Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay placed fifth in the 2022 Mr. Olympia. After his defeat, the previous two-time title-holder has now declared that he is still hopeful for the upcoming year.
Shortly after his championship title was snatched away by Iranian bodybuilder Hadi Choopan, Ramy declared that he is determined to reclaim it in 2023 through a “great plan”. Expressing his puzzlement of the fifth place finish, the Egyptian athlete expressed that he will devote himself to finding out what went wrong.
In a recent interview with the Smilodox YouTube channel, Big Ramy said:
“If you mean how I feel after the show, yeah… I really need to have a great plan to come back again for the show. That’s what’s in my head all the time right now. I need a great plan for next year to get my title again.”
According to the former champ, he is currently consumed with optimism heading into next year. Explaining his stance, the bodybuilder said that he trusts the IFBB judges to make the right calls and hopes to find out why he finished fifth.
The former titleholder is presently filled with positive anticipation for the upcoming year. Elaborating on his opinion, the bodybuilder remarked that he has faith in the IFBB judges to make accurate decisions and looks forward to discovering why he ended up in fifth place.
He added:
“I never judge my placing because you have a judge, and you trust them, and you trust the IFBB people and respect them. You have two ways, if you respect and you explain, that means you will go toward the next step. If you fail something and say, ‘it’s not my place,’ nothing will change, and you never change in your mind. And you never push yourself more.”
He also said:
“I don’t know exactly right now [what the problem was] because I have to ask the judges what the problem [was]. Because his [Steve Weinberger’s] opinion is very important and I have to ask why I got this place, and when I know, I will try to fix it.”
Big Ramy Praised Hadi Choopan for The Victory
Despite his defeat, he kept himself modest. The Egyptian athlete showed his good sportsmanship by applauding his rival Hadi Choopan for taking home the Mr. Olympia title. He even referred to him as one of the greatest bodybuilders on the planet and declared that Choopan was a deserving winner.
Big Ramy said:
“He [Hadi Choopan] is one of the greatest bodybuilders right now, he’s the Mr. Olympia — and he’s a great champion. He’s trying [for] years after years [to win Olympia]. That’s why God gave him that chance because he’s worked very hard many many years. Also, I started bodybuilding in 2010. Hadi in 2010, he was a world champion. He was before me in bodybuilding.”
It is noteworthy that Big Ramy was the fan favorite heading into the 2022 Mr. Olympia. However, Choopan made a strong impression by bringing solid, fit physique to the Men’s Open division competition and secured some points.
It is worth mentioning that Ramy came under fire at the occasion for different matters. The bodybuilder met substantial objection for his lower back, biceps, and indistinct waistline. Noteworthily, bodybuilding legend and seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger also made comparable declarations. The 75-year-old symbol declared that Ramy might have regained the crown if he had slimmed down his size and waistline.
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