Correction for the end: Flex beat Nasser in _every_ round, not just the symmetry round. But the perfect score in round one does suggest some questionable judging at this show IMO.
Perfect score just meant every judge ranked Flex first. Ronnie was overlooked in the first round & didn’t have enough oil on so looked a bit smoother than he probably was. Flex was a great poser and was very confident, so eyes tended to follow him vs. Nasser; who was a bit akward in comparison. Like 1997, Nasser sort of “lost” 1998 more than being beaten. His physique was there (questionably smoothly delts & suspicious biceps aside) but they way he moved and posed opened the door for those with more gravitas
@Nikos Nikos it’s not my opinion when 95% of the audience and 99.9%of pro bodybuilders and coaches agree and “my opinion” is more valid actually being there where were you? Oh ok
Yes, Nasser got shafted, imo. He got shafted quite a few times throughout his career. Most people suggest that it was due to his back. But I think that there was more to it than just that. It probably had a lot of do with off stage or political things.
@@posthawk1393 he wasn't conditioned enough, also lost fair and square in the back poses. Also, if you inject synthol, you should be automatically DQ'd IMHO.
He was punished for shifting to Vince Mcmahon's federation for a while. Like many others. It's bullshit, if you ask me, but the IFBB/Weiders took it personal.
What this video fails to convey is the sub-context of the day. FLEX was the heir apparent and sported some of the most insane God given genetics this side of Phil Heath. Every pro from that era said an on point FLEX was a mind boggling sight to behold. As far as Nasser, he was legendary for his critical views on the IFBB and especially the judging. Even if Nasser liked you, he was difficult to deal with. If he didn't like you, shit, forget about it. The IFBB was never going to reward his amazing talent because he was always at odds with them.
Good point. Flex winning the AC and Ironman in stellar form earlier in the year probably put him as the frontrunner in the judges' minds going into the show. Yet let's not forget that Nasser was a close 2nd to Yates the year before. But you're right about the personality issue and politics going on behind the scenes.
@@samuelsteve1800 of course, ronnie is the GOAT of bodybuilding, but his abs were always his weak spot. It's not his fault, ab shape is purely genetic unfortunately. Flex wheeler and Shawn rhoden have perfect ab genetics on the other side of the spectrum....
@@rychier6994 yessir , light weight baby! Rhoden and flex got symmetrical abs , like really almost perfect, but other body parts... Ronnie...well , almost unbeatable
Nasser def deserved 2nd, I almost have him winning the whole thing, very odd that wheeler got 2nd. We all know wheeler has the prettiest physique but that's not sup to matter 🤔
@@rychier6994 Flex certainly belongs right there with the absolute BEST when it comes to one of the most aesthetically and densely muscled physiques. People act as if the man injected synthol throughout his entire physique. Those sheep echoing what the other sheep bleet about synthol comments are really quite repetitive and stale at this point.
Love these videos Tom, remember it doesn’t have to be a massive video every time, just start uploading reviews more often. I’m sure I speak with everyone when I say we just want more videos from you!
@Ventanas Del Alma As Ronnie would say " You must be smoking Crack!" First Nasser was NOT "bigger than Ronnie" anywhere. Second, YES, I had Nasser in 97 over a beat up , bloated, one armed Yates. While still outstanding in 98 he was no where near the level of Ronnie. Post 99 Arnold WIn , Nasser was totally washed up. Ronnie NEVER was close to losing an Olympia to Gunther despite your fanboying. And the only Mr.O Ronnie won that is disputed in 02 when an out of nowhere Cutler came in ripped to the bone and SHOULD have taken the trophy. Aside from that , Ronnie is king.
Agreed!! The first issue of Flex magazine I ever saw was the one that covered the 98 Olympia. I always thought Nasser deserved 2nd. I also agree that while Nasser might have looked a little better in some of the front shots, Ronnie ate his lunch when it came to the back shots.
I was at this show in NYC. I can honestly tell you that it is so much different being there in person than watching a video....All three guys here were great but the crowd was screaming for Ronnie and Flex. Nasser was good but his blocky shape definitely hurt him against Flex and Ronnie....In the end Ronnie deserved it and yes Flex deserved 2nd just on incredible shape....yes Nasser was a bit more conditioned than Flex but he didn't have the shape and it hurt him....its a toss up sometimes. Conditioning vs. Size or shape.......Everyone's jaw hit the floor when Ronnie came out because he wasn't even in the discussion about being a threat to win. But he definitely deserved it.....Nasser definitely got screwed in 1997. He definitely beat Dorian
@@wildmike951 yes it was we were very lucky, I use to go to the NOC a lot had the pleasure of meeting a lot of top pro’s and legends of the sport it’s was a great time in bodybuilding
@@StylinProfilin3889 I too met some of the top pros.....Gaspari, Labrada, Vince taylor, Dorian, Lou Ferrigno, Vic Richards.....great time in the sport.....Even met Ronnie Coleman twice
It's surprising how small Ronnie looks in many of the front poses his legs are like the same size as Wheeler's its crazy to see how much bigger he got in later years like 2000, 2003, and 2004. Nonetheless Ronnie's victory was well deserved. As for Nasser pose for pose he is definitely second so if you think that is enough for him to be in 2nd place then he deserved to be 2nd but for me I think overall it was still pretty close between Flex and Nasser I don't have a problem with Flex in 2nd but if Nasser was 2nd that would be fine too.
