2002 Mr Olympia Review: The Others Comments and Opinions by Various People

To add your comments, please email Ron at Ron@Getbig.com. Regarding Bob Cicherillo: Chick looks great. Nice opening pose: bent toward audience, showing pecs / traps / back thickness. He's definitely on. Back looks great, lots of detail. Great upper body. Great abs. Legs pretty good, considering disc problem. Great comeback from that injury. Chick looks good enough to be in the top 10! Chic's got potential. He was one of the few pros that showed up with a trim waistline. I'm not sure where he got penalized but he has space to improve the traps, delts, tie-ins, and tri's. He deserved better than he placed though. i was never a big fan of Bob Cicherillo in the past but I have come to realize you are a pretty decent guy and a true professional. i too thought you should have placed better at the O. You looked great. the judging is a sham and the sport is becoming a joke. Regarding the O, the judging is a sham, the whole system needs to be abolished and updated. In my opinion, I think Kevin should have won or even Gunter for that matter if your using their method of judging. If Ronnie places 1st in the "symmetry" round then hell, Gunter should have been 2nd!! Top 10 is a tough one since I have no way of knowing what I looked like next to some of these guys, however, I can say this, I beat Craig twice earlier in the year and wasn't even compared to him for some reason, I was 2nd to Marcus at the NOC and wasn't compared to him, I beat Darrem once and he beat me once. We were compared one time only. Craig was definitely better than his previous showings, but SO WAS I! I was much sharper than the NOC, he can get harder / softer, but can't change his shape. If he was 11th, I was in the top 10 for sure!! Atwood not beating Marcus was a joke. How do two guys in the exact same shape / conditioning as the Toronto, end up so far apart? My possible top 12 looks like this. 1) Kevin 2) Gunter 3) Ronnie 4) Dexter 5) Chris 6) Lee 7) Flex 8) Orville 9) Chick 10) Art 11) Haider 12) Titus. The key word here is POSSIBLE since many of us didn't get the chance to compete with/against each other. As for KING, yes, we all know he came in off, happens to the best of us. Believe me he will be back fuller for the GNC Pro. We both went for conditioning for which the Olympia usually favors. How were we supposed to know the judges would be sitting back 50ft. from the stage (again) and using the big screen to judge?? No wonder some of the guys placed where they did, you couldn't see any detail from where they were, thanks again Wayne!! (Chick) Regarding Chicks placings, obviously it wasn't meant to be, I don't believe the planets needed to be aligned, the JUDGES needed to be 25ft closer to the stage and use their own judgment. GOD forbid they actually juggle the line up and someone else wins when it's earned. I believe they should judge on what their looking at presently, NOT REPUTATION! By the way, the music was Bocelli, not Pavarotti...glad you liked it anyway. First off, I'm not "putting down" Marcus, just making observations....and just what does he "have on me?" size, no doubt. How about the detail-free shoulders, stomach, blocky build, lack of conditioning, and machine style posing?? does that count for anything? OVERALL, he was smooth..... My whole point is that I thought I should've been COMPARED to him as well as Titus, James, Burke, Charles. IF I was, then we could have an argument about who was better, but it never happened. As for being around, Marcus has been a pro a lot longer than I have. Give HIM time? GIVE ME TIME! My main complaint about the judging is that I wasn't even compared to guys I've already beaten in the May shows, and was never compared to Marcus either. I found it to be a complete lack of respect from the judges to not even give me the opportunity to compare what I had to the others in my range. I'm not saying they should have compared me to Ronnie, Chris, or Dex, .but certainly Craig, Dennis, Nasser, Orville. I don't think there was any question that my conditioning and overall package was better than that of the NOC. It's a shame the judges were some 50 ft. away from the stage (allegedly, they were moved 40 ft. closer to the stage than last year, according to Wayne) If anyone taped it, please, do me a favor and count rows of seats to the stage and compare to last year, I would swear they were not 1 ft. closer. This was a HUGE problem because they (judges) were using the Big Screen to compare athletes, no wonder guys like Ruhl were placed so high, when close up, he looked 4 weeks out! Also, strange how you haven't heard anything about the Drug testing, that's because there WAS NONE! Never brought up, never administered. Not that I'm for it in any way, but if your going to make us jump through hoops to pass the test (using other stuff which makes the banned stuff look