Seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath won’t step onto the Olympia stage this December as a competitor, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be a part of the show. In July, it was announced that “The Gift” would serve as a commentator for the grandest event in the sport, lending his insight and expertise to all the onstage drama.
It looks like his analysis is starting early. During a recent interview with Muscular Development, Heath gave his thoughts on who he thinks could dethrone reigning Mr. Olympia Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay this year. Check out the video below:
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Phil Heath’s 2022 Mr. Olympia Predictions
While Heath believes Big Ramy is still the favorite to win this year, Heath mentioned that Big Ramy will face some stiff competition, especially if he doesn’t improve his package from the 2021 show.
“All it takes is for Ramy to slip,” Heath says. “We saw that happen last year — I mean, [he] wasn’t better than when he won his first one, so you leave the door open two years [and] things can happen.”
Who does Heath think could take the throne? The two biggest threats, he says, are Hadi Choopan and Brandon Curry. Curry and Choopan took second and third at the 2021 Olympia, respectively, and Heath thinks the same competitors will occupy the top three in 2022. But Heath gave Choopan the slight edge over Curry as Ramy’s biggest competition, saying Choopan has “some serious muscle” that could wind up besting the reigning Mr. O if the stars align.
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Phil Heath on the Rest of the Olympia Field
During the conversation, Heath mentioned two other competitors that he called potential Olympia “disruptors”: Nick Walker and William Bonac. Even though Heath has never seen Walker in person, he says the 28-year-old is “definitely someone you got to keep your eye on.” Then there’s Bonac, who Heath praised for his muscle maturity and density.
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Inevitably, the conversation turned to potential Olympia entrant Michal Križo Križánek, who has been getting a lot of buzz from former Olympia champs like Jay Cutler and Samir Bannout.
While Heath is impressed by Križánek, he sees holes in his physique and presentation, including an inability to hold poses for very long.
In this league they will run your ass through some call-outs.
On top of the competitors Heath mentioned, Big Ramy will also contend with the likes of Hunter Labrada, Andrew Jacked, and more when the Olympia weekend takes place on December 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
Featured Image: @philheath on Instagram
