Egyptian bodybuilder Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay suffered a crushing defeat at the 2022 Mr. Olympia last month. In a recent video uploaded on YouTube, Zack Khan alleged that the judges did not give Ramy a chance to lose the title honorably and pinned the fault on the influence of social media.
Former two-time Mr. Olympia champion Big Ramy established himself as a powerhouse in bodybuilding with his immense muscle mass and size. He scored his first Olympia trophy by dethroning former champ Brandon Curry in 2020 and added the second title under his belt with a successful defense the following year in 2021.
In the latest season, Ramy entered the competition as the favorite to win the most prestigious fitness showcase in the world. However, he appeared to have lost a step when it was time to step on the stage. His underwhelming appearance led many to speculate about whether he suffered an injury or could not properly peak for the event.
During the contest, it became clear a new champion would be crowned as Ramy was kept to the side with Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford battling it out in the center. Hadi eventually won his maiden Sandow trophy at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. As for Ramy, he dropped down to the fifth spot behind Curry, Nick Walker, and runner-up Lunsford.
Following the loss, Big Ramy issued a message to his fans declaring he would come back stronger than ever. He got confirmed to compete at the upcoming 2023 Arnold Classic, scheduled for Mar. 2-5 in Columbus, Ohio. Many believe the mass monster might be past his best days and some have even suggested that the nearing contest will be a ‘do-or-die’ situation for him.
Zack Khan claims 2022 Mr. Olympia judges did not give Big Ramy a chance to compete properly
In a recent YouTube video, Zack Khan alleged that Big Ramy did not get a chance to lose his title honorably at the 2022 Mr. Olympia.
“The right person won but the sh*t thing about it is when you are the champion of the previous year, everybody should get a chance to knock the champion off. They kept Ramy on one side and didn’t allow him to pose next to people who should have beaten him. They didn’t give him enough chances to pose next to Hadi, Nick, Derek, and Samson. After the prejudging everyone was like, ‘oh yeah, Ramy’s won.’
“That’s bullsh*t because you would think that, wouldn’t you? Everybody thought that he won earlier and then changed.”
Khan compared Ramy’s loss to that of legendary bodybuilder Phil Heath, who lost his title after becoming a seven-time Olympia champion. He argued that social media exacerbated the situation by unfairly swaying the judges against Ramy.
“In the previous year, Phil got a chance to pose and lose his title properly. Everybody got a chance to lose their title honorably… I don’t understand how you can have a reigning champion not being compared to the guys in the top five.
“Social media is a f*ck up with these kinds of situations and it influences the judges a lot whether you like it or not. I think it plays a big part.”
Big Ramy recently dispelled the rumors surrounding his prep for the event. He was seen performing cardio just hours away from stepping on the stage, which some argued could have factored in him not looking as full and defined.
Ramy has no plans of slowing down anytime soon and will look to redeem himself when he returns to the stage in under six weeks at the Arnold Classic
You can watch the full video below.
Find complete coverage of the 2022 Mr. Olympia, including pre-judging, event recaps, analysis, and final results at our Olympia coverage hub: FitnessVolt.com/olympia
Published: 29 January, 2023 | 1:35 PM EDT
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