Bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler believes it’s time for the Mr. Olympia brand to revamp its press conferences. In a recent post shared via the Cutler Cast Podcast, Cutler explained why it would be beneficial for the sport to start having a UFC-style post-show press conference after each Mr. Olympia contest.
“Should the press conference at the @mrolympiallc be more like the @ufc ?” asks Jay Cutler.
Since 1965, the annual Joe Weider Fitness and Performance Weekend has hosted the Mr. Olympia competition. The mega-event features the best bodybuilders from across the world on one stage, who vie for the greatest title the sport has to offer.
From funny back-and-forth moments with Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman to Breon Ansley having Chris Bumstead hold his shirt, these pressers have long been a staple for bodybuilding fans who relish seeing their favorite athletes bicker before taking to the stage.
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The pre-event press conference for 2022 Mr. Olympia delivered fireworks. Open stars Blessing Awodibu and Nick Walker took part in some trash talk while Michal Krizo ripped his shirt off for a shocking most muscular pose. However, Cutler maintains that if competitors had to face each other after the results of Mr. Olympia, the press conferences would make for even better popcorn moments.
“It Would Be Interesting” – Jay Cutler, Milos Sarcev Talk UFC-Inspired Mr. Olympia Press Conferences
Cutler believes fans would appreciate pressers that took place before and after Mr. Olympia shows. He added that hearing from the top five after the event wraps up would be ideal.
“I was watching the YouTube playbacks of you know where each fighter comes in and they interview them and their thoughts. How could we don’t do that in bodybuilding? Don’t you think it would be nice the night of to like get a person’s feedback of the top five or something?” Cutler wonders.
“It would be interesting,” said Milos Sarcev. “Before and after.”
“I think the press conference that they do at the Olympia a couple days out… I don’t know man. I just think the press should be able to ask – it’s called a press conference. It should be open to media, and then I think there should be a follow-up. I know they do the next-day seminar. But I feel like your emotions and all that stuff, what’s it like right after?” shared Cutler.
Sarcev agreed with Cutler and mentioned that in every other sport, reporters ‘spice it up’ with marketing, which helps with fan intrigue.
“In every sport, there are reporters that spice it up with marketing. That’s what brings the interest,” added Sarcev.
Part of what makes press conferences so exciting is the rivalries that unfold. These feuds can elevate the sport and its popularity. This was the case for bodybuilding legend Phil Heath and Kai Greene in 2014 when they took part in an ultra-heated press conference. While Greene got under Heath’s skin, it was “The Gift” who got the last laugh as he emerged victorious with the Olympia title that year.
To this day, Heath believes his rivalry with Greene surpasses Cutler’s and Ronnie’s in terms of intensity. Nevertheless, fans have come to understand how much mental warfare played a role in the sport when the most coveted title was up for grabs.
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Moving forward, Jay Cutler hopes to see changes to the Olympia press conferences. Overall, he believes it would benefit fans to feature pressers before Mr. Olympia shows, and especially after.
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