Ronnie Coleman is certainly one of the best bodybuilders of all time. As the previous winner of eight consecutive Mr. Olympia titles, the living legend knows something about being an inspiration and what it means to face on top of the game. That’s why his recent praise of two-time defending Mr. Olympia Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay might hold more merit than most.
On Sept. 26, 2022, Coleman posted a video to his YouTube channel where he offered his thoughts on where Elssbiay stands in the present bodybuilding pantheon. Amongst his “honest” opinions from a fast “Ask Me Anything,” Coleman believes the 38-year-old Elssbiay will proceed his reign because the Mr. Olympia for the foreseeable future.
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While various high-level competitors are vying for the 2022 Olympia title, Coleman maintains he holds Elssbiay in great regard specifically. It appears to be at the purpose where Coleman thinks it’s Elssbiay and the sphere by way of Olympia contention each this yr and in coming iterations.
“I got lots of respect for Big Ramy [Elssbiay] because he’s a giant guy who trains hard, works hard, is really dedicated to his craft,” Coleman said. “And I feel he’s probably going to be the Mr. Olympia for the following three to 4 years, at the very least, because no one out there may be going to catch him on size. He’s just too far ahead of everybody without delay. So, Big Ramy is the person.”
Coleman’s assertion about Elssbiay’s mass and size is conveniently timed. In a mid-September 2022 reveal, Elssbiay shared his final off-season weight for 2022 was a jaw-dropping 337 kilos.
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Coleman’s admiration for Elssbiay’s work might be a follow-up to his overall thoughts on the 2022 Mr. Olympia competitive landscape. That contest will happen on Dec. 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
In a Sept. 25, 2022, video on Muscle and Fitness’s YouTube channel, Coleman said he doesn’t see “much changing” between the respective top-three finishers from the 2021 Mr. Olympia — Elssbiay, Brandon Curry, and Hadi Choopan. While Coleman thinks an upstart contender like Nick Walker, Andrew Jacked, or Derek Lunsford might qualify for the highest five, he doesn’t “see them making the highest three.”
Coleman’s complimentary words toward Elssbiay and his peers appear to telegraph that he thinks the Egyptian competitor will make it a 3rd consecutive Olympia title in Las Vegas this December.
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Should Elssbiay win the Mr. Olympia again, he’ll turn into certainly one of the one competitors to win it on at the very least three straight occasions. The others are Sergio Oliva (1967-1969), Arnold Schwarzenegger (1970-1975), Frank Zane (1977-1979), Lee Haney (1984-1991), Dorian Yates (1992-1997), Coleman (1998-2005), and Phil Heath (2011-2017).
Eventually, if Elssbiay stays according to Coleman’s praise, he might even start difficult a few of those legends as a bodybuilding great when the dust settles on his profession.
Featured image: @big_ramy on Instagram