Yeah, doesn't really matter does it? 2nd or 3rd - who cares? But for me the biggest screw job in an Olympia for those not winning was Dennis Wolf finishing 5th behind Ronnie Coleman in 4th. Dennis destroyed Ronnie in every shot!! Lots of people had Dennis in first!!!
@@mikthe2004 the beginning of your comment is stupid but the 2nd part about Wolf is valid Denis placing 5th was more of a robbery than Victor placing 2nd. Denis Wolf should in my opinion have been 2nd place in 2007 and Victor Martinez 1st.
reportedly he was "only" 247 pounds here, in 1998. Nasser was way way bigger than him. This isn't the big Hulk Ronnie as we know him. In fact, he only became that in 2003, he was always below 250-260 pounds until 2003.
@Nicholas Holland can i win a contest if i simply don't develop my back but develop a perfect and untouchable front and win all front shots ??? A BIG NO... Dorian's bloated stomach and non-existent left bicep should have been enough to drop him out of top 5 spots...
@@dj_m19 if u consider him too soft then give sandow to the next man inline who isnt soft i.e., Shawn Ray...But definitely not to the man that has no bicep and is bloated
@@Rathore12438 it's not just about conditioning, it's about the total package and Ray didn't have it that year or else he'd place 2nd ahead of Nasser, but guess what, he didn't despite being more conditioned than him. Yates wasn't only far more conditioned, he equaled him in size and murdered him from the back. Nasser was simply too weak in the back poses to dethrone Yates. th-cam.com/video/lSG1zlJmqRs/w-d-xo.html watch this and tell me with a straight face that you don't agree with this man and his final conclusion. You can clearly see why Yates won.
@@dj_m19 i 100% agree that Dorian destroyed Nasser from the back....But Have u seen Dorian's Left bicep? It's melted and non-existent....it's just like a man competing without an arm ....and is so bloated that his other body parts from the front are dwarfed..
Kevin and Ray, yes. He had a much superior lowerbody, conditioning and back to the firs one, and to the second one while being just as complete and pleasing, Cormier is just taller, and that should count
reportedly only 247 pounds on stage. It's his smallest Olympia winning version and if not for the gyno it would be his best one without a shadow of a doubt
@1:54 Although we can agree that we would probably all like to look like Flex Wheeler, his biceps looked very soft this year along with other body parts lagging in size. From the front I still lean towards Nasser, because I have a very low gyno tolerance.
I agree in basically everything but I would give the front double bicep to Nasser and maybe the side chest too because I prefer how he is hitting it... I agree with Ronnie winning but I also think that Nasser should have been 2nd
On footage it is not very clear, but Nasser lacked a lot of symmetry (especially the lat and delt) due to whatever he used which ruined his physique, and he was always very soft (other than the crazy ham) from the back... Just another side of the coin and my opinion though, after watching your video I can clearly see why Nasser could get a 2nd spot just like he did the year prior. Looking forward for the 99 now! Happy Easter Tom.
I went to this show at Madison square garden back in 98, when Ronnie came out during the prejudging round at that point it was a matter of who would take 2nd and third.
At the end of day Nasser was too outspoken for his own good, and was punished because if it with his controversial placings, and imo rightly so. When you are Mr Olympia you are representing the brand, every bodybuilder knows this and understands you not only have to have the best physique but also be the best ambassador you can be, unfortunately Nasser didn't give a fuck about "policy" and what was expected of him as a professional so this went against him. I know this sounds unfair but it's business and its just the way it is unfortunately, he was too arrogant for his own good, people say his back was his weakest body part, I think it was his lips.
Fun fact: The last issue of Flex magazine before the '98 Olympia had Ronnie and Flex as equal favorites to win. Ronnie's profile had recently swelled after he won that year's Night of Champions.
