and proportions but he was not quite as hard as last year when he should have made the top 6. The judges seem to mark down Markus because of his lack of shape and aesthetics. The hardcore bodybuilding fans sure love his physique though! 15th Place - Gunter Schlierkamp. Gunter looked fantastic for this year's Olympia. He is a very big man, competing onstage at 290 pounds. He is big, full and hard as a rock. The only thing that hurts Gunter is his wide waist in the front ab and thigh pose. Since this is his structure, there is little he can do about it but the judges seem to be finally awarding Gunter for his continued hard work and the progress he makes every year. 16th Place - Tom Prince. Tom really hit his peak this year at the Night of the Champions where he took third place. He has incredible size and thickness, especially in those world class legs. If he can dial it in like he did at the NOC, Tom will be a top contender. The potential is there. 17th Place - J.D. Dawodu. J.D. also has incredible thickness. He was also relatively hard but he is held back by his somewhat narrow structure. It seems incredible that an impressive physique like his places as low as 17th place but this contest had some tough competition. I think J.D. should show up hard as a rock and really get aggressive onstage. His thickness would be hard to ignore then. 18th Place - Darrem Charles. Darrem was a disappointment to me this year. I think he has a great physique, good shape and hard as a rock. However, Darrem needs to be bigger to compete with all the mass monsters that are out there now. I think Darrem could have trained harder for this show and added more mass while showing up even harder. Maybe he was intimidated by the large number of entrants and knew he didn't have much of a chance to place high. His much heralded posing routine was underscored by a poor choice of musical selection. Darrem's routine from the '98 Olympia still stands out as one of the best ever. 19th Place - Pavol Jablonicky. Pavol has very impressive thickness in the upper body and ALWAYS shows up in rock hard shape. His abs are thick as bricks and he seemed to be getting frustrated during the pre-judging with his lack of call-outs. Pavol also seems to suffer from his somewhat inadequate structure. He doesn't display that coveted V-taper as much as some of his competitors do. 20th Place - Claude Groulx. Claude was another bodybuilder, like Pavol, who was very thick and impressive. He was in great shape but seemed to be penalized for his thick waist. He has some incredible delts and shows fantastic back thickness and detail from the rear. He'll be back. 21st Place - Mike Matarazzo. Well, somebody had to be last in this impressive line-up and, this year, it was audience favorite Mike Matarazzo. In all fairness, I've seen Mike compete in much better condition than he displayed today. His back development hurts him in comparison to the top dogs but Mike could have been much harder. In addition to his world famous arms and calves, Mike has great thighs and magnificent abs. When he is really ripped, Mike can beat many of the men who placed above him and make a run for the top 10. In retrospect, this year's Olympia was very, very exciting. Jay Cutler made it crystal clear that there is a serious contender for Ronnie Coleman's throne. The veterans such as Shawn Ray, Kevin Levrone and Chris Cormier seem to have a lockhold on the top five positions but there are some new rookies on the horizon that will definitely be a factor in the next few years. Once Dennis James learns to peak, watch out! Others such as Orville Burke, Dexter Jackson, King Kamali and Melvin Anthony are really going to cause some upsets next year. Make your reservations for the Mandalay Bay early next year. It should be a great event!
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