Bodybuilding is a sport of strength, power, resilience, perseverance, and much more. And it is one of the most followed sports in the US. However, bodybuilding events like Mr. America and Mr. Universe were in existence. In 1965, bodybuilding witnessed a change that expanded the horizons and competition level by many times.

Joe Weider and his brother, Ben, introduced Mr. Olympia to the world. As a result, it became the ultimate prize for bodybuilding. Notably, Mr. Olympia is probably the greatest event in bodybuilding. Moreover, the bodybuilders who win the title are counted as the greatest bodybuilders. Recently, Olympia President Dan Solomon explained what makes Mr. Olympia unique from other competitors.

Mr. Olympia is the ultimate stage of bodybuilding

After Mr. Olympia got introduced, gradually the image of bodybuilding became better among the public. As Larry Scott, Sergio Oliva, and then Arnold Schwarzenegger won the title with neck-to-neck competitions. People began loving the fierce competition between the bodybuilders. Moreover, with time, the craze for competition only increased.

Many bodybuilding competitions were introduced after Mr. Olympia, but no one could replace them. While talking on Prime Time Muscle, Olympia President Dan Solomon revealed what makes Mr. Olympia different. Dan said, “What makes the Olympia so unique is, in the NFL there’s only one Super Bowl, in Major League Baseball there’s only World Series and in the NBA there’s only one finals, in tennis, there’s only one Wimbledon.”

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He continued, “So in this world, the Olympia represents the Highmark of the industry, of the sport. So a lot of people would be suitors to want to acquire the most prestigious event property in the world of fitness.” 

Mr. Olympia winners from 1965 to 2021:

There have been several bodybuilders who became the ultimate champions by winning this title. Ronnie Coleman (1998-2005) and Lee Haney (1984-91) are tied with eight Mr. Olympia titles with them. Whereas Arnold Schwarzenegger (1970-75, 1980) and Phil Heath (2011-17) have won seven titles each. After them, Dorian Yates is another bodybuilder with six titles under his belt. 

Jay Cutler has also won the title four times. Followed by Sergio Oliva, and Frank Zane, who had won it three times each. Other than these bodybuilders, Larry Scott, Franco Columbu, and Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay had won Mr. Olympia two times each. And finally, Chris Dickerson, Samir Bannout, Shawn Rhoden, Dexter Jackson, and Brandon Curry accomplished the title one time each in their career.

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Indeed, Mr. Olympia is the greatest bodybuilding competition in the sport. Who is your favorite Mr. Olympia among the champions?