like aspirin!) Then DO IT. There was also a few athletes that had prior knowledge that there was not going to be a test, wonder how they knew that WAYNE? Funny thing is, one of the guys STILL didn't make the top 10!!! Won't mention names, but he was visibly pissed when passed over for the top 10 callouts. Other than that, and the T.V. coverage saying I was from Norway, it was a great weekend. Hopefully, the "old school" will get it right at the GNC Pro in 2 weeks, Manion was notably upset at the ridiculous placings at the "O", one word for the judges at the next show, OVERALL, how was the athlete OVERALL?? (Chick) Chic- the guy is a real veteran and I suspect knows he was not hard, ripped enough to do damage in this field. Has all the physical tools to move up quickly if he continues on his present track Regarding Markus Ruhl: The funniest thing I saw was Markus Ruhl trying to be funky to Micheal Jackson. Markus was shaking his booty but bless his soul, he was funny looking as hell. Markus Ruhl. His lats were huge. Not much detail in back. No glutes. Quads separated. His color looked good. Had a bit of a a Coleman belly. His hams looked smooth. Weighed approx 275. Did a stripper dance, too. Not quite on - a bit smooth. Markus Ruhl - Mass monster, blocky abs, smooth lower body. He had the smoothest lower body in the whole damn show, he's got rolls on his glute-hamstring tie-in. He's also got a GH gut and synthol rear delts, but this is the IFBB. He deserved 9th, but by looking at his scores his presentation may have given him an edge over Burke and James. Regarding Orville Burke: Orville? I don't know what to make of Orville any more. He's a NYC guy like myself and we've all been keeping track of his progress over the last few years. What he's done to himself is a shame because two years ago he had no gut at all and about a 28" waist. And he always seemed to be a great, levelheaded guy. Then he goes and messes with the GH. A lot of us in NY are disappointed with our man. Still, I'd give him the edge over Titus because while Orville's gut is a big flaw, he's still got a great chest and back. Titus' chest is pretty bad and his back and abs aren't too great either. But the two of them are close overall. Dennis though, looked oddly flat to me. I know he's big and came in good shape. But when he poses nothing really stands out. Hard to explain what I mean. Maybe he needed to carb up. Maybe needed more oil. Don't know. Check out the angle Burke's lats make to his obliques. Compare that to Flex's angle. Burke also has the densest back. Orville's back is insane! Orville Burke - Another mass monster, he had the widest back. He also has a GH gut, but again it's the IFBB. He had great conditioning, but his posing needs work. His proportion is good (he doesn't look small anywhere), but not great, but his biggest weakness is his structure (high lats, blocky shoulders). He deserved 8th. Regarding Dennis James: I think Dennis looked great.. I had him in the top 5. He should have placed in front of Burke and Ruhl. I was very pissed he got that placing. Keep your head up. We all know you deserve higher than that! He didn't really get screwed. Although I think he did beat Ruhl, I don't think he beat Burke though. It was not DJ's night. He should have placed ahead of Marcus, but that's about it. Sorry bro. It wasn't your night. I know your a fighter and will come back on the money next year. Dj was not robbed, he got a gift if anything. DJ was off big time. He should have been 11th. Titus and Atwood looked better/ I actually thought that DJ would be been placed higher but no higher than 7th. DJ improved immensely but I thought that he could be tighter. But, even if he was tighter, it probably only would be 5th at the highest. There are just too many top dogs around. My concern about DJ is this. On one pose he hit you could see his abs fairly clearly and you can see them starting to split a la Ronnie Coleman, I hope and pray I was seeing things but at this point DJ be careful and don't push it in the quest of mass and emulate Ronnie. Now, in my opinion, DJ wasn't shafted that bad. I felt as if he had Orville beat mainly due to Orville and Ronnie sharing the same gut. I had no real complaints about any of the people in the top 10 and although I have my favorites, I felt that Ronnie could have been any where from 1st to 4th because the comp looked that tight. What I did notice however at the final posedown was how everyone had to follow Ronnie until Kevin realized that he needs to bring his own spotlight. I also noticed that they all would try to match up with Ronnie from the front But what did they do when the big man turned around? Dennis the Menace is 255 pounds. Big and thick. Great abs. Cut stri quads. Smooth glutes. Pretty dry. Great guns. Great back. Hams. Top 6, he should have been. Dennis James - A big guy, but not a mass monster. His chest and