Though money is a great motivator, many bodybuilders take their shot at earning the Mr. Olympia title for bragging rights and glory. Shawn Ray, a veteran of the sport, believes Bumstead would stand a strong chance of winning the Mr. Olympia title should he make the move into the Men’s Open.
Chris Bumstead is the reigning four-time Classic Physique Olympia champion who has consistently brought a shredded and full physique to the stage. His rise to the top was nothing but extraordinary, and Bumstead has faced plenty of adversity while climbing the ladder of success.
Being a dominant champion has taken a toll on Cbum mentally and physically. Over the years he has had to deal with mental strife and often struggles with anxiety surrounding his fear of losing and has even candidly discussed why this year’s prep has been especially difficult in that regard.
Pushing through the anxiety and stress, Bumstead also had to face the challenges presented by his recent bicep tear. This injury didn’t hold him back from earning his fourth Classic Physique Olympia title win. Despite the triumph, Bumstead continues to push himself to accomplish even more.
Shawn Ray, Samir Bannout Feels Bumstead Isn’t ‘Mr. Olympia Unless You Win Mr. Olympia’
Chris Bumstead’s dedication to improving and being the absolute best has propelled him into the spotlight. Though it seems he is on a roll in the Classic Physique division, veteran and former 1991 Arnold Classic winner Shawn Ray believes it’s time he switched to the Open.
Not only does Shawn Ray feel he is losing out on a ton of cash, but also the opportunity to make history as the first person to win in two divisions, something Derek Lunsford is also chasing this year.
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“I told him to do it two years ago. He looked at me like I was an alien, ‘Huh?’ I told him, I’m on video, I had him on my show on Digital Muscle and I said you’re foolish not to go in the Open Mr. Olympia. I saw the picture of you standing next to Big Ramy. Now if someone had to choose, the photographer, the fan, or even the judge, who they want to look like, I think he wins every day and twice on Sundays. “
Why are we not doing the Open? In his mind, he said ‘I want to win seven Classic Physique Olympia titles.’ I said, ‘Listen, I’m an old man and I’m retired. But my math is pretty good.
You’re going to have to win another five Classic Physiques at $50,000 that will give you $250,000 in the next five years or you go win one Mr. Olympia and you make $400,000 and you win it for the next five years, that’s $2 million. I said what’s wrong with you?’ He said, ‘I don’t compete for the money.’ I said do it for the history. I said do it for the history because if you win the Olympia, you’re the first person to win in two different divisions crossing over” Shawn Ray said.
On top of making history, Shawn Ray believes that he wouldn’t have to change a thing to find success in the Men’s Open.
“I told him, why are you letting Ramy do this? You can beat him. I told him he was the modern-day Bob Paris. You’re the guy that everybody wants to look like. Your social media numbers spell that out. He’s like, ‘I’m doing it for the history, I want to win seven Classic Physique titles,'” said Shawn Ray.
“You’re not Mr. Olympia unless you win Mr. Olympia,” shared Samir Bannout.
“Here’s the thing Samir: I tried to tell him that. But again, it’s like I’m speaking Chinese. He got mad at me. I said look here’s the thing, you don’t have to change anything but your posing trunks.
You can do exactly what you’re doing and you’re going to spend the same amount of time, you’re going to spend the same amount of money, and you’re going to run the same exact risk of injury getting ready for the Classic Physique that you would for the Open Olympia,” said Ray.
Now he has to stand next to Hadi Choopan, Derek Lunsford, Samson Dauda, Andrew Jacked, and Brandon Curry. You stand them all in the lineup… a late person is going to pick Chris every day, twice on Sunday, give him the check and he can do that for the next four or five years if he wants.
My opinion is he only has to do it once and then he can retire and then he can live off that one time. He just doesn’t see the big picture,” explained Shawn Ray.
It seems that Chris Bumstead doesn’t agree with Shawn Ray and wants to continue making history in his own division by becoming a seven-time Classic Physique Olympia champion. Regardless of which division Bumstead chooses, one thing is sure: he isn’t finished yet.
In just a few short weeks, Bumstead will look to extend his reign atop the Classic Physique division. While Ray would love nothing more than to see him test his mettle against the Open, there’s always time in the future for Bumstead to contemplate such options.
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