Topic Of The Week: 2009 Mr. Olympia Top 10 Predictions!
TOPIC: Who Will Make The Top 10 At The 2009 Mr. Olympia?
The Question:
The Olympia is getting closer. Bodybuilding fans having been waiting all year, and are now going crazy. It’s that time again… time to make some picks!
Who do you think will win the 2009 Mr. Olympia? Why?
There is still one more qualifying event (Atlantic City Pro - September 11-12) - Who do you think will win that show and will they be able to break the top ten at the Olympia?
What do you think the top 10 will look like? Why do you put them in this order?
Who do you believe will make the biggest improvement? Who do you think is the most underrated competitor that could surprise people this year?
2009 Olympia Qualified Athletes:
*This list is not final and may be updated.
1. Ahmad Haidar
2. Branch Warren
3. Darrem Charles
4. Dennis James
5. Dennis Wolf
6. Dexter Jackson
7. Evan Centopani
8. Hidetada Yamagishi
9. Jay Cutler
10. Kai Greene
11. Markus Ruhl
12. Martin Kjellstrom
13. Melvin Anthony
14. Michael Kefalianos
15. Moe Elmoussawi
16. Phil Heath
17. Ronny Rockel
18. Silvio Samuel
19. Toney Freeman
20. Troy Alves
21. Victor Martinez
Bonus Question: How do you feel about the Mr. Olympia contest? Do you get excited for this time of year, like football fans when the Super Bowl comes around, or do you not really care?
Show off your knowledge to the world!
The Winners:
- soundcheck129 View Profile
- History in Effect View Profile
Prizes:
1st place - 50 in store credit.
2nd place - 25 in store credit.
To use your credit, e-mail Justin (justin.podzimek@bodybuilding.com) for more info.
1st Place - soundcheck129
View This Author’s BodySpace Here.
The Olympia is getting closer. Bodybuilding fans having been waiting all year, and are now going crazy. It’s that time again… time to make some picks!
Fall is perhaps the best time of the year for bodybuilders - the change of seasons marks the beginning of bulking season, so it’s time to get your grub on! And more importantly, it’s also time for the world’s greatest bodybuilders to take the stage in fierce competition during the Olympia weekend. Even those who aren’t looking to get huge themselves can appreciate the incredible physiques of these modern day Olympic gods. This year promises to be a treat, with a tight field of top-notch competitors.
Who do you think will win the 2009 Mr. Olympia? Why?
This year, the Olympia will once again be Dexter Jackson’s time to shine. Last year’s Mr. Olympia is going to make sure that those with short memories remember who is number one on this stage. Jackson knows how to get the job done in this scenario and will have extra motivation this time around, as I’m sure he wants to defend his title. The man has incredible size and symmetry, and his physique is perhaps the closest to flawless I’ve ever seen. This year, Dexter will show that the Jackson name is reserved for kings - the King of Pop may have passed, but the King of Bodybuilding is living large.
There is still one more qualifying event (Atlantic City Pro - September 11-12) - Who do you think will win that show and will they be able to break the top ten at the Olympia?
Well now that we know Gustavo Badell came out on top in the Atlantic City Pro, it’s time for him to focus on the Olympia. Unfortunately, the competition is going to be much more fierce at the O, and Badell will have trouble finishing in the top 10. If he does, I’m feeling a 10th place finish. While he already is in contest shape, I think this may turn out to be more of a disadvantage for him. Contest dieting and training takes a huge toll on the body, and both the body and mind need some relief afterward. However, instead of being able to relax, Badell will have to keep his focus for an additional stretch, which will feel like anything but a victory lap. There’s no question, Badell looked ripped at Atlantic City, but that was calculated to be his peak, and unfortunately I feel it’s all downhill from there.
What do you think the top 10 will look like? Why do you put them in this order?
1. Dexter Jackson
2. Kai Greene - Every time I underestimate this guy, he blows away my expectations, so I’ve learned my lesson. Greene is a beast and will not stop until he has conquered all of bodybuilding’s major stages. Greene wowed the crowd earlier this year at the Australia Pro Grand Prix, but that was just a taste of what he has in store for the Olympia. When Greene was down under he beat out the likes of Toney Freeman and Silvio Samuel, so it’s not like that show was just a throwaway. Greene has had ample time to enhance his physique further and dominate the field once again… all except for Mr. Jackson that is.
3. Phil Heath - Phil is a major threat in every contest that he enters, and the Olympia is not exempt from that rule. Perhaps it’s because he makes obvious improvements every show, or perhaps it’s because his conditioning is elite. Either way, Heath has the size and definition to turn heads, but faced with the stiff competition here, third place is his best bet. I think it will be hard for Phil to make any significant changes that will propel him to the top spot, which is far from an insult - I just think that in the three years since his debut he has driven his physique to its maximum potential.
