Written by Team MD
31 March 2017

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Is There a Changing of the Guard?

Shawn Ray & Kevin Levrone Give Their Views

 

 

The question we asked Shawn Ray and Kevin Levrone was, D”o you think we are now witnessing a clear changing of the guard in the upper echelons of the pro ranks? Newer athletes like Ramy, William Bonac, Nathan De asha, Dallas McCarver and Josh Lenartowicz are on the rise, while many of the older stars are either moving down the ladder or being forced to take time off due to injuries or just being plain burned-out. How do you see the situation, in terms of things appearing to be undergoing a definite shift toward a newer, younger group of stars?”

 

SHAWN RAY: Clearly, “The Times They are A-Changin’”!

The only constant from 2016 is Dexter “The Blade” Jackson’s miraculous Fountain of Youth, keeping him in and around the winner’s circle, year in and year out, at the ripe old age of 47. With respect to the young whippersnappers moving into the upper echelon of the pro bodybuilding elite, it is something that happens in every sport. This past Mr. Olympia showed us by way of Kevin Levrone’s return to competition that Father Time remains undefeated, and time catches up to even the most seasoned of bodybuilders, Dexter Jackson notwithstanding. Veteran pro Johnnie Jackson went on record earlier this year that he was retiring, and I won’t be surprised in 2017 if we hear that his longtime training partner, Branch Warren, follows right behind him. We can see the emergence of the young guys like Dallas, Justin, Josh, Cody, William and Big Ramy, while slowly seeing chinks in the armor of Mr. Olympia runner-up Shawn Rhoden, as well as Roelly Winklaar and even Cedric McMillan. All three of them had flashes of brilliance, but I personally believe some of the decline is due to Father Time.

 

One name not mentioned here is former perennial top Olympian competitor, Kai Greene. Kai is no spring chicken in the age department, but seemingly chooses the right contests to compete in— which strategically lands him in the winner’s circle, year in and year out, as he creeps closer to middle age. Currently, there is no real threat of Kai’s age being exposed as a declining factor, and his actual age seems to be a matter of debate. Dennis Wolf got injured early in 2016, rendering himself a non-factor on the contest stage. However, his recovery will have a definite impact on his return, depending on the severity of the injury. As it involved the cervical vertebrae of his neck, it could lead to a premature exit from the stage, leaving younger guys to move up the ranks.

 

The “changing of the guard” will be witnessed in full effect over the next three years. We will be talking about different individual’s improvements, and the decline of others. Yet among these champion bodybuilders, one name should remain, if all things are equal and injury notwithstanding— six-time Mr. Olympia winner, Phil Heath. Phil is 36 years young, and could retire from the sport as a nine- or 10-time Mr. Olympia champion, at or about age 40, should he choose to do so. This year, the gap between first and second place at the Mr. Olympia did not get closer, in my eyes. If anything, Phil made the distance even greater, while his challengers may have improved ever so slightly. Phil remains the King of the Beasts, and in 2017 should grab his seventh Sandow and celebrate the passing of yet another birthday, with little to no fanfare or resistance from the present guard. That is, unless “The Predator,” Kai Greene, decides that competing in the Mr. Olympia is more fun than watching the Mr. Olympia. Then we could see a contest for the ages!

Twitter: @sugarshawnray

Instagram: @shawnrayifbbpro

Facebook: Shawn Ray

 

KEVIN LEVRONE

If you look at the top five in the Mr. Olympia for the last two years now, the same three guys have been up there. All three of them have been doing this for a while now, and aren’t what you would call young. Phil is 36, which would have been considered old for a pro bodybuilder not so long ago. Arnold retired at 27 with seven Mr. Olympia titles, and came back at 32 to win one more. Lee Haney retired when he was just 31, with eight Sandows. I was 37 when I walked away from the stage after the 2003 Mr. Olympia contest. But you see guys competing much older these days, Dexter being the prime example. He’s 47, competing as a pro since 1999, and is still winning shows left and right. Shawn Rhoden is 41, but has only been competing as a pro since 2010. Even some of these newer pros like William Bonac aren’t that young— he’s 34. So let’s just say “newer pros” rather than younger pros in this discussion about whether or not we’re seeing a changing of the guard.

 

Newer pros always bring excitement to the sport. Even the fans get tired of seeing the same guys win, over and over again, at all the shows. And when you have different judges in different countries, you can see how newer guys have opportunities to beat the more seasoned veterans, if they bring their “A game” and the veterans are even a little off. We saw it with Ramy beating Dexter in Kuwait, and Bonac beating both of them in Prague. I think if it’s close enough to flip a coin, judges— and again, I feel it’s more so the case outside the USA— might be inclined to give the nod to the newer guy.

 

You will always see periods of time in our sport when newer groups of pros rise up and the older ones fade away. In the mid to late 1980s, you had an awesome group dominating the IFBB that included Lee Haney, Rich Gaspari, Lee Labrada, Mike Christian, Berry de Mey and Gary Strydom. By the time you got to the early to mid-‘90s, all of them were gone, for the most part, and you had a whole new group with Dorian, myself, Shawn, Flex, Chris Cormier, Paul Dillett, Vince Taylor and Nasser. I will say that the “changing of the guard” happens less frequently these days, because so many guys continue competing long past their mid-30s. It was almost unheard of in the ‘80s or ‘90s to see a man over 40 still doing well in the sport. Now you have Dexter, Kai, Shawn Rhoden, Branch and Victor still at it. Granted, in a few years, some or all of them will probably be retired. That’s just the way it goes in any professional sport. Men like Ramy, Bonac, Dallas, Justin Compton, Nathan De asha and Josh Lenartowicz will most likely be the top men at the Olympia and the Arnold every year, for a while— until more new blood comes along and the cycle repeats itself.

Twitter: @LevroneKevin

Instagram: kevinlevrone

Facebook: Kevin Levrone

 

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