If all goes to plan, then around 10 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19 at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas, the winner of the 56th Mr. Olympia contest will be crowned.
With last year’s winner Brandon Curry defending his title for the first time, we thought it would be a good time to look back and see how the previous 14 holders of the sport’s most treasured title fared when they made their initial defense.
As we previously mentioned, the Mr. Olympia has been held for more than half a century — but believe it or not only 15 men have been able to call themselves the best of the best in the bodybuilding world. So while not everyone has been successful in their first title defense, most have been able to hold onto their crown for at least two consecutive years.
Let’s see how the winners did.
As can be seen, first defenses of the Olympia title are not always rubber-stamped affairs — let us know how you think Brandon Curry’s first defense will go on Dec. 19.
Peter McGough is a legendary bodybuilding journalist, and former editor-in-chief of FLEX Magazine.
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Courtesy Weider Health & Fitness
Larry Scott: Two and Out
Having won the first ever Olympia in 1965, the Golden Boy of the 1960s repeated his victory the following year but then promptly announced his retirement on stage. He wanted to pursue other priorities, but the always-honest Scott will tell you that another factor was that he had seen the future in the shape of Sergio Oliva, who had been lurking in fourth place.
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Courtesy of Weider Health and Fitness / M+F Magazine
Sergio Oliva: Nobody Wants to Play
In 1967 Oliva ascended the Olympia throne, beating out Chuck Sipes (2nd), Harold Poole (3rd) and Dave Draper (4th). Scott’s premonition about Oliva was well-founded because when the massive Cuban made his first defense in 1968, no one challenged him.
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Hulton Archive / Stringer / Getty
Arnold Schwarzenegger: Alone in Paris
After losing to Oliva in 1969, Schwarzenegger returned a year later and toppled the seemingly unbeatable Myth. The Austrian transplant’s initial defense in Paris in 1971 was similar to Sergio’s 1968 venture as he was unopposed. This was due to several athletes (including Oliva) being suspended prior to the contest for taking part in non-IFBB events.
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Courtesy of Weider Health & Fitness
Franco Columbu: Undefeated
The Sardinian Samson won the Olympia on two separate occasions (1976 and 1981), but never actually defended either win — drawing a parallel with Chris Dickerson who won in 1982 but didn’t return in 1983 to defend.
Frank Zane took possession of the Olympia title in 1977 with a 185-pound physique that imbued classical proportions and refinement. Runner-up Robby Robinson returned to challenge Zane in 1978.
The reigning champ was seven pounds heavier and just as detailed and full, and Robinson had to again take second spot; though his cause hadn’t been helped by him suffering a respiratory problem that necessitated him receiving oxygen several times in the 24 hours preceding the contest.
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Courtesy of Weider Health & Fitness
Chris Dickerson: OK in UK
After finishing Olympia runner-up in 1980 and 1981, Chris Dickerson came out on top in London in 1982. He retired that night so he never defended the title, though in 1984 he jumped back into Olympia action with an 11th place finish.
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Courtesy of Weider Health and Fitness / M+F Magazine
Samir Bannout: Big Apple Letdown
In finally defeating the water retention problems that afflicted him earlier in his career, Samir Bannout flushed his way to victory at the 1983 Mr. O held in Munich. Enjoying his year in the sun, as only the ebullient Samir can do, he defended his crown a year later in New York and slumped to sixth with most onlookers thinking he should have finished higher.
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Courtesy of Weider Health and Fitness / M+F Magazine
Lee Haney: Muscles in Brussels
A new era dawned with Lee Haney annexing the Olympia title in 1984 and many saw him as unbeatable, but in 1985 in Brussels, Belgium, he was tad short of his previous year’s form and Al Beckles gave him a tougher time than many predicted.
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COURTESY OF WEIDER HEALTH & FITNESS / M+F Magazine
Dorian Yates Sets Atlanta on Fire
Dorian Yates took over the Olympia reigns in 1992 and made his first defense in Atlanta a year later. At 257 pounds on that day in 1993, the Brit won a unanimous victory that raised the bodybuilding bar higher than it had ever been. He was so dominant that year that Bannout said, “Dorian was first, second and third.”
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YouTube/Generation Iron
Ronnie Coleman: What Happens in Vegas…
The 1998 Olympia champ Ronnie Coleman made his first defense in Las Vegas the following year and eased to a straight first place victory, though runner-up Flex Wheeler made his views to the contrary made known onstage.
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Courtesy Weider Health & Fitness
Jay Cutler: The victor Meets Victor
Having finally climbed atop the Olympia mountain in 2006, Jay Cutler’s first defense a year later ended with another win despite many feeling runner-up Victor Martinez had the better showing that night.
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Chris Nicoll
Dexter Jackson: One and Out
In 2008, Dexter Jackson became the lightest Olympia winner since Samir Bannout in 1983. In his initial defense he finished third with Jay Cutler reclaiming the crown.
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Chris Nicoll / filo
Phil Heath: Grass is Greener on His Side
Heath took his first Sandow in 2011, and in his first defense in 2012 beat off the challenge of Kai Greene, a feat he duplicated in 2013 and 2014.
The Gift finally won seven titles before being beaten by Shawn Rhoden in 2018. The latter was unable to defend the title in 2019 due to outside legal matters and Brandon Curry stepped into become the 15th Mr. O.