4. Dennis Wolf - I think Dennis Wolf tends to get underestimated, but that’s not his fault - it’s everyone else’s. I saw some pictures from Wolf’s guest posing gig at the NPC Pittsburgh show and all I can say is wow. Wolf was huge and ripped, and that was just for a guest posing appearance; I can only imagine what he’s going to bring to the O. The only thing that has really hampered Wolf in the past and has the potential to bring him down again is his conditioning, which is tough to improve when you’re trying to get massive at the same time. Fourth seems to suit Wolf well, as that is where he finished in this contest last year.
5. Jay Cutler - There’s a reason the name Jay Cutler is practically synonymous with bodybuilding, and that’s the fact that he means business when he hits the stage. As you can tell from this podcast, Jay doesn’t cut corners and knows what he’s doing. The O has treated Jay well in the past, although I do feel as though he isn’t in the same shape he was when he last claimed the throne in 2007. In addition, the world of bodybuilding has transformed since then, and the young guns look to be taking over. Still, Cutler will perform well and earn a respectable fifth.
6. Victor Martinez - I know what you’re thinking - I forget Martinez was going to be there. Not quite. It’s hard to overlook Martinez, as he is a beast and turns heads everywhere he goes, especially on stage. It’s pretty hard to return to top shape from the kind of injury that derailed Martinez, no matter how much time you have to recover. And while Martinez did recently claim the second place spot at the Arnold, the field wasn’t quite as packed with talent as the Olympia will be. While Martinez is a tough competitor, one area concerns me - his conditioning. When you injure your legs, doing a lot of conditioning work can be out of question, and it takes a lot of time to regain that.
7. Branch Warren - In my opinion, Branch should probably change his first name to “Trunk,” because if there’s any part of a tree this man deserves to share a name with, it’s going to be a massive one. Branch packs on size while regaining symmetry and great definition, which will help him in such a tough contest. Unfortunately, I don’t see Branch possessing that extra element to propel him into the top five. But that’s nothing to be ashamed of - just finishing in the top 10 at this year’s Olympia is an impressive feat.
8. Toney Freeman - The X-Man finished fifth here last year, but given the ridiculously talented field this time around, I’m afraid he’ll be dropping three spots. Freeman can get the job done, but he only finished third at the Australia Pro Grand Prix, and this competition looks much tougher than that one. And I hate to bring this up but…Freeman is getting up there in age. In a sport that demands that one squeezes every ounce of work out of one’s body, age can definitely be a factor, and X-Man’s years of experience may do more harm than good.
9. Melvin Anthony - Anthony has been around for a long time, but yet you don’t hear much about it him. That’s a shame, because he’s pretty talented. Sure, he’s no Kai Greene, but he brings decent size, great personality and solid symmetry to the party every time. That said, I think his best performances are in the rearview mirror at this point, so he’ll crack the top 10, but just barely.
10. Gustavo Badell - Going from first in Atlantic City to tenth at the O may seem a bit extreme, but look at what Gustavo is up against. His physique was awesome in Atlantic City this past weekend, but doing two high-stakes shows in such a short period of time is far from ideal. Basically, it’s going to be hard for Gustavo to significantly improve from how he appeared in Atlantic City, and that won’t be enough to move above tenth here.
Who do you believe will make the biggest improvement? Who do you think is the most underrated competitor that could surprise people this year?
I’ve gotta go with Kai Greene for biggest improvement. Winning the Olympia isn’t easy, and the judges at this competition seem to favor the guys who have won it before, so even placing second is going to be a tough task. Greene has shown consistent progression through recent contests, and this is where it will culminate into a very impressive showing. The Olympia is where I see Greene kicking it up that extra notch. It’s been a long road from when Greene placed 14th at the IFBB New York Pro in 2005, and those four years have brought a lot of improvement.
The most underrated competitor in this field is Silvio Samuel. Silvio isn’t regarded as one of the bodybuilding elite, but he has all the right stuff and knows what he’s doing when it comes to hitting the stage. While he isn’t going to be vying for any of the top spots, he has a great physique along with solid conditioning and could have the potential to do some serious damage at the O if there weren’t so many insanely ripped competitors in this field.
Bonus Question: How do you feel about the Mr. Olympia contest? Do you get excited for this time of year, like football fans when the Super Bowl comes around, or do you not really care?
It’s really difficult to imagine a bodybuilding fan not getting amped for the Olympia. With the Arnold held in advance of the Olympia, it serves as sort of an appetizer for the O. To me, the Olympia is bodybuilding at its best - the event has been held in the ultimate party city, Las Vegas, for the past several years, and that just goes to show you how huge the event is. In my mind, the Olympia is bigger than the Super Bowl, as you don’t have just two teams competing, but a full field of competitors all pushing their abilities to the limit to compete for greatness on one stage. Simply put, the Olympia isn’t just a competition or a show, it is an event. The O weekend is a complete spectacle, with figure and fitness competitions, powerlifting, even the World Grappling Championships, and of course…the Expo. There’s a reason countless fitness fans, from aspiring bodybuilders to weekend warriors, flock to the Olympia - because it’s like no other event on Earth.
