Mamdouh Elssbiay, more commonly known in bodybuilding circles as “Big Ramy”, has been considered a top contender to the Mr. Olympia title for the last couple of years but will reportedly not compete for that title or any other in the 2019 bodybuilding season due to having surgery to repair an injured shoulder.
Fellow pro bodybuilder Nick Trigili reported the news of him not competing on May 7 on his own YouTube channel. Trigili states that Ellsbiay is dealing with torn ligaments in the front of his shoulder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsIAW6r1ibE
Elssbiay hadn’t directly confirmed the news himself about not competing on any public forums but has reportedly disclosed his plans to Chris Aceto privately. He had shared that he was dealing with a shoulder injury in an interview with Dennis James but never stated which shoulder is injured.
After announcing that he had started working with renowned coach Neil Hill in late 2018, Elssbiay planned on competing at the Tampa Pro show in August, which would’ve been the final show to qualify for the Olympia this season. This would have put him up against former Olympia champion Dexter Jackson, who has also committed to compete there.
Big Ramy’s Rise in Bodybuilding
The Egyptian superstar has held several titles since emerging onto the scene by winning the Amateur Olympia in 2012 including the New York Pro twice, Arnold Classic Brazil, and Arnold Classic Europe in 2017, which was his last victory. He has placed as high as second at the Olympia which was also in 2017 but slipped to 6th last year. He was most famous for his alliance to the famed “Camel Crew” who train at the O2 gym in Kuwait. He decided to make changes after his result in Las Vegas, Nevada this past September.
The Top 5 at the Olympia automatically qualify for the next year’s contest. Since Big Ramy placed 6th, he would’ve had to win a show or qualify on points if he wanted to make it to the big stage this year. Word is that he felt his chances to eventually win the big show were greater if he has the shoulder surgery now and prepares for the 2020 season instead of training for a show this season.
Featured image: @big_ramy on Instagram