In a YouTube video shared by Valuetainment, six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates talks with Patrick Bet-David and shared his thoughts about the 2019 Olympia contest and how he feels the state of bodybuilding is today compared to his era.
“I mean, I respect all of the guys up there and they’re all doing their best but to be honest, and that’s pretty much normally what I am, I feel the standard of the Mr. Olympia is not what it used to be,” Yates said.
As for the result of the 2019 contest in particular, Yates felt that Brandon Curry won the title because he was larger than 2nd place finisher William Bonac and Hadi Choopan, who finished in 3rd. That doesn’t mean he was all positive about the show itself.
“Brandon won it, I believe, because of his stature, he’s bigger, he looks more like Mr. Olympia. But he wasn’t in incredible shape. So I think it was one of the weaker Mr. Olympia’s that we’ve ever seen.”
Bet-David shows a photo of Curry to Yates and asks what he sees as a former champion himself. Yates praised Curry’s roundness and fullness but felt he was lacking deep separation and conditioning. He compared Curry’s look to how he felt he would be in his prep.
“I’d probably be like in that shape around about six weeks out.”
When asked about Curry’s position had he competed in Yates’ era, Yates said Curry would have been out of the Top 6. Yates then went on to reference himself, Kevin Levrone, Flex Wheeler, Shawn Ray, and the late Nassar El Sonbaty as guys he felt would have been superior.
Curry and the Mr. Olympia contest itself has been receiving criticism from different people in bodybuilding circles due to what has been considered a lackluster lineup of competitors ever since he won the title in September. Notable competitors like Phil Heath, Shawn Rhoden, and Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay were all absent from the lineup.
We have reached out to Curry for a statement. The following quote was given exclusively to BarBend in response to the video.
“So in a nutshell, it’s Dorian being Dorian. Nobody did it harder, stricter, and as hardcore as Dorian. We got one legendary video to prove it! He can have that. I’ll just inarguably give that to him. He needs that, it’s his legacy. So of course bodybuilders didn’t work as hard as he did. Hell yeah we may rely more on technology or PED’s. So this makes his way and his era better, simple as that, you know why? He says so and some others would agree with him. We know his way made him a champion and some may say the most bad ass, hardest working, blue collar, and grainy bodybuilder that ever lived. He can have that but this guy right here [referring to Curry himself] is completely different and I’m totally cool with it. I got to watch a video just the other day that put the 1993 Dorian and 2019 Brandon head to head and pose for pose. I love the comparison and I’m happy to be just who I am as well. I’m sure he can attest to how not winning your first Olympia at 100% on a vacated title makes you more dangerous if you do improve and continue.”
— Brandon Curry, 2019 Mr. Olympia
Featured Image: Instagram/thedorianyates