Chad Nicholls has made a name for himself as a renowned bodybuilding mentor, having guided the careers of several top contenders in the sport. His most notable success story is his work with Ronnie Coleman, whom he helped win eight Sandow trophies during his reign of dominance between 1998 and 2005. Nicholls’ training techniques have been praised by many, but he has also faced criticism, particularly from retired bodybuilder Shawn Ray.
The Feud Between Chad Nicholls and Shawn Ray
Chad Nicholls and Shawn Ray have been at odds for several years. The feud began in February 2020 when Ray criticized Nicholls for promoting dangerous training with the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The tensions between the two escalated further when Ray expressed disapproval of the protocols used by Nicholls. The feud has become a topic of interest among bodybuilding fans, with many curious about the origins of the conflict and its impact on the sport.
Nicholls’ Support for Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay
Despite the feud with Shawn Ray, Chad Nicholls has remained focused on supporting former two-time Mr. Olympia Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay. Nicholls has praised Elssbiay’s progress in the off-season and has backed him to return with an even bigger package at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. However, he has also acknowledged the threat posed by rising stars Nick Walker and William Bonac, who display freakish muscle mass. Nicholls’ continued involvement in the sport and support of top athletes have solidified his position as a respected figure in the bodybuilding world.
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Ramy’s Struggles and Nicholls’ Assessment
After losing the Mr. Olympia title to Hadi Choopan in Las Vegas, Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay worked on fixing his issues for his return at the 2023 Arnold Classic. Chad Nicholls, his mentor, believed that Ramy had made the necessary adjustments and would be a formidable competitor at 310 pounds. However, things took a different turn during the Arnold Classic Expo.
The Altercation Between Dominic Nicholls and Shawn Ray
At the Arnold Classic Expo, the tensions between Chad Nicholls and Shawn Ray escalated when Dominic Nicholls, Chad’s son, confronted Ray over his negative remarks about his father. The verbal exchange, which was captured on video, made headlines online. While the altercation did not come to blows, it raised questions about the feud between Nicholls and Ray.
Milos Sarcev and Chris Cormier Weigh In
Bodybuilding coach Milos Sarcev commented on the altercation, stating that Ray allegedly got jumped by Nicholls, although he did not provide any evidence to support his claim. IFBB Hall of Famer Chris Cormier theorized that Dominic was particularly upset with Ray for blaming his father for the deaths of some bodybuilders. The comments from Sarcev and Cormier added further intrigue to the ongoing feud between Nicholls and Ray.
Chad Nicholls Reveals the Origins of His Feud with Shawn Ray
In a recently released YouTube video, bodybuilding guru Chad Nicholls revealed how his feud with former IFBB Pro Shawn Ray began. According to Nicholls, Ray took issue with his training techniques in February 2020, accusing him of promoting dangerous training with the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The tension between the two escalated further when Ray expressed disapproval of Nicholls’ protocols. Nicholls remained focused on supporting Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay, while Ray continued to criticize his methods. The revelations shed light on the ongoing conflict between the two bodybuilding figures.
“Boyer Coe called me on the phone and asked me, now I can’t swear to god that Shawn knew that Boyer was going to call me or not but Boyer Coe definitely called me and asked me if I’d be interested in working with Shawn,” said Nicholls. “Of course, they both deny that now but they’ve been friends for years. That’s 100 percent what happened. I think he’s pissed at me though when I started working with Flex, like he was beating a lot of these guys, and then next thing you know he never beat one of my guys ever again. Then, he retired two or three years.”
Chad Nicholls Details the Altercation Between Dom and Ray at the 2023 Arnold Classic Expo
In a recent interview, Chad Nicholls revealed that his ongoing beef with Shawn Ray had been going on for 20 years. Nicholls also addressed the viral incident involving his son, Dominic, and Ray at the 2023 Arnold Classic Expo. According to Nicholls, Dominic confronted Ray at the expo and called him out for trashing his father’s name. While the altercation did not escalate to physical violence, the heated exchange between Dominic and Ray made headlines online. Nicholls’ comments provide further insight into the longstanding conflict between him and Ray, as well as the incident involving his son at the Arnold Classic Expo.