Most of the people that were there at the show claim that Ronnie was way more conditioned in 98 than in 99, but looking at the pictures available I don't really see it, especially in the thighs. The lighting in 99 was spectacular so that may be the reason why but I am still not convinced. It will be interesting to hear your opinion in the next review P.s don't forget the top 10 glutes or Ronnie will be mad
Yes I've heard that a lot as well. From Ronnie, Flex, Chris Aceto. But there's definitely not a big discernible difference when viewing pics or video from those two shows.
@Lucien He has no Gyno and his posing got better. His posture was bad in 98 which made him look smaller than he was. 99 is just a slightly improved version of 98 ino
Nasser was suffering kind of the same problem as Markus Rühl, both looked huge due to their massive delts and wide lats, but unfortunately they didn't get depth in the lats and the huge delts additionaly became a disadvantage for back posing.
It's your channel. It's your channel. I respect that. It is imperative to interpret history very carefully. Flex Wheeler was the last of the classic bodybuilding . Dorian Yates' retirement from winning was the beginning of the so called "mass monsters". Dorian Yates was however the first, after a long string of wins by Lee Haney who had mass size and amazing symmetry. Flex Wheeler was era defining.
I think it’s because your eye favors mass over most other attributes. Flex’s physique shows clear and indisputable superiority in terms of condition, flow, and symmetry.
@@giallooldschoolrivals7424 only the back of his legs. Look at their whole bodies. Nasser and Ronnie are misshapen monsters while Flex looks like something you’d want to look like. Cant just focus on a body part. Gotta take the whole physique in with every pose no matter what the pose is named
Unlike Ronnie's "natural" biceps, both Flex and Nasser had a ton of synthol oil enhancement in their biceps. To the untrained eye it's not easily detectable, but it was definitely there nonetheless.
Yeah Nasser was probably site-enhancing, or at least using inflammatories to artificially blow up the biceps. But if so, he did it in a way that still looked shapely and respectable. See guys like Ernie Taylor or even Milos Sarcev in 99 for examples of doing it wrong.
I was hoping to see how a bigger Ray was measuring here! I remember the flex magazine prior to this olympia: Kevin, Flex, Shawn, Nasser and Ronnie - posing with sunglasses (he was definitely being shown as a potential winner, not a total dark horse like sometimes is suggested)
Yeah unfortunately he wasn't shown in the footage outside of the posedown. But I've seen his 98 posing routine and it stacks up very well to his far more lauded 99 version.
I remember through most of the Nineties Coleman had no calves at all. Then, in '98 he turns up with half-decent calves. Does anyone else find this suspicious?
Nasser had oil in his arms and delts. Look at the lack of vascularity in his biceps in the semi most muscular. He had the same thing in 1997 as well. If you want to see the difference, compare '97 and '98 to what he looked like in '96.
I'm curious on how you would rank shawn ray for the 1999 olympia. Kevin was super flat that year and flex was full of oil. Cormier was top notch and he def should've placed second
I think alot of amazing bodybuilders that should have won got screwed by the judges cause they were only looking at the size of ronnie instead of his faults.
Never been a fan of Ronnies front relaxed, his pecs looks a bit long and droopy. Jugdes should be tougher and tell them to stand still especially during side tri and abs+thigh.
When you're in person and you see the muscle bellies move in the muscles moving and Contracting it's a different story. NASA admittingly and everyone knows was full of oil. In other words his relaxed pose probably looked very similar to when he was posing. Standing next to Ronnie even though he easily matched him in size if not bigger Ronnie's muscles moved in his muscle bellies was like nothing anyone had seen up until that point. They had to give it to him. Nasser probably could have been a several time Mr Olympia winner if you didn't try to enhance his physique and go get too carried away. Later pictures of him you can literally see oil drops coming off his triceps
Every time i see FLEX WHEELER & KEVIN LEVRONE i am amazed how today bodybuilders can't even compare but still they never won olympia ALTHOUGH THEY BOTH SHOULD HAVE WON SEVERAL TIMES!
@LucianPopa Yep 400 lbs in the off season is uneard of, but he should have been a powerlifter or a strongman as he was tall and insanely strong, but he was not suited for Bodybuilding.
These arguments make no sense at all because ppl said Yates lost the year before but from the back doesn’t matter about his bicep or poses that are weak from the front because he smokes everyone from the back, but Nasser doesn’t win this year because his back is weak? When from the front clearly his physique stands out 🤔 Nasser won this year and ppls opinions make no sense
I think, the only points Flex win in that competition are waist, triceps and high back detail, Nasser win the abs, calves & is the bigger, Ronnie win the rest.
Nearly everyone in bodybuilding has a trash side triceps shot. I want that fixed more than anything else right now. There is no reason we should be stuck with the "hoo ha" pose from Roelly Winklar when he has the most massive triceps in the game. That's just one example but wtf gives? Even guys with decent triceps look terrible in that pose bc they don't execute it properly.