calves hurt his proportion, and he does not have a great structure(high lats). Deserved 9th. Regarding Art Atwood: For his first Mr. Olympia, Art looked great, and deserved to place in the top ten. Art looked better than he did at the Toronto Pro when he beat Ruhl, and others, but sadly, these new judges placed him lower than he deserves. It is so hard because sometimes, publicity plays more than actual body symmetry, but hopefully, it will get better. Art Atwood was awesome. He should have been in the top 10 easily. What were the judges thinking? You know, I am sick of seeing these lazy ass guys without good symmetry half working on it and placing high with little conditioning. Art may not have the best symmetry, .but he makes up for it being hard as nails, and being the most conditioned guy onstage!! I respect that. First things first, Atwood was nowhere near 270 and hard as nails, he was about 250 and shredded. Second Atwood did look good but just because he's young and people don't want to see him at this point doesn't mean everyone is hating. I myself felt that he looked great but could have used some size in the traps. Was Atwood not the biggest freak onstage? Sure, you got Bautista, who has gyno, and more synthol in his upper body in the history of the sport, same thing as Ruhl. Atwood was big, hard, shredded, and had no synthol. Watch, this next year, he will bring his arms up, and make his back and legs wider, and dominate! Remember this, I guarantee that if you take measurements, that Art's waist is smaller than Nasser's, Ruhl's, Gunter's, etc. They are mass monsters, and are not going to have a small waist . I was rooting for Atwood, big time! I think his only flaw, which he can not help is his droopy looking abs shape. I kind of distracts from his waist giving a wide illusion. Being the biggest guy on stage does not mean you are Mr O. Yes he was huge and yes, he was cut, but have your ever heard of Symmetry? Art does not have it, his body is shaped funny man. Atwood. 250. A monster. Huge. Shredded. He's for real. Needs to work on tris though. Left tri smaller than right. Might be his only flaw. Must bring arms up. Should have been in the top 8. Art has a different shape to his body none of the classic builds apply to him. Personally I think he looks great. Art 'awkward' lat wood has promise but his structure has flaws. Art is a genuine freak, and deserved to be in the top 10. Looked great in his Olympia debut. Atwood was in great condition. I don't think anyone expected so many guys to be in condition. His structure hurts him, but he's probably one of the hardest working nicest guys in the game. Atwood- Incredible potential and was in decent shape and great condition. Has the frame and basic structure to be a real monster in the near future however. Atwood came into the show to HURT PEOPLE and he did, but the judges didn't recognize it: he should have been 8th. Atwood mopped the floor with Ruhl's ass & synthol - scarred shoulders at the Toronto this year, so how does Ruhl place ahead of Atwood? How does Craig Titus for that matter? Does the word "politics" ring a bell? Rhul shouldn't have beat Atwood this time and he won't in the future. Atwood is the top ten big guy of the future. He got overlooked big time this year. Regarding Ahmed Haidar: Ahmad Haidar looked great, and he showed of placed higher. The judges did like him, but they did not want to place him in the top 10 because that meant placing Dennis James, and Orville Burke out of it. Still, I wish some of the judges just did everything without politics, because Ahmad deserved better. Ahmad Haidar should have been 9th or 10th. Guy was ripped and freakish muscularity with great lines. I think he was better than Flex at this one. Haider got screwed big time. Should have been 9th or 10th. Yep! Haidar 13th, James 10th, aaargh! Look at the pictures! It's obvious the judges have no idea what they're doing. I refuse to watch the Mr. O until they fix this. It's stupid. If I could look like any bodybuilder, I would want to look like Haidar, and in second Shawn Ray! That's what bodybuilding should be about, sculpting your body into beautiful muscle! He looked absolutely amazing tonight. Regarding Ernie Taylor: Ernie Taylor. 