1998 Mr. Olympia: One of the Most Dramatic Bodybuilding Shows Ever

The Mr. Olympia is the Super Bowl of Bodybuilding. The most prestigious competition in bodybuilding has seen its fair share of controversies. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s incredibly controversial seventh title win in 1980, Dorian Yates beating Nasser El Sonbaty in 1997, and more. However, the 1998 Mr. Olympia didn’t need controversies to become one of the most dramatic editions of the show.

The drama at the 1998 Mr. Olympia started unfolding even before the bodybuilders stepped on stage. Rumors started flowing around that reigning champion Dorian Yates had decided to call it a career after the 1997 Mr. Olympia. People were incredibly hyped to see who would succeed the six-time Mr. Olympia. However, this was just the beginning.

The bodybuilding world braced for a new champion

After Dorian Yates’s departure, the bodybuilding community immediately started speculating who would become the next Mr. Olympia. Fans started taking names like Flex Wheeler, Shawn Ray, Nasser El Sonbaty, and Kevin Levrone. All these bodybuilders had come close to beating The Shadow during his prime.

Bodybuilding fans were furious that judges chose Yates over El Sonbaty just a year prior. However, most fans thought the talented Sultan of Symmetry, Flex Wheeler, would steal the show. Some optimist fans even thought bodybuilders like Paul Dillett, Chris Cormier, and Lee Priest would move up in the rankings.

However, no one considered Ronnie Coleman, and rightfully so. Although Coleman showed promise as an amateur bodybuilder, he had tried and failed to crack the Mr. Olympia puzzle so far. Coleman managed to crack top-10 in 1997. However, he placed ninth behind Priest, Cormier, and Dillett. However, 1998 would be different.

A nail-biting bodybuilding contest ensues

The first incident took place just 10 minutes into pre-judging. Paul Dillett, who finished fifth in 1997, collapsed after just ten minutes into pre-judging. Later, the Canadian bodybuilder revealed that he felt extremely dehydrated. Dillett dropped out, but fans were relieved that he was ok. However, it didn’t dampen the excitement.

Despite Yates’ absence, the 1998 Mr. Olympia was stacked. Ronnie Coleman, Flex Wheeler, Shawn Ray, Kevin Levrone, Nasser El Sonbaty, Mike Mattarrazo, Milos Sarcev, and more elite 90s bodybuilders filled the stage. However, after pre-judging, a clear top five emerged among the seventeen contestants.

However, bodybuilding fans found it incredibly hard to separate the best among the top five. However, Ronnie Coleman surprised everyone, holding his ground against bodybuilders who had beaten him by a wide margin just a year ago. Coleman had won the 1998 New York Pro (then called The Night of Champions) before the Olympia.

However, many didn’t expect that he would be able to trade punches with the best of the best on the Olympia stage. Yet, Coleman made it to the top five, and judges continued to test him alongside the top four contestants. While the bodybuilding champions on stage had incredible conditioning, Coleman looked the most shredded.

However, fans were still skeptical as The King didn’t have the best abs and side-triceps poses compared to the other competitors. However, in almost every other pose, Coleman challenged the best bodybuilders on the stage. The underdog had made his case, and fans cheered when judged, called The King for the top-three callout.

Ronnie Coleman creates history 

The judges narrowed down the field to Coleman, Wheeler, and El Sonbaty. While Wheeler may have been the fan favorite before the show started, it was Nasser el Sonbaty and Ronnie Coleman, who impressed the fans the most during the finals. While Flex Wheeler had the symmetry and proportions, he couldn’t match the other two competitors in size.

However, the judges chose differently. Wayne DeMilia announced the results, and El Sonbaty placed third on the scorecards. Finally, against all odds and to everyone’s surprise, Ronnie Coleman and Flex Wheeler were the only two men left standing. DeMilia added to the suspense of an already rollercoaster Mr. Olympia as he paused.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity and amidst the fans chanting Ronnie Coleman’s name, DeMilia announced Flex Wheeler in second place. Ronnie Coleman immediately collapsed to the floor out of sheer joy and shock. After years of toiling and failing to crack the top ten, he had made bodybuilding history.

The King jumped from ninth position to winning the Mr. Olympia, only adding to the contest’s dramatic nature. Coleman went on to establish himself as a bodybuilding legend. Today, he jointly holds the record for most Olympia wins at eight with Lee Haney. He also became the first man to win the Mr. Olympia and the Arnold Classic in the same calendar year. However, his legacy started on that fateful night in 1998 at Madison Square Garden, New York.