Nasser’s biceps and shoulders were WAY overdone with SEO. He would have landed a much higher placing in ‘98 if those site enhancements hadn’t been so obvious. Then again…Flex got second with tons of SEO in his arms and delts…
Correction for the end: Flex beat Nasser in _every_ round, not just the symmetry round. But the perfect score in round one does suggest some questionable judging at this show IMO.
Perfect score just meant every judge ranked Flex first. Ronnie was overlooked in the first round & didn’t have enough oil on so looked a bit smoother than he probably was. Flex was a great poser and was very confident, so eyes tended to follow him vs. Nasser; who was a bit akward in comparison. Like 1997, Nasser sort of “lost” 1998 more than being beaten. His physique was there (questionably smoothly delts & suspicious biceps aside) but they way he moved and posed opened the door for those with more gravitas
I'd love to know what flex was saying to ronnie before the back double..
@@davetheplugpalumbo1621 Probably something along the lines of "Go easy on us"
Would love to see you revisit 2008, really thought Phil won that one.
A gift for Ronnie the gyno
CAN'T WAIT TO DIVE INTO THIS ONE!
Nice seeing u here
@@xyoungdipsetx Tomn8er's the man!
Nasser 97 vs Nasser 98 maybe? He looked much better here imo.
Noo please do young Ronnie vs 2003 or 2004
It will be really nice because we will be able to see what exactly roids did for him
Ronnie deserved that one but that damn Gyno just hurts my eyes
It's such an eyesore right!
Our preference is evolving to aesthetics; which is fantastic in my opinion.
Same it's so distracting from his killer physique
@Nikos Nikos I was there right In front yes he did
@Nikos Nikos it’s not my opinion when 95% of the audience and 99.9%of pro bodybuilders and coaches agree and “my opinion” is more valid actually being there where were you? Oh ok
Yes, Nasser got shafted, imo. He got shafted quite a few times throughout his career. Most people suggest that it was due to his back. But I think that there was more to it than just that. It probably had a lot of do with off stage or political things.
The fact that he wasnt American also had something to do with it. He should've won at least 2 Olympias.
@@jonm2522 Which ones
@@jonm2522 fact
1997 was inexcusable.
@@posthawk1393 he wasn't conditioned enough, also lost fair and square in the back poses. Also, if you inject synthol, you should be automatically DQ'd IMHO.
The only person at that year’s Olympia that got royally screwed was Aaron Baker. He looked better than a lot of the top 6 guys
Aaron Baker always looked good
Agreed, I loved the Batman Baker back in the day, stay safe, kindest regards Richard U.K
He was punished for shifting to Vince Mcmahon's federation for a while. Like many others. It's bullshit, if you ask me, but the IFBB/Weiders took it personal.
name the top 6 guys he looked better than and prove it with the pics
@@Wikingking
It had to be. No way he deserved 14th. Imo he looked good enough to be in the same call out as guys like levrone, ray and Cormier.
What this video fails to convey is the sub-context of the day.
FLEX was the heir apparent and sported some of the most insane God given genetics this side of Phil Heath. Every pro from that era said an on point FLEX was a mind boggling sight to behold.
As far as Nasser, he was legendary for his critical views on the IFBB and especially the judging. Even if Nasser liked you, he was difficult to deal with. If he didn't like you, shit, forget about it.
The IFBB was never going to reward his amazing talent because he was always at odds with them.
Good point. Flex winning the AC and Ironman in stellar form earlier in the year probably put him as the frontrunner in the judges' minds going into the show. Yet let's not forget that Nasser was a close 2nd to Yates the year before. But you're right about the personality issue and politics going on behind the scenes.
7:55 "Nah I take that back" 😂😂😂
Ohhhh, blessed this day is for the upload🙌👏
Yup
3 of the very best... 1 dead, 1 amputee, 1 can barely walk... bodybuilding is about sacrifice
Flex did get a Second place Gift and Ronnie's Abs just locked weird even at his Best Great Video
Ronnie's abs is weirdly shaped , its always like that , his abs are kinda seperated. Definitely not the normal pack that people got
Hes got a misshapen 4 pack, lol, it was always his weak point for sure....
@@rychier6994 oo yeah that's the name , I've read it somewhere. Well even with those abs hes still 8x mr o , fcken legend
@@samuelsteve1800 of course, ronnie is the GOAT of bodybuilding, but his abs were always his weak spot. It's not his fault, ab shape is purely genetic unfortunately. Flex wheeler and Shawn rhoden have perfect ab genetics on the other side of the spectrum....