245 pounds. His triceps was unbelievable. Doing his skull crushers, for sure. Shredded, ripped, huge. Ernie trains at Dorian's gym. Quads awesome. Striated. Looked great. Ernie Taylor - Great conditioning, but he had the smallest chest, shoulders, and hamstrings in the show. I think I have bigger hamstrings than this guy. The synthol seems to have gone out of his triceps, but now he has golf balls in his vastus medialis (teardrop). And as pathetic as his shoulders look from the front, I think those rear delts have seen some synthol too. Talk about a gift, even with his great conditioning, I'd give him 15th at best. He needs to get the golf balls out of his legs and get some chest, shoulders, hamstrings, and calves. What on earth was he thinking injecting synthol in his thighs?? It looks so friggin bad. The least you could do when you inject that stuff is to make sure its done right! I would be embarrassed to even go on stage looking so ridiculous! He ruined his physique - what a shame. Did anyone notice how TERRIBLE ET's triceps and quads looked? He had a 4th head on his triceps!!! WTF!!! And he an interesting "lump" on his quads....he has a great physique if it wasn't for all the oil Although I didn't see a 4th head on ET's tri's I still think it is genetics. There is now way in hell he would keep doing it. I don't know though. Still a mystery. I think he's just got freaky tri's. ET'S TRICEPS are most certainly OIL! I have been standing 2 feet away from him and his arms are lumpy and nasty! I also could tell a few shows back the tear drop portion of his quads looked REALLLL funky! I am shocked that he trains with Dorian and still uses that crap. But there is one way to tell, give him a ultra sound. Regarding Nasser El Sonbaty: Nasser looks ok. 280 pounds. Cut, stri quads. They say he looked better in the evening rounds than earlier in the day. He's dry now in any case. Good shape. Huge. No pec problems from what I can tell. Hams look good too Nasser is real class act in person and has been a great ambassador for the sport, but I agree the oil in the rear delts was desperate and not called for. It's sad to see the man who gave Yates a hard time back in 1996 and 1997 in this condition. Maybe he should retire with pride instead of getting into the sub-15th-group. He is a great athlete though. I feel so bad for Nasser. I expected him to crack the top 6 again but it did not happen and he did not crack the top 10 either. Nasser need a full year of rest and rebuild his body. I send a e-mail to Nasser two weeks before this past Olympia to wish him luck in the contest and he wrote me back. Nasser is a true gentleman and a champion and no one can get it away from him. Yes, he was a champion. But he still has the attitude of a champion, because he still competes and wants to place high. I think the synthol use is desperation, very sad indeed. Damn he looked fantastic in the past. Regardless of this show, Nasser is a champion, who was once primed for the Mr. O throne. Nasser finally got his butt kicked out of the top ten. He hasn't belonged there for some time. And did you check out his delts? You could see Synthol injection sites on his right rear delt. His outer arms and upper back were smooth as usual, and his waist is way thick. No one has really said anything about it, so I just had to let it out. But it looks like Ruhl is the heir apparent top ten big guy sympathy placing. Nasser looks terrible. The guy used to have awesome shoulders but for whatever reason, felt he had to put oil in them. He should take a couple of years off and let his body recover and then make a comeback at the Masters O. And Nasser's delts and arms looks just as bad. From the front he looked good, but when he turned around his delts looked full of "stuff". Too bad. He really ruined his delts. As for Nasser, he needs a year off BADLY. He keeps beating a dead horse over and over and over again. Plus all his muscle tears, synthol rear delts, etc it may be time for the big man to retire. If I were him, I would take a least a year off and then see from there. Continuing to compete and place so bad is not how he should go out. Regarding Darrem Charles: Darrem Charles. Striated quads. Looks a little small. Striated glutes. Looks pretty dry, but not like Paco. Good abs. Good delts. Might be a little subdued due to recent tragedy. Darrem, we all feel for you, and we are very sorry for your tragedy. What is going on in our world? Darrem's mother is murdered in New York City two weeks before the show, and Vickie Gates mom passes away one week before her show. Darrem Charles - He looks great, but lets face it, he's way too small to be Mr. O. He's got great structure, proportion and conditioning, but by IFBB standards he's downright small, most likely because he isn't a heavy juicer. IMO he has the best physique on stage, with Frank Zane-like proprtion and conditioning, but by today's IFBB standards, the best I can give him is 12th, and only because Titus's chest and abs suck so much. Darrem Charles is an overlooked and underrated bodybuilder. But it wasn't so bad this year, it used to be horrible in the past. He always appears large when by himself, separated muscles, full muscle bellies, and ripped. but he doesn't appear as big when compared to the big boys. But 16th place isn't to to bad, compared to who else was there. I thin he could have been at least 13th place. Regarding Claude Groulx: Groulx. 