2nd Place - History in Effect
View This Author’s BodySpace Here.
This year’s Olympia is probably one of the most wide open competitions of this year. There are an abundance of people who could win this and this should make it entertaining. The Olympia is the Super Bowl of bodybuilding and I can’t wait to see who wins.
Who do you think will win the 2009 Mr. Olympia? Why?
I believe Phil Heath will win today because he is hungry. The Gift has been putting extra mass on his well-built frame to compete with the big boys. He will make a splash at this Olympia by winning. He finished 3rd last year, but this year is his. If Phil Heath comes dialed in, then the Gift will have his own gift.
What do you think the top 10 will look like? Why do you put them in this order?
1)Phil Heath-As I stated earlier, a conditioned Heath will win.
2)Dexter Jackson- Jackson won the Olympia last year with his brand of size and insane conditioning. Jackson is always ripped, but this year he might have to be a little heavier to compete with Heath. The Blade might have knocked off Jay Cutler this year, but this year is a newer intense battle.
3)Kai Greene- The newest sensation in bodybuilding is this man with full muscle bellies and size coming out of nowhere. Greene can pose almost as good as Marvelous Melvin Anthony. Kai holds a ton of muscle on his body, but the key is whether he comes in a little soft or hard as a rock. A hard, dialed-in Greene will make this contest even more exciting.
4)Jay Cutler-A lot of people were disappointed in Cutler’s performance last year, but I wasn’t considering that he had to lose 10+pounds in a span of hours. Cutler was holding water last year, but he fought back strong and finished second. Cutler is always big, but he needs to be on the money for this show. Cutler is the X-Factor because of many he is considered the last of the successful mass monsters in this sport. Big Jay will not disappoint this year and could maybe get in the Top 3
5)Victor Martinez-After Martinez’s injury last year, he is back and is slowly getting in the groove of competing. A strong second place finish behind Kai Greene proved he was no slouch in his way back to the top. Martinez’s lower body should be improved from the Arnold Classic, but he will have a battle on his hand. Martinez been dealing with some family issues, so I hope the best for him.
6)Toney Freeman-First off, The X-Man should have placed in front of Dennis Wolf last year…This year he will place in front of Dennis Wolf. Freeman finished 5th last year, but he will certainly be in similar shape for this contest. I always root for Freeman because he represents for the taller guys who need to put on more mass to compete.
7)Dennis Wolf- There is always a mystery behind Dennis Wolf every time he competes. Nobody knows where Wolf does most of the year since he doesn’t compete, but only one time a year. Wolf still needs growth in certain area like from the back, but there is no doubting he has improved.
8)Branch Warren-This guy is just crazy and freaky the way his muscles look. It is hard to describe his body, because pound for pound his mass is amazing. When he poses, people look in astonishment at the muscle on top of more muscle. His workout are legendary as he always is in good condition. Watch out, Warren is coming.
9)Silvio Samuel-When it comes to conditioning, nobody can compete. Conditioning along will not help Silvio as it seems his WOW factor is wearing away. He just doesn’t have enough mass on his frame and I have no clue what he can do.
10)Melvin Anthony- Marvelous is a trooper and delights the crowd every time he poses. The thing about Anthony is that you never know where he will place. Sometimes he will be holding water, while other times he will be ready for competition. I think Melvin has the potential to be a great in the sport, but for some reason he has not reached that level.
Who do you believe will make the biggest improvement? Who do you think is the most underrated competitor that could surprise people this year?
Phil Heath will be the most improved bodybuilder this year, because he will win the Mr. Olympia. There is nothing stopping him from winning what is his.
The most underrated competitor no doubt will be Joel Stubbs. Hailing all the way from the Bahamas this guy will show up some folks and shake up some minds. The BACK is wider than a jumbo jet or his BACK is bigger than Ronnie Coleman…these are just some things I have hard about him. His upper body is immaculate, but his lower body is lacking due to injury. Another one to watch is Gustavo Badell because he just won the Atlantic City Pro. Badell is back to his old form, so he could break the top 10 for sure
Bonus Question: How do you feel about the Mr. Olympia contest? Do you get excited for this time of year, like football fans when the Super Bowl comes around, or do you not really care?
I am just waiting to go to the Olympia and experience everything it has to offer. I love bodybuilding and I feel this is the grand-daddy of them all. Oh my, this year’s Olympia will be fantastic.
Thanks,
The Crush
