Elssbiay wants a stellar rebound after a disappointing Mr. Olympia result.
Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay entered the 2022 Mr. Olympia with aspirations of becoming only the eighth athlete to win the competition on three consecutive occasions. He had the hype behind him, endorsements from living legends, and appeared “destined” to enter exclusive bodybuilding lore. Then the Las Vegas, NV, contest occurred, Hadi Choopan successfully toppled the Egyptian dynamo for the victory, and Elssbiay fell short with a fifth-place finish that surprised many bodybuilding fans.
Now, after an earnest early January 2023 reflection on what’s next, and with a fresh bodybuilding season ahead of him, it appears Elssbiay is aiming for a large rebound before he even considers attempting to win the Olympia again.
On Jan. 20, 2023, the Arnold Sports Festival announced that Elssbiay would take the stage within the upcoming 2023 Arnold Classic (AC) on Mar. 2-5, 2023.
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“Making his first on-stage appearance in Columbus since 2020, ‘Ramy’ will probably be seeking to re-establish his position as probably the most dominant competitor on the earth of bodybuilding!”
The Columbus, OH, contest will mark the previous two-time Mr. Olympia’s second appearance within the AC as he seeks a major notch so as to add to his resume. In 2020, Elssbiay placed third at his first and only appearance on the show.
To some, Elssbiay’s AC reveal might come as a surprise. The superstar had spent most of his recent years training and preparing almost exclusively for his Olympia appearances throughout an approximate calendar 12 months, only appearing occasionally in other contests. It’s a calculated approach that many elite bodybuilders, particularly within the Men’s Open division, often elect to have within the interest of maximizing their performance at the largest contest in the game.
For Elssbiay, seeing as how he’s not the defending Mr. Olympia, he might now be in search of a lift of momentum before diving back full throttle into Olympia prep. At the identical time, a latest lucrative money prize could have also motivated the athlete to finally compete within the AC. In mid-January 2023, the Arnold Sports Festival announced the first-place prize for winning the Men’s Open on the 2023 AC can be $300,000. That may be a $100,000 increase from the 2022 iteration of the competition. Notably, also in January 2023, former AC champion (2021) Nick Walker maintained this high financial incentive was a part of his own decision to return to the AC.
Elssbiay will join other established stars on the 2023 AC as he tries to defeat past winners like Walker and William Bonac (2018, 2020), and two-time 212 Olympia champion (2020, 2022) Shaun Clarida. Other confirmed names include Samson Dauda, Kamal Elgargni, Justin Rodriguez, and Akim Williams. Elssbiay is likely to be a newcomer to the competition, but given his Olympia precedent, this field will likely be ready for anything he brings to the stage in Columbus.
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The 2023 AC is shaping as much as be a barnburner of a bodybuilding contest. If top-level competitors like Elssbiay and Walker elect to participate before tackling any loftier Olympia plans, it may very well be an incredibly fascinating show to observe in early March.
Featured Image: @arnoldsports / Instagram