Muscle Mania Matt’s BodyBlog

2008 Mr. Olympia Predictions
1.  Jay Cutler- After a couple of narrow victories, I don’t see Jay competing out of shape this year; and he has had all year to get ready. Even though his waist isn’t what it used to be, Jay in shape is hard to beat; and if you want to beat the champ, you generally have to knock him out.
2.  Dexter Jackson-This is competitive fight, but with Victor absent and this (supposedly) being his last show, Dexter has a chance to seize what he has been after for a decade. Rumor is that he has put on a solid five pounds or so, which is a lot for his frame. We never have to doubt Dexter’s conditioning, so if he did get a little more size, expect him to be fighting for the top spot. However, unless Jay is off, Dexter won’t be able to unseat him.
3.  Dennis Wolf- Dennis is amazing, and can legitimately stand next to Jay in my opinion. He has better symmetry and proportions than the big man, and is only slightly edged out on size. Depending on his conditioning and Dexter’s newly added size, he is going to be in a tight race for second.
4.  Phil Heath-This guy is a freak! I also think he is going to surprise us. It reminds me of pumping iron when Frank tells Arnold, “The wolf at the bottom of the hill is hungrier than the wolf on top of the hill”. He lost to Dexter in the spring, which I think actually helped his psyche for preparation for the Olympia. While he has a few things to work on, he has huge potential and will debut in the top five.
5.  Branch Warren- The O is a show for freaks, so Branch fits right in. He’s got nutty size and typically has great conditioning, but I don’t see him bumping higher than fifth due to the lack of aesthetic quality of his physique.