The excitement for the 2023 Mr. Olympia is increasing as the top bodybuilding event of the year inches closer. This year, the competition promises to be a thrilling one, as multiple favorites have emerged. The Arnold Classic 2023 winner Samson Dauda, last year’s runner-up Derek Lunsford, 2022 People’s Champion Nick Walker, and current Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan will look to claim the Sandow trophy.

However, in the past few weeks, bodybuilding icons like 2023 Toronto Pro winner Iain Valliere, two-time Mr. Olympia Big Ramy, and Brett ‘The Butcher’ Wilkin have pulled out of the race. The 280-pound bodybuilding beast announced he would not compete at this year’s Mr. Olympia due to severe health issues affecting his preparation. Wilkin explained what was wrong earlier.

A surprise announcement from Brett Wilkin

Earlier, Brett Wilkin uploaded a video on Instagram. The video was Wilkin’s first post since October 1. While the 280-pound bodybuilder started the video by greeting his fans, the video turned somber. The Butcher confessed that the video was “one of the harder videos” he has had to film. The Mr. Olympia hopeful announced that he pondered the video for a few days before filming it.

“I will not be competing at the Mr. Olympia,” said the bodybuilder. Wilkin said it felt incredibly difficult to sideline himself. The 34-year-old said competing in the Olympia has been his goal for nearly a decade. Hence, backing out at the last moment felt gut-wrenching. However, Wilkin confessed his body didn’t cooperate for the “last seven-eight weeks.”

Wilkin emphasized that he needs to consume a lot of calories even when he cuts weight. Thus, being unable to keep his food down became a massive hurdle. “I was vomiting, you know… I was nauseous… Dizzy,” said the 280-pound bodybuilding beast. “My body was fighting me. I was getting no response in the gym,” added the Mr. Olympia hopeful. However, Brett Wilkin’s health has improved in the last few days.

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What’s next for the bodybuilding beast?

While Wilkin hasn’t recovered yet, he promised his fans he would return stronger. The bodybuilding icon said he hadn’t trained in two weeks before filming the video. The 34-year-old also got extensive blood tests and, at the time of filming, awaited his GI test report. The Butcher plans to take all necessary steps to heal and get back in the gym.

The bodybuilder’s condition partially mirrors that of two-time Mr. Olympia Big Ramy. After placing fifth in last year’s Mr. Olympia, Ramy took time off. The Egyptian champion underwent stem cell therapy and improved his health and physique. However, he stayed under the radar for the rest of the year and probably prioritized healing previous injuries. While people expected to see Ramy on the 2023 Mr. Olympia stage, the two-time champion recently announced he wouldn’t compete this year.

While Brett Wilking has worked for years to earn a ticket to the Mr. Olympia stage, he’ll have to wait a little longer to appear on the most coveted bodybuilding stage.

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