The two-time Mr. Olympia has officially exited the stage for good.
By Roger “Rock” Lockridge, Managing Editor
Bodybuilding retirements are not very common because while all careers eventually end, many competitors try to keep the mystique and appeal alive to sponsors and fans by keeping the door slightly open for a return.
That’s why many people in and out of the sport already guessed that Mamdouh “Big Ramy Elssbiay was done competing; it still made headlines that he confirmed his retirement to BTS TV on Friday, Apr. 17.
“No, I don’t think I’ll be back,” the two-time Mr. Olympia said in part. “I think it’s enough.”
If this is in fact the official end of the road for the Egyptian powerhouse, then it is the conclusion of a career that has cast a big shadow on the stage while also serving as a light of inspiration for many fans far beyond his own country’s borders.
A LOOK BACK AT BIG RAMY’S BIG IMPACT
Elssbiay began bodybuilding in the late 2000’s to early 2010’s and wasted no time making noise. Less than five years after the great eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman called it a career, Elssbiay triumphed at the 2012 Amateur Olympia, earning his pro card and putting the sport on notice that a new mass monster was on his way.
Many experts thought Big Ramy’s first big test would come at the following year’s New York Pro, but as soon as he faced the judges and audience, it was unofficially over. Rivals were deliberately avoiding being next to him during the pose down out of fear of being dwarfed by this new beast from the Middle East. He still needed polish, which is why he took eighth at that year’s Mr. Olympia in his debut appearance, but it was clear a new contender for the elite of the sport such as Phil Heath, Kai Greene, and Dennis Wolf was on the horizon.
Elssbiay would remain a perennial Olympia contender in the years since but never quite reached the top of the sport. The closest he got was second in 2017, which saw Heath earn the last of his own seven Sandow Trophies. Many experts felt his biggest flaws were the lack of consistent coaching—something he would later attempt to correct when Ramy began working with Chris Cormier—and his desire to please the fans, being as big as possible. 290-plus pounds onstage wasn’t enough. He wanted to be well over 300 pounds.
BIG RAMY’S RISE TO THE TOP
As the calendar turned to 2020, a new threat emerged that had nothing to do with competitions. The global COVID-19 pandemic affected everything in and out of sports to the point that there were questions of if the Olympia was even going to be held. That, combined with the change in ownership from AMI to Jake Wood and the event being moved from Las Vegas to Orlando weeks before the event was to be held left many supporters and fans questioning what would happen.
Once it was certain there would be an Olympia, the question then came who would be facing off against then champion Brandon Curry. After a one-year absence, Heath made his return to reclaim the title for a historic eighth time, but the late Shawn Rhoden, who defeated Heath in 2018 was facing legal issues and was not permitted to compete. Then, came another bombshell, Elssbiay had tested positive for the virus and had yet to qualify, meaning he would’ve been absent from the event as well.
Once Big Ramy recovered, he and many others felt a special invite was warranted for him to participate. Wood and Olympia President Dan Solomon agreed, and Elssbiay managed to make it to Florida to step on bodybuilding’s biggest stage.
During a time when the world needed a pleasant distraction, the Olympia went on and fans were captivated. The audience was limited due to restrictions, but fans around the world watched their screens as Curry, Heath, Ramy, and many others faced off and posed down for the title. Heath came in third, which left Curry and Elssbiay alone on center stage waiting for Bob Cicherillo’s announcement of who would leave the Sunshine State as the 2021 Mr. Olympia Champion. In the end, Elssbiay became the 16th man in history to have what Solomon has called “a name change.” It’s unknown if any other man has ever won the title without having to qualify since the qualification process began, but that would no longer be an issue for Elssbiay. He was now qualified for life.
AN ICON IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Elssbiay was the first non-American to be called Mr. Olympia since Dorian Yates in 1997. While many American fans were wondering how the sport would grow with a champion that had limited English skills, Big Ramy became a national hero in his part of the world. Outside of soccer, bodybuilding is one of the most popular sports in the Middle East, and one of their own was Mr. Olympia. Elssbiay received numerous appearances in the media, endorsement deals far beyond supplement brands, and his name was a household word around the world. The support and admiration of many in Egypt, Kuwait, and beyond was enough for Elssbiay to repeat as champion one year later, holding off Curry for the second straight year.
2022 would prove to be a year of struggle for the champion. After mysteriously not appearing at the Pittsburgh Pro for a scheduled guest posing, many fans questioned what was happening with him both professionally and personally. Then came the Olympia, which was back in Las Vegas. Elssbiay appeared poised to three-peat, but he was noticeably off the mark when he took the stage for prejudging, and there wasn’t enough time to make up ground because he was facing men that all brought their best, such as Hadi Choopan of Iran, Derek Lunsford who moved from the 212 up to the Open, and Nick Walker, who many American fans felt would be next to take the title.
Elssbiay finished fifth, one spot behind Curry, who he had beaten for the title the last two years. That would be his last time on the Olympia stage. He tried to seek redemption at the following year’s Arnold Classic but finished there in fourth. In the years since, Elssbiay has been focusing on his own Red Rex supplement brand and working as a show promoter. The question would keep coming up about when the 42-year-old would return, but there was never any certain answer, until now.
Elssbiay’s run at the top of the sport may have been brief, but it was certainly impactful. Fans and athletes alike have been inspired not only by his onstage presence but conduct and personality offstage as well. Very few people get to make that kind of impact on bodybuilding, and even less get to do so as Mr. Olympia. While he has hit his last most muscular with the trunks on, his contributions and connection to the sport will likely continue and be felt for many years to come.
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