Battle royale: at the 2007 Mr. Olympia, Cutler and Coleman will square off once again for the title. This time Martinez, Jackson and Badell might have something to say about it

Muscle & Fitness, Sept, 2007 by Mark Thorpe

For an event that many believe has only two possible outcomes, barring plagues of one kind or another, the 2007 Mr. Olympia is as compelling a competition as the sport has seen in years. Few doubt that Jay Cutler is the man to beat, but the question marks that cling to former eight-time champ Ronnie Coleman--injuries, age, desire--give the night its must-see unpredictability. As Ronnie goes, so goes the field. For an educated dissection of bodybuilding's premier event, we went to Bob Cicherillo, IFBB Masters Pro World champion and current host of the radio program Pro Bodybuilding Weekly, for his take on this year's Super Bowl of muscle.

JAY CULTER

It's never easy or wise to bet against a champ in his prime, and there's very little to doubt in the confident, calculated way Jay approaches his sport. He's the reigning Mr. Olympia, but just as telling on his resume are the four second-place finishes in the same contest: Jay never quits. "He will be No. 1 or No. 2, not even a question," Cicherillo says. "He'll be just as good, if not better than last year, barring anything unusual, of course. But he's too much of a professional to be experimenting at this point."

Is this King Coleman's swan song? Or are rumors of his demise greatly exaggerated? Nobody really knows. "I wouldn't bat an eye if he came back and won the whole thing," Cicherillo says. "And I wouldn't hat an eye if he came hack and took fifth." With injury rumors persisting, Ronnie, at 43, may not have much say in his future, especially if he finds his confidence shaken. "How does losing to Jay not once but four times this past year [after the Olympia, he also placed second to Jay at the three ensuing European Grand Prix events] affect Ronnie's mental state?" Cicherillo asks. "Before, he was the ultimate champ and nobody could beat him. Now he's fighting for the title."

Should Ronnie somehow turn back the clock, the odds-on favorite for third is Victor, the 2007 Arnold Classic winner. "Victor can do a lot with that physique," Cicherillo says. But should Ronnie falter this year, Cicherillo sees Victor sliding into the No. 2 spot, making him the most likely threat to the crown in the near future. The key for Victor will be following his win at the Arnold Classic (where he took Dexter Jackson's title) with a consecutive commanding performance, something he has had trouble with in the past.

Dexter may be the most fluid among the top contenders. "No way he's out of the top six," Cicherillo says, "His physique is too good. But much like Shawn Ray's [who had 12 consecutive top-five Olympia finishes, X990-2001], there's not a lot more he can do with it in terms of muscle. It just depends on how he compares with the other guys." If Dexter's true to form, he could compare very well. Should Ronnie and Victor come in soft, The Blade, could find himself at No, 2, or if he misses a beat, Melvin Anthony could eclipse him.

"Melvin has made huge progress over the last few years," says Cicherillo. "He's a top-six guy. He's established himself there." But with Gustavo Badell, Toney Freeman and Dennis Wolf at his heels, he'll have to work hard to hold on to that listing, and Cicherillo is confident; that's exactly what he'll do. "Somebody's going to have to come in and show something better to knock him out. Melvin is for real."

Gustavo could very well be the guy who . surprises everyone--again.

Cicherillo sees a bit of a wild card in the Puerto Rican; if he's 100%, he could shake things Up. "Gustavo has to come in with condition first and foremost, not size," he says. "The bigger he gets, the less impact he creates." When he was unheralded in 2004, he finished third, and then proved it was no fluke by matching that upper-echelon placing in 2005. Watch out.

The X-Man is the Olympia X Factor in Cicherillo's book. "Toney [left] is a guy who can be in the top five. He has the size to com-pete with anyone, and his physique seems to get better as he goes." Dennis, who won his first contest as a pro this May at the Keystone Classic, has a very real shot at the top 10 as well, but with another year of improvement to his lower lats and calves, Cicherillo thinks he could have a serious impact on the sport.

TO THE 10-SPOT

Markus Ruhl, Dennis James, Silvio Samuel, Eddie Abbew Markus has yet to qualify, but if he does, he has too much muscle to be ignored, Cicherillo says. His tendency to come in soft in the back, however, will keep him scratching around at the back of the top 10. Dennis James could break the top six at his very best, but Cicherillo believes he, like Gustavo, often comes in too heavy. "He's as wide as a country mile, but he lacks detail in the midsection. I'd like to see him come down about 8 pounds." Silvio is another contender with great aesthetics and symmetry who could figure prominently in placings 7-10. And Eddie is a potential dark horse. "He's better than people give him credit for," Cicherillo says. "He could sneak into the top 10."

THE BEST OF THE REST

Some stalwarts on the Olympia scene had yet to qualify at press time--including Johnnie Jackson, Troy Alves and Chris Cormier--but assuming they do, they, along with Vince Taylor, Darrem Charles, Ronny Rockel and the rest of the very talented field are, in most cases, giving up too much muscle to move far below 10th place. (Branch Warren has intimated he will bypass the Olympia.) The exception is Chris, who could break the top six should he return at even 95% of his prime, but that's yet another question mark. "These are the best bodybuilders in the world," Cicherillo says. "The judges are splitting hairs at this level. The 2007 Mr. Olympia contest will be without a doubt the most anticipated in the event's history." M&F