Classic Physique–turned Open threat, Urs Kalecinski, is after another massive year in the sport. On Dec. 19, 2025, bodybuilding veteran Shawn Ray discussed his future and predicted him to be a top-six threat at the Mr. Olympia with more size.
Chris Bumstead set the trend first. Following his final Classic Physique Olympia victory in 2024, he made his highly anticipated splash into the Men’s Open. Months later, “The Miracle Bear” followed suit. While no one saw the transition coming, Kalecinski proved that in just a short window of time, he could cultivate enough mass to hold his own against the big boys.
During the 2025 bodybuilding season, Kalecinski clinched gold at the ProMuscle Italy Pro and Europa Pro Championships. In his first Olympia appearance as an Open contender, he nailed down 13th place. In light of his performance, bodybuilders of past eras are breaking down his chances of success.
Shawn Ray Talks Kalecinski’s Future, Says He Can be a Top-6 Threat at Mr. Olympia With More Size
In the video, Ray defended his original stance that Kalecinski should have skipped the 2025 Mr. Olympia.
“I said Urs Kalecinski should not go in the Open Olympia even though he qualified twice. He’s going to get killed. He’s not ready. He needs more time to grow. He needs to get bigger. They kept talking about his popularity.
I’m not sure how many tickets he sold, and Germans came and followed him to Las Vegas, but whatever they thought was going to happen regarding his impact on the Olympia stage… it never materialized,” said Ray.
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To ensure he finishes in the top six at future Olympia contests, Ray insists Kalecinski needs time away from the stage to add size.
“I said Urs with a year off could actually be a competitor. He could actually threaten the top six,” said Ray. “He’s coming from a whole different division.
He’s going to have to supersize. You can’t get bigger on a diet coming down Milos. He qualified twice in a row at smaller shows where non-Olympia finalists were in.
All in all, Ray doesn’t believe Kalecinski’s Open Olympia debut worked to his advantage:
“So yes, he qualified, but going to the Olympia, he made himself unavailable to fans because he’s competing in the show. He didn’t make the kind of money he probably would have if he was at the expo doing promotions, and he didn’t put on the gains or size necessary to be a competitor.”
“It wasn’t a successful appearance,” states Ray. “This is a guy that can be a threat in the top six at the Olympia.”
As long as Kalecinski continues to improve, Ray predicts he’ll have a bright future in the Open. He argued that top contenders like Samson Dauda, Derek Lunsford, and Hadi Choopan won’t be in the mix in 2–5 years.
“Urs has the potential to be there, you know why? Urs in a year or two, he has the potential to be there. You know why? There’s going to be guys disappearing.
I guarantee you that Samson in two or three years will be gone. Derek will probably be gone because he’s got so many things going on and opportunities, he’s not going to compete for another three to five years.”
With the older guard aging out, Ray sees a new crop of contenders emerging at Olympia, with Kalecinski being one of them.
“I guarantee you he’ll be done. Hadi Choopan is going to be done in two or three years. That’s going to leave young guys like Regan Grimes and Urs; they are going to rise up in the top six because of time and development.”
Public confidence in Kalecinski has soared since his switch to the Men’s Open. Former four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler recently backed him to one day win the Sandow trophy. Kalecinski took in leg day workout tips during their collaboration.
Ray is firm that with more time, Kalecinski could be an ongoing threat at the Open Mr. Olympia. In just a few years, he sees the German star pushing into title contention, as long as he continues to add size.
Watch the full video from the Muscle and Fitness YouTube channel below:
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