“Flex Could’ve Beaten Ronnie if…”: Fans Judge Ronnie Coleman vs Flex Wheeler Iconic 1998 Mr. Olympia Competition

Ronnie Coleman is called ‘The King’ of bodybuilding. He won eight Mr. Olympia titles consecutively from 1998 to 2005. Ronnie’s incredible performances left an unbelievable mark on the sport. Despite not attaining unfathomable success early on in his career, Ronnie persevered his way toward greatness.

Ronnie started as a bodybuilder after he became a police officer. After struggling for long-time delivering pizzas, he finally bagged a stable job. His colleague persuaded him to start bodybuilding as he already had a muscular body. After pursuing bodybuilding professionally, along with his police job, Ronnie never looked back.

When Ronnie Coleman won his first, Mr. Olympia

Ronnie Coleman‘s journey to his first Mr. Olympia win was not easy. Despite winning his first bodybuilding competition in 1990, it took him eight long years to break through as a champion bodybuilder. Ronnie contended in Mr. Olympia for the first time in 1992 but failed to make the cut. It continued year after year, but Ronnie could not even make a top-five finish. In 1998, Ronnie stunned the world by winning his first Mr. Olympia title, defeating Flex Wheeler by three points.

The competition was exciting till the very end. Bodybuilding fans remember the final as it happened just a few years back. A video posted on YouTube from the final of the 1998 edition of Mr. Olympia left the fans in a frenzy. They expressed their opinions and excitement regarding the finals in the comments of the video. “Flex could’ve beaten Ronnie if his back was wider, but in terms of detail, he matched the standard,” wrote a fan.

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Fans left no stone unturned in supporting their favorite bodybuilder. They expressed how they felt when Coleman won his first Mr. Olympia title.

Reactions of fans to the iconic final

The event brought a mixed reaction from fans. Fans were stunned by the intense competition in the event. A lot of fans exclaimed how such high quality of competition is not seen these days.

Here are some more of the fan reactions:

 Fans went on to notice even the slightest aspects which made him dominate. A fan wrote about how Ronnie could not be beaten when he was in his prime form. “Nobody beats RONNIE COLEMAN in his prime!”. Another fan noticed how ‘The King’ was focusing on his routine, whereas Flex Wheeler was just looking at him. They made comparisons with how a winner focuses on winning. “Flex is focusing on Ronnie, while he is focusing on himself. Very noticeable”, he commented.

“Flex back is his best body part” really? No way your outta your mind. Flex Wheeler was physical perfection from the front. ” Commented a user. He pointed out how people would appreciate Flex Wheeler’s back, but his body from the front was way more impressively built. 

One fan who attended the contest shared his experience with the event. Sharing his experience, he wrote, “I was there at the Madison Square Garden Paramount Theater that night in 98. The entire place was rooting and cheering for Coleman the whole night. He was the winner the whole time. But Flex won the Arnold that year, he peaked at the Arnold and looked soft at the Olympia. He had the best arms, legs, back, and glutes ever that day. Flex never stood a chance.”

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