21st Place? They guy looked real good. Definitely enough to beat many competitors, including Titus. Maybe he should start talking trash about Ray or Kamali or Titus or something, so the judges know who he is. PR, man. It's been said many times, he just doesn't get the respect he deserves. He was definitely top 12 material but because he doesn't talk smack like everybody else, he gets overlooked .I've never seen such retarded judging. Claude looked awesome. The only weakness I can see is the lack of a Christmas tree in his lower back. The only weakness I see is his thick waist and he is not from USA. Claude should of placed higher than a lot of the other competitors. Claude Groulx was definitely ripped but completely overlooked. He was about 225 pounds, and had great back detail. Also, dry and cut. Claude Groulx - Good conditioning from the front with the exception of the abs. Lower body conditioning from the back sucks. His posing makes his chest and lats look bad. Quads appear small as well. Still should have placed higher at 18th. Yeah it seems to be the consensus on Getbig.com that everyone pretty much agrees that he should be placed higher than he does in his shows. Maybe if he changed his name to Ronnie Groulx perhaps? Haidar is not the only one that got screwed . Look at Claude Groulx's muscularity and poses. If you don't place higher when you look like that, what the hell are you suppose to do? Can a judge explain why Groulx was so low? Claude Groulx got overlooked again. He was in better condition than Flex or Orville and only placed 21st. What are his flaws other than high lats? I think he should be up there with Dexter Jackson. Finally someone else who realizes how underated he is. The guy is always in great condition. Some people have said he has synthol in his shoulders but I'm not positive about that. I think part of his problem is that you never hear of him, maybe if he was a loudmouth like Kamali, he'd get more coverage. He just doesn't get involved in the bodybuilding drama. I would have placed him 12th behind Titus. He looked better than Nasser, for god's sake! I noted in my Olympia predictions that Claude would be the dark horse. Unfortunately he was over looked again. That goes to show how screwed up the judging is. It's one thing to cram some top names in the top 10 that don't belong in the top 10 but at least put some of these other well known names in the back of the line if they deserve to be back there. Claude looked better than Nasser yet Claude gets kicked to dead last. Give some of these guys credit and place them where they deserve so they at least know they are making improvements. No wonder why so many under rated BB throw in the towel before they reach their true potential. The guys comes in condition all the time with great symmetry and cuts. The only downfall might be his bloated waist which he didn't have 3 years ago. Oh, and NO he doesn't use synthol. If you watch the Road to the Olympia 2001, he can see the deep striations and vessels popping out on his delts and caps while he does machine presses. No synthol if you ask me. My goodness, someone besides me actually knows this guy was on stage. I was there and for what it is worth, I agree 100%. He was certainly top 12 at WORST. I honestly can find anything wrong with the guy. I was there and he was ripped from the back too. Last year he came in too big and smooth but this year he was in the best shape of his life but the judges didn't notice. Gunter improved and moved up from 15th to 5th so it was a popularity contest. I agree absolutely 100% , Claude is very complete and came in with great condition. It's a crying shame that quality such as this goes unnoticed by the seemingly blind judges. Regarding Francisco 'Paco' Bautista: Francisco 'Paco' Bautista came to the Olympia looking for a little recognition, and the honor of just to be there. He came from Spain, by way of placing in the top 5 at the Night of Champions, and tried to repeat his freakiness here in Las Vegas. It did not happen, although many wished they could see what was so impressive about Paco at the Night of Champions. He did have great conditioning, but also, a problem persistent with some bodybuilders, the appearance of gyno. Paco had a great chest, and he is absolutely a monster. Give him a few years, and he will be up there with the big boys. If I had to guess, I'd say that he's around 250. Yeah, he's a monster alright. He was also one of the best-conditioned men on stage. Although he's got a wide waist, over-developed obliques and narrow lats, If he got rid of the gyno, I could see him placing within the top 12. Paco most defiantely stuck me as having better overall conditioning. As for synthol. where did Paco use it then? Didn't see it. And as for spilling over, it's not basic nutrition as you claim. Watch your water and carb intake", good answer. Paco did not impress the audience, even though he was 255 pounds. What incredible legs he has. Awesome. Striated. Good calves. Cut and dry. Flaws? Who cares - he looks