Bodybuilding icon Lee Priest never won a Mr. Olympia. However, he is still among the most well-respected bodybuilders from the 90s. The Australian bodybuilding legend uploaded a two-decade-old resurfaced video from the 2002 IFBB San Francisco Pro Invitational. The footage showed Priest’s insanely ripped physique alongside some of the best bodybuilders of his time.

Lee Priest has a penchant for sarcasm, which shone through in the caption. The bodybuilder wrote that the footage was filmed “only” 21 years ago. While Priest seemed to take this lightly, one could not deny the fact that he was facing off against some intense competition on stage. 

Up against a then-future Mr. Olympia

In the video, fans witnessed Lee Priest go up against two of the best bodybuilders of his time, Chris Cormier and Dexter Jackson. While Cormier has never won a Sandow, Dexter Jackson went on to become one of the most prolific champions in bodybuilding history. The Blade defeated Jay Cutler in the 2008 Mr. Olympia and has also won the Arnold Classic a record-setting five times.

Jackson also holds the record for most Mr. Olympia appearances at a staggering 21 times. However, no one could look beyond Lee Priest at the 2002 San Francisco Pro. The footage showed Priest going head-to-head with Jackson and Cormier in the front-double biceps and abs-and-thighs pose.

Fans saw the footage and proclaimed that the Australian had a better physique than both bodybuilders. Many fitness enthusiasts called the 51-year-old the uncrowned Mr. Olympia and were quite surprised that he didn’t go on to win the Super Bowl of bodybuilding like Jackson.

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The fans had a few questions

“Why did Lee Priest never win?” asked one fan. In 2006, the bodybuilder faced a two-year ban from competing in the IFBB. Priest had participated in two Pro Division Inc. contests, and since PDI was a competitor to the IFBB, he received the ban. Fans believe that this ban prevented Priest from reaching his full potential in the IFBB.

“You’re a da*n phenomenon, I swear,” wrote another fan in admiration. “This is where Lee won! Beating Dexter and Cormier!” wrote one, explaining how Priest was, in fact, better than both Dexter and Cormier. As no Lee Prist post would be complete without fans admiring his arms, this one was no different. “Still the best f***ing arms, hands down,” said one bodybuilding fan. Another fan even asked for tips and wrote, “What’s your biceps and Triceps workout?”

Read More | “Pro Cards Are Given Out Too Easily”: After Lee Priest, Another Bodybuilding Veteran Joins Revolt Against Low Bar for Earning Pro Cards

While Lee Priest never won the Mr. Olympia, fans across the globe believe he is an uncrowned champion. The video of him beating a then-future Mr. Olympia simply solidified that notion.