@@rychier6994 yessir , light weight baby! Rhoden and flex got symmetrical abs , like really almost perfect, but other body parts... Ronnie...well , almost unbeatable
Nasser was awesome
Great show to review
These guys were so competitive and chilled at the same, unlike nowadays. Love this vibe.
Nasser def deserved 2nd, I almost have him winning the whole thing, very odd that wheeler got 2nd. We all know wheeler has the prettiest physique but that's not sup to matter 🤔
So you think synthol is pretty
@LucianPopa he didnt say that ronnie's physique was prêtre tho
@@benji6866 flex made everything look pretty, at his best he is my favorite bodybuilder ever.
Its ugly fake muscle
@@rychier6994 Flex certainly belongs right there with the absolute BEST when it comes to one of the most aesthetically and densely muscled physiques. People act as if the man injected synthol throughout his entire physique. Those sheep echoing what the other sheep bleet about synthol comments are really quite repetitive and stale at this point.
Love these videos Tom, remember it doesn’t have to be a massive video every time, just start uploading reviews more often. I’m sure I speak with everyone when I say we just want more videos from you!
@Joshua johnson exactly!
I agree 100% ...I remember thinking how could Nassar have not got 2nd ?? That was clear politics
Dude I absolutely love your videos. Keep it ip
Nassar was so dominant there's honestly no contest. Nassar was cheated. Straight up.
Yep
Absolutely not in 1998. 1997 yes. 1998 No so much. Nasser was 2nd ahead of FLex but in no way beats Ronnie
@Ventanas Del Alma As Ronnie would say " You must be smoking Crack!"
First Nasser was NOT "bigger than Ronnie" anywhere.
Second, YES, I had Nasser in 97 over a beat up , bloated, one armed Yates.
While still outstanding in 98 he was no where near the level of Ronnie.
Post 99 Arnold WIn , Nasser was totally washed up.
Ronnie NEVER was close to losing an Olympia to Gunther despite your fanboying. And the only Mr.O Ronnie won that is disputed in 02 when an out of nowhere Cutler came in ripped to the bone and SHOULD have taken the trophy.
Aside from that , Ronnie is king.
Nasser won Olympia 96-99
Great vid as usual. Ronnie’s gyno was killing me in this one. Lol.
Your jokes about Flex looking at Ronnie's glutes😂😂😂
Agreed!!
The first issue of Flex magazine I ever saw was the one that covered the 98 Olympia. I always thought Nasser deserved 2nd.
I also agree that while Nasser might have looked a little better in some of the front shots, Ronnie ate his lunch when it came to the back shots.
Keep up the great content my dude. Best bb channel on TH-cam IMO
"It ain't a beauty pageant."
But it should be.
I was at this show in NYC. I can honestly tell you that it is so much different being there in person than watching a video....All three guys here were great but the crowd was screaming for Ronnie and Flex. Nasser was good but his blocky shape definitely hurt him against Flex and Ronnie....In the end Ronnie deserved it and yes Flex deserved 2nd just on incredible shape....yes Nasser was a bit more conditioned than Flex but he didn't have the shape and it hurt him....its a toss up sometimes. Conditioning vs. Size or shape.......Everyone's jaw hit the floor when Ronnie came out because he wasn't even in the discussion about being a threat to win. But he definitely deserved it.....Nasser definitely got screwed in 1997. He definitely beat Dorian
Thank you I was also there and I agree with you 100%
@@StylinProfilin3889 it was an amazing experience to get to see the Mr. Olympia in person....amazing day
@@wildmike951 yes it was we were very lucky, I use to go to the NOC a lot had the pleasure of meeting a lot of top pro’s and legends of the sport it’s was a great time in bodybuilding
@@StylinProfilin3889 I too met some of the top pros.....Gaspari, Labrada, Vince taylor, Dorian, Lou Ferrigno, Vic Richards.....great time in the sport.....Even met Ronnie Coleman twice
@@wildmike951 yep me too good times
It's surprising how small Ronnie looks in many of the front poses his legs are like the same size as Wheeler's its crazy to see how much bigger he got in later years like 2000, 2003, and 2004. Nonetheless Ronnie's victory was well deserved. As for Nasser pose for pose he is definitely second so if you think that is enough for him to be in 2nd place then he deserved to be 2nd but for me I think overall it was still pretty close between Flex and Nasser I don't have a problem with Flex in 2nd but if Nasser was 2nd that would be fine too.
Yeah, doesn't really matter does it? 2nd or 3rd - who cares? But for me the biggest screw job in an Olympia for those not winning was Dennis Wolf finishing 5th behind Ronnie Coleman in 4th. Dennis destroyed Ronnie in every shot!! Lots of people had Dennis in first!!!