great. Francisco 'Paco' Bautista - Good conditioning, but lacks back detail and has synthol delts. Great legs, but weak chest. Gyno may have killed him. Deserved placing at 20th. I stayed at Mandalay Bay this year and about 2 hours before the finals, I ran across the street to MacDonald's to get some quick food. In front of me in line is Paco Bautista and his crew. Paco preceded to order and then eat by himself 4 big mac value meals. I was so amazed that I sat in the booth diagonal from them for 45 minutes because I couldn't believe what I was seeing. That's one hell of a carb load an hour and a half before you hit the stage Paco at McDonalds, I can understand. We know Chris Cormier and Kevin Levrone both eat hamburgers and cheeseburgers before the evening show. Four Big Mac value meals is most definitely not true. Paco probably ordered cheeseburgers but just ate them without the buns. Get real. Paco should have been in the top ten. He had one of the best bodies out there, so why would the judges just overlook him like that. Unfair! Regarding George Farah: Farah was good shape. Cut and dry. A little small. Half Lebanese - half Sicilian, is what the announcers said. Legs a little small. He looks too small to be out there with all of the mass monsters, and not 100% ready. George Farah - Good conditioning, good quads. Narrow chest and shoulders on a wide waist. Small arms , pathetic calves. Even without the bullet wounds, he deserved 21st. Farah - Ol' George is a survivor and he gave it his best. Needs more mass to move up but I like his physique anyway. I would just like to wish George Farah congratulations on his Olympia performance. George came to the Olympia just being happy that he would be competing. He knew he would not place in the top ten. Hell, there are 25 competitors, so being in the top 15 is cool. But the judges did not even look at him. His legs were a little soft, he was a little smooth, and that was enough. Regarding Jaroslav Horvath: Horvath was shredded and looked great Horvath. Looks good. Definitely belongs in the show. Under 200 lbs., but looks better than some before him. Better shape than they are. Jaroslav Horvath - Good conditioning, and I like his proportion, but he is small and his structure causes him to appear even smaller, much like Priest. Most screwed competitor, should have placed 19th since he has better proportion and a smaller waist than Farah. Horvath was actually quite impressive, beautiful lines, good symmetry and very good conditioning. Let's just say that's the price you gotta pay as a new pro. Judges don't give a shit about you unless they know your name! Regarding Tommi Thorvildsen: Tommi Thorvildsen - Conditioning is okay, but his torn pec just seems so much smaller than the other one killing his symetry. He deserved 23rd. Underrated pro? Tommi. People think he's all about glutes, but he's got some incredible conditioning and size. Tommi is new to the scene. I have seen him look better, but he just signed a contract with Weider, and moved to Venice. Tommi will start learning what needs to be done in order to get into the shape that will make him a serious contender in the sport. Tommi is extremely nice, and is just learning more English, so while Tommi did not show much of a showing this year, watch out for him in the future. Regarding Gustavo Badell: Gustavo. Looks good. In shape. Big arms. Good symmetry. Gustavo Badell - Small, not a good poser, but conditioning is decent. Deserved his placing. Gustavo looked a little scared, and soft, and his posing routine was so-so. Definately got lost in the shuffle, and the judges placed him out of the top 20, which was correct. Regarding Don Youngblood: Don Youngblood had a dream, and his dream was to compete in the Mr. Olympia. He acheived that dream by showing up in awesome shape at the Masters Olympia, in beating Vince Taylor. The problem was that Don, at age 47, cannot achieve the same awesome shape that quickly in the same year. So Don came out smaller, and flatter, and smoother that we all thought he would. But if I looked as good as Don at age 47, I would be quite happy. Yes, Don came in last, but he is most definately an impiration to all bodybuilders above age 45. Don Youngbloods "cowboy" routine was funny. Youngblood. Age 47. 247 lbs. He looks good for age. Drier than some other pros. Coleman belly, but who cares. Arms, delts, traps great. Hope I look half that good when I'm 47. Don Youngblood - His legs are small, his chest is flat, his conditioning is weak, and he may have the worst GH gut in the whole show. Yep, he deserved last place. Don was way off tonight. Looked freakin awesome last year at the Masters, but unimpressive tonight. Didn't even get to see his back. Youngblood - Not in his Masters O shape and it showed in this lineup. For a guy even 4 years older than me he is a major inspiration to us middle agers LOL. Great guy, class act.