The 2024 Mr. Olympia is anticipated to be a memorable event, brimming with stories of redemption and triumph. In a recent YouTube video, former champion Phil Heath offered advice to Mamdouh -Big Ramy Elssbiay and speculated on potential winners.
Enthusiasts of bodybuilding can look forward to the upcoming 2024 Pittsburgh Pro, featuring a special guest posing ceremony with top Men’s Open competitors. This event provides a glimpse into what might unfold at the annual Mr. Olympia, solidifying its place on the IFBB Pro League calendar.
Elssbiay, a two-time Olympia titleholder (2020, 2021), will return to the Pittsburgh stage after a hiatus following his fourth-place finish at the 2023 Arnold Classic. Can he regain his title? This question has prompted Heath to contemplate the future of Elssbiay’s career.
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Phil Heath Offers Advice to Big Ramy and Discusses 2024 Mr. Olympia Winners With Dennis James
Heath was unimpressed with Big Ramy’s fifth-place showing at the 2022 Olympia. He stressed that the former titleholder was under greater scrutiny given his championship status.
“What I think and where they are going are two different things. I didn’t expect him, the 2022, I didn’t have him fifth, I mean, but I’m like but then where would you of had him Phil, maybe third, but you didn’t have him winning.”
“Come on dude, fifth? That’s bad. So, what message are we really sending,” adds Heath. “When you win, what do people do? They use a different microlens now, they use a much stronger lens now. When you were using that lens on me, you weren’t looking at him. So, now you’ve seen him more and now he is your standard, so now you’re like ‘Oh, wait a minute, there’s a scratch on the hood, there’s a knick on the tire, you know on the wheel,’ but we are talking about a Ferrari, and he’s going up against a Honda Civic or something.”
Heath complimented Ramy for his dominant side poses. He thought Ramy won the 2023 Arnold Classic.
“Look at Ramy’s winning poses and stuff, when I say winning pose, like the pose that they said this is your new Mr. Olympia, it was a side chest. That’s fucking crazy. That’s usually dedicated to the guys that are shorter like myself and can twist a little bit. He is wider than everybody,” says Heath.
“Why did he get fourth? Because when I saw the Arnold I wasn’t sitting there, watching it in the greenroom, bro, I thought he spanked everybody. He walked out and I was like this is a joke, it’s a wrap.”
Regarding Ramy’s future, Phil Heath believes clarity will come after the guest posing event in Pittsburgh on May 11.
“I don’t know where he goes from here. I think some things will answer themselves come in Pittsburgh. I definitely believe that he’s got to probably stop with the old school pictures and videos that he and his team will post, tricking your mind into guessing when that actually was.”
With five months remaining until the 60th anniversary of Olympia, James predicted Choopan would emerge victorious in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Milos Sarcev and Chris Cormier backed Derek Lunsford to retain his title.
“I’m going to say Hadi is going to win the Olympia. No big explanation, just give me the names,” asks Dennis James.
“I’m going to go with Derek,” says Chris Cormier. “I think he improved his abs and I think that’s going to help him a lot. I’ve been lobbying for him to improve his abs for like two or three years now.”
“Who’s going to win?” asks James.
“I think actually Derek will bring it,” replies Sarcev.
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Heath believes Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford are the clear frontrunners for the 2024 Mr. Olympia show. He holds this opinion even without seeing the guest posers square off in Pittsburgh.
“I think what Hadi has to realize is that the timing of this show is everything. That’s usually something that something only competitors truly understand. I think last year, being backstage at the Olympia, when I saw him [Hadi Choopan] take his shirt off before he even touched a dumbbell, it was a problem. I think he did not peak on Friday because he probably pumped up too much. I watched it first hand.”
“Derek won hands down, it is what it is,” adds Heath. “I definitely believe Hadi and Derek are the frontrunners.”
During a recent conversation with Bradley Martyn, Phil Heath revisited the anticipated rematch between Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford. Furthermore, he expressed awe at Choopan’s evolution from the Olympia to his subsequent victories at the 2024 Arnold Classic Ohio and UK shows.
As anticipation mounts, both among fans and experts like Phil Heath, the forthcoming showdown between Derek Lunsford and Hadi Choopan promises to be a riveting spectacle. All eyes will be on the 2024 Mr. Olympia event in Las Vegas, Nevada, scheduled from October 10 to 13, where the ultimate verdict on their rivalry will unfold.
View the full video from the Muscle and Fitness YouTube channel here:
Overview
In a recent YouTube video, Phil Heath advised Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay and speculated on 2024 Mr. Olympia winners. Furthermore, enthusiasts await the 2024 Pittsburgh Pro, featuring top Men’s Open competitors. Moreover, they’ll showcase skills in a special guest posing ceremony, offering a glimpse of the Mr. Olympia. Notably, Elssbiay, a two-time Olympia titleholder, plans to return to Pittsburgh after a hiatus. Also, this follows his fourth-place finish at the 2023 Arnold Classic. However, the question remains: can he reclaim his title? Heath contemplates.
Featured Image @Phil Heath, @Muscle and Fitness (YouTube), @hadi_choopan, @big_ramy (Instagram).