@@mikthe2004 the beginning of your comment is stupid but the 2nd part about Wolf is valid Denis placing 5th was more of a robbery than Victor placing 2nd. Denis Wolf should in my opinion have been 2nd place in 2007 and Victor Martinez 1st.
@@iambodybuildingyt221 First pic appears down the bottom of the page!
reportedly he was "only" 247 pounds here, in 1998. Nasser was way way bigger than him. This isn't the big Hulk Ronnie as we know him. In fact, he only became that in 2003, he was always below 250-260 pounds until 2003.
@LucianPopa in 99 I would have definitely also had Cormier in 2nd
Nasser got robbed in 97. That one still hurts to this day.
@Nicholas Holland can i win a contest if i simply don't develop my back but develop a perfect and untouchable front and win all front shots ??? A BIG NO... Dorian's bloated stomach and non-existent left bicep should have been enough to drop him out of top 5 spots...
nah, he was too soft and still horrendous from the back to dethrone Yates.
@@dj_m19 if u consider him too soft then give sandow to the next man inline who isnt soft i.e., Shawn Ray...But definitely not to the man that has no bicep and is bloated
@@Rathore12438 it's not just about conditioning, it's about the total package and Ray didn't have it that year or else he'd place 2nd ahead of Nasser, but guess what, he didn't despite being more conditioned than him. Yates wasn't only far more conditioned, he equaled him in size and murdered him from the back. Nasser was simply too weak in the back poses to dethrone Yates. th-cam.com/video/lSG1zlJmqRs/w-d-xo.html watch this and tell me with a straight face that you don't agree with this man and his final conclusion. You can clearly see why Yates won.
@@dj_m19 i 100% agree that Dorian destroyed Nasser from the back....But Have u seen Dorian's Left bicep? It's melted and non-existent....it's just like a man competing without an arm ....and is so bloated that his other body parts from the front are dwarfed..
cormier himself said that he should beat kevin, shawn and maybe even nasser. what's are your thoughts? could analyze that
Cormier was 6th he probably should have been 5th Kevin also looked insane even though he was 4th
I haven't seen enough pics or footage of that to say.
Kevin and Ray, yes. He had a much superior lowerbody, conditioning and back to the firs one, and to the second one while being just as complete and pleasing, Cormier is just taller, and that should count
Great vid as usual
Flex really ain't that much smaller. Honestly I'm quite surprised at how small Ronnie is here
reportedly only 247 pounds on stage. It's his smallest Olympia winning version and if not for the gyno it would be his best one without a shadow of a doubt
@@dj_m19 what makes it better than 98?
@@NilsMueller what? did you mean to say better than '99? It was 1998 I was talking about
@@dj_m19 yeah 99
Its 1 in the morning but tomn8er uploaded
Guess I will fuck up my sleep schedule
Nassar had a great back. 6:27, Coleman was only slightly wider, but thicker and more detailed, with taller, larger traps.
@3:00 Nasser clearly has the size factor but I prefer Ronnie, I can't count Flex's front lat spread as comparable.
I'm with you Tom 👍 Another great review.
Thanks 👍
I miss you so much 😥😥
@1:54 Although we can agree that we would probably all like to look like Flex Wheeler, his biceps looked very soft this year along with other body parts lagging in size. From the front I still lean towards Nasser, because I have a very low gyno tolerance.
I agree in basically everything but I would give the front double bicep to Nasser and maybe the side chest too because I prefer how he is hitting it... I agree with Ronnie winning but I also think that Nasser should have been 2nd
Will be eagerly waiting for 1999 Olympia
Ronnie's Gyno in 1998 is absolutely horrific.
On footage it is not very clear, but Nasser lacked a lot of symmetry (especially the lat and delt) due to whatever he used which ruined his physique, and he was always very soft (other than the crazy ham) from the back... Just another side of the coin and my opinion though, after watching your video I can clearly see why Nasser could get a 2nd spot just like he did the year prior. Looking forward for the 99 now! Happy Easter Tom.
Nasser looking awsome..
Mr. Olympia deserve
“Did nasser get shafted”
Amazing title
I went to this show at Madison square garden back in 98, when Ronnie came out during the prejudging round at that point it was a matter of who would take 2nd and third.
Nasser had the mass, flex had the lines
At the end of day Nasser was too outspoken for his own good, and was punished because if it with his controversial placings, and imo rightly so. When you are Mr Olympia you are representing the brand, every bodybuilder knows this and understands you not only have to have the best physique but also be the best ambassador you can be, unfortunately Nasser didn't give a fuck about "policy" and what was expected of him as a professional so this went against him. I know this sounds unfair but it's business and its just the way it is unfortunately, he was too arrogant for his own good, people say his back was his weakest body part, I think it was his lips.