“Here’s kind of what happened. Obviously, everybody knows the beef between me and Shawn, it’s going on for 20 years ever since I started training athletes and they all started placing ahead of him so that was kind of no-brainer and it kind of back and forth. When I saw Shawn, I had nothing but positive thoughts. I was going to be like, ‘hey man we need to talk. Let’s go and talk.’ My thinking was let’s just squash this sh*t. It’s all petty nonsense. He kinda made a smart-ass thing, got my number and we’re both there, let’s go talk. I said let’s go talk and my thinking was we’ll exit the ballroom because I didn’t want to do in front of everybody.
We’re already at the back and so I was going to walk out the back doors. Basically what happened was when Sean realized we were getting ready to exit, he stopped and kind of backtracked. Dom was behind him but Dom kinda was like get moving boy and then Sean does Sean and starts screaming, you’re going to go to jail, you want to be arrested, I’m going to end your career, blah blah. That was really the end of it. I literally would’ve not thought another thing about it.
“But I guess after that, Ron Harris had sent Dom a message and it’s like hey why is Shawn saying you hit him and Dom’s like what the hell are you talking about because Ron was right there. I didn’t hit him and he’s like no that’s what I’m saying why is Shawn saying that he’s completely lying about it so that kind of pissed off. Then, somebody else came and was like hey I heard Shawn was ready to go outside with you. He’s telling everybody he was ready to go outside so at this point, you’re talking about a 19 year old kid and now all these guys are saying this happened and that happened.
So, now Dom loses his cool a little bit the next day, goes up and decides to confront him. The reason he recorded it was basically so they couldn’t say something happened that didn’t happen so that was really all that was basically being recorded. He went up basically, said what he said, they recorded it again, only reason they record it so Shawn couldn’t come back and say oh well he was aggressive, put his hands on me, done this, done that and that was basically it. It was done and over with at that point basically.”
“It was basically he had already started saying stuff that was not true. So, Dom didn’t want to do something and all of a sudden, Sean calls up somebody and said he assaulted me at the booth. They recorded it to make sure everybody knew.”
Jose Raymond Takes Sides in Shawn Ray and Chad Nicholls’ Rivalry
Jose Raymond, a veteran in the bodybuilding industry, recently shared his thoughts on the ongoing feud between Shawn Ray and Chad Nicholls. In his statement made two weeks ago, Raymond sided with Nicholls and criticized Ray for his behavior, stating that Ray is not serving the bodybuilding community as a legend should and is walking on thin ice. Raymond’s take on the matter adds another layer to the already intense conflict between the two prominent figures.
Chad Nicholls Hints at Further Escalation in Rivalry with Shawn Ray
Chad Nicholls, a well-known bodybuilding coach, recently commented on the ongoing rivalry between him and Shawn Ray. Based on his latest statements, the troubles between the two may not be over and could even escalate further. Nicholls hinted at the viral incident that occurred between Ray and his son, Dom, at the 2023 Arnold Classic Expo, stating that the feud between him and Ray has been going on for 20 years. With tensions still running high, it remains to be seen how the situation will develop in the coming months.
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Overview
Chad Nicholls is a highly respected bodybuilding mentor who has coached several top contenders in the sport, most notably eight-time Mr. Olympia winner Ronnie Coleman. While Nicholls’ training techniques have earned him widespread praise, he has also faced criticism from retired bodybuilder Shawn Ray over his promotion of dangerous training and performance-enhancing drugs.
Despite the ongoing feud, Nicholls remains focused on supporting his athlete, former Mr. Olympia Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay, and believes he will return with an even bigger package at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. However, rising stars Nick Walker and William Bonac are seen as formidable challengers.
Tensions between Nicholls and Ray escalated when Chad’s son, Dominic, confronted Ray over his negative remarks about his father at the Arnold Classic Expo. While the altercation did not turn physical, it added to the intrigue of the ongoing feud.
In a recently released YouTube video, Nicholls revealed that his beef with Ray began when the latter took issue with his training techniques and expressed disapproval of his protocols. This revelation sheds light on the long-standing conflict between the two figures in the bodybuilding world.
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