September 27, 2007 – Put a microphone in a bodybuilder’s face, and you’ll never know what you’ll hear. That was proven at the Mr. Olympia Press Conference Thursday afternoon in the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. At the gathering of the 24 men who will vie for the 2007 Mr. Olympia title, there was drama, as Quincy Taylor verbally sparred with Silvio Samuel and Gustavo Badell. There was comedy, as Eddie Abbew called out competitors for being “bitchy” and Melvin Anthony made a grand exit to the restroom. And in the center of it all were the two men who expect to be the focus of attention at Friday night’s prejudging and Saturday’s finals, reigning champ Jay Cutler and eight-time Mr. O Ronnie Coleman. First up, a confident Cutler talked about the challenges of not only winning the Mr. Olympia, but also defending the title. “I remember sitting here every year and you guys asking me, ‘Are you going to win?’ And I said of course, then I was second every year. The second-place guy always thinks he should win. So does the third, fourth, fifth. But I think with Ronnie and myself, we started at the end of the ladder, I was 15th in my first Mr. Olympia, I think (Coleman) was last…” “Dead last,” Coleman added. Cutler continued, “I moved up from eighth to second (in 2001) . . . I probably should have won that year and beat Ronnie.” “Didn’t you say, that’s what they all say when they get second?” Coleman quipped back. Beyond that exchange however, Coleman was more humble than in past years, making no guarantees of victory while admitting that, with eight Sandows on his mantle at home, he doesn’t have anything to complain about. Meanwhile, in one of the most heated exchanges we’ve seen in any O press conference, Quincy Taylor went on the attack against Silvio Samuel, giving him props for beating him at the Europa this year, but vociferously making the argument that taller bodybuilders have a much more difficult time adding the requisite mass than smaller ones. Later, he had some harsh criticism of Badell, calling him arrogant and questioning his attitude. All in all, there were some interesting moments and fireworks as the men answered questions — plenty more than at the preceding women’s press conference, which was tepid at best — making the event well worth checking out. Stay tuned later today, as you can catch the replay of the entire men’s press conference at https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2007olympia.htm.
For broadcast-quality DVD coverage of the Olympia contests, visit www.IFBBTV.com