Miss you Tom!! Would love your opinion on Samson in 2024!
I was at the 98 Mr O. Great show and best of times
Fun fact: The last issue of Flex magazine before the '98 Olympia had Ronnie and Flex as equal favorites to win. Ronnie's profile had recently swelled after he won that year's Night of Champions.
1997 was Nasser's year for sure. No shocker there. Judges back in this era really let guys like Nasser and Markus down.
Most of the people that were there at the show claim that Ronnie was way more conditioned in 98 than in 99, but looking at the pictures available I don't really see it, especially in the thighs. The lighting in 99 was spectacular so that may be the reason why but I am still not convinced. It will be interesting to hear your opinion in the next review
P.s don't forget the top 10 glutes or Ronnie will be mad
Yes I've heard that a lot as well. From Ronnie, Flex, Chris Aceto. But there's definitely not a big discernible difference when viewing pics or video from those two shows.
@Lucien He has no Gyno and his posing got better. His posture was bad in 98 which made him look smaller than he was. 99 is just a slightly improved version of 98 ino
Nasser was suffering kind of the same problem as Markus Rühl, both looked huge due to their massive delts and wide lats, but unfortunately they didn't get depth in the lats and the huge delts additionaly became a disadvantage for back posing.
Nassers delts had nothing to do with the fact he just has a shitty back with no lower lats.
It's your channel. It's your channel. I respect that. It is imperative to interpret history very carefully. Flex Wheeler was the last of the classic bodybuilding . Dorian Yates' retirement from winning was the beginning of the so called "mass monsters". Dorian Yates was however the first, after a long string of wins by Lee Haney who had mass size and amazing symmetry. Flex Wheeler was era defining.
“This ain’t a beauty pageant” actually yea it sorta is hahah
Nasser should won on 97
Ronnie back poses is another level 🔥
Flex actually had slightly striated glutes at 7:16, he said he had them but didn't know how to show them off
I always thought the same, thanks for making this video.
Judges probably knew enough about Nasser's personality. Guy was too much.
Awesome dude
And in rear lat, Ronnies thicknesss is double nasserss and flexs. Didn’t mention that.
I think it’s because your eye favors mass over most other attributes. Flex’s physique shows clear and indisputable superiority in terms of condition, flow, and symmetry.
Condition? He was smooth af
@@giallooldschoolrivals7424 only the back of his legs. Look at their whole bodies. Nasser and Ronnie are misshapen monsters while Flex looks like something you’d want to look like. Cant just focus on a body part. Gotta take the whole physique in with every pose no matter what the pose is named
Your voice is similar to flex wheeler
Whatever dope video man 🔥
Unlike Ronnie's "natural" biceps, both Flex and Nasser had a ton of synthol oil enhancement in their biceps. To the untrained eye it's not easily detectable, but it was definitely there nonetheless.
Yeah Nasser was probably site-enhancing, or at least using inflammatories to artificially blow up the biceps. But if so, he did it in a way that still looked shapely and respectable. See guys like Ernie Taylor or even Milos Sarcev in 99 for examples of doing it wrong.
Anyone should be auto DQ'd from placement if it is found they used synthol for enhancement.
I was hoping to see how a bigger Ray was measuring here! I remember the flex magazine prior to this olympia: Kevin, Flex, Shawn, Nasser and Ronnie - posing with sunglasses (he was definitely being shown as a potential winner, not a total dark horse like sometimes is suggested)
Yeah unfortunately he wasn't shown in the footage outside of the posedown. But I've seen his 98 posing routine and it stacks up very well to his far more lauded 99 version.
@@Tomn8er, looking forward to that one! Thanks for the great videos.
I don’t know man. My eyes are immediately drawn to Ronnie, but Flex is definitely my favorite
Ronnie was leaps ahead of everyone here. He's so cut
Man I miss your content!!!
Any one of those top 6 would absolutely SMOKE today's field. It's insane how great bodybuilding was in the late 90's/ early 00's.
I'm surprised Flex didn't pull out a pen and pad and get Ronnie's autograph. He really seemed awestruck with Coleman's package.
It looks like Ronnie had the most extreme death face this particular year.
Nasser definitely deserved 2nd here..Flex is gifted 2nd..
I remember through most of the Nineties Coleman had no calves at all. Then, in '98 he turns up with half-decent calves. Does anyone else find this suspicious?
Nasser had oil in his arms and delts. Look at the lack of vascularity in his biceps in the semi most muscular. He had the same thing in 1997 as well. If you want to see the difference, compare '97 and '98 to what he looked like in '96.
He looked vulnerable
Because the comp. was insane and the one of the best lineups ever lol...
I'm curious on how you would rank shawn ray for the 1999 olympia. Kevin was super flat that year and flex was full of oil. Cormier was top notch and he def should've placed second
I think alot of amazing bodybuilders that should have won got screwed by the judges cause they were only looking at the size of ronnie instead of his faults.
Ronnie’s quads are the best? What have you been smoking? Nassar’s midsection and quads were great. If anything. Flex and and nassar top 2
1. Nasser 🏆
2. Flex
3. Ronnie
Sad but true
Never been a fan of Ronnies front relaxed, his pecs looks a bit long and droopy. Jugdes should be tougher and tell them to stand still especially during side tri and abs+thigh.
When you're in person and you see the muscle bellies move in the muscles moving and Contracting it's a different story. NASA admittingly and everyone knows was full of oil. In other words his relaxed pose probably looked very similar to when he was posing. Standing next to Ronnie even though he easily matched him in size if not bigger Ronnie's muscles moved in his muscle bellies was like nothing anyone had seen up until that point. They had to give it to him. Nasser probably could have been a several time Mr Olympia winner if you didn't try to enhance his physique and go get too carried away. Later pictures of him you can literally see oil drops coming off his triceps
Every time i see FLEX WHEELER & KEVIN LEVRONE i am amazed how today bodybuilders can't even compare but still they never won olympia ALTHOUGH THEY BOTH SHOULD HAVE WON SEVERAL TIMES!
Thank you 🙏🏼
perfect video title 😂
Ronnie was never wider than Nasser. Nasser was equally as wide as Markus.
who do you think is the biggest bodybuilder of all time? big ramy or markus or nasser?
@@vslick8015 In some parts Ramy, in some parts Markus and in some parts Nasser.
@LucianPopa yes i know. but i mean the biggest ifbb pro bodybuilder of all time.
@LucianPopa And he looked horrible. It was the 2004 Arnold classic and he had a worse midsection than Dave Palumbo.
@LucianPopa Yep 400 lbs in the off season is uneard of, but he should have been a powerlifter or a strongman as he was tall and insanely strong, but he was not suited for Bodybuilding.
Ronnie deservedly won and no one was wronged then in all his 8 wins 🇩🇿😍🇩🇿😍🇩🇿😍
Good video. 👍
Nassau looked like Mr olympia from the front all day long. When he turns around he looked like porridge.
They robbed Nasser in 1997 of the gold medal. Then they even robbed him of a silver medal in 1998
Nasser was a "Short Legs" NO Simetry RIP Nasser.
It’s sad to me that contests are won and lost today depending how striated one’s ass is.
For me levrone was shafted . He was suppose to win that year . He was huge and conditioned .
Yes he was shafted as you say...he has better conditioning than flex wheeler look at the walls of his abs.....he even makes the king look like a pawn
His glutes held actual fat which definitely hurt him here, even if he deserved to place 2nd
These arguments make no sense at all because ppl said Yates lost the year before but from the back doesn’t matter about his bicep or poses that are weak from the front because he smokes everyone from the back, but Nasser doesn’t win this year because his back is weak? When from the front clearly his physique stands out 🤔 Nasser won this year and ppls opinions make no sense
I think, the only points Flex win in that competition are waist, triceps and high back detail, Nasser win the abs, calves & is the bigger, Ronnie win the rest.
Nasser the real winner 1996-1997-1998
Thanks for being to the point, nice video!! Please wind up all your videos within 10 minutes. Longer gets boring
Nearly everyone in bodybuilding has a trash side triceps shot. I want that fixed more than anything else right now. There is no reason we should be stuck with the "hoo ha" pose from Roelly Winklar when he has the most massive triceps in the game. That's just one example but wtf gives? Even guys with decent triceps look terrible in that pose bc they don't execute it properly.
Love Big Ron but he always had a Power lifters Chest so you throw Nasser back out & Ron Chest out & you have Nasser winning
✓✓Nasser el Sonbaty is't the real Mr.Olympia 97'98'99🙌
Not 99...he was off..but definitely 97 and arguably 98
no :)
Nasser’s biceps and shoulders were WAY overdone with SEO. He would have landed a much higher placing in ‘98 if those site enhancements hadn’t been so obvious.
Then again…Flex got second with tons of SEO in his arms and delts…
Nasser was overall more balanced. I suppose glutes count more than the calves. He should have been No. 1
Never thought about Nasser agree he should have placed second.
Dorian shafted Nasir... after I saw that, we’ll what’s the point. The last few years seem to be less bias and I think social media has seen to that