Mamdouh ELSSBIAY, also known as Big Ramy and a two-time Sandow Trophy champion, has officially pulled out of 2023 Mr. Olympia, which will be held in Orlando on November 3-4. Elssbiay announced his decision during an interview on the Voice of Bodybuilding channel with Olympia announcer Bob Cicherillo.
Cicherillo then confirmed Elssbiay's decision to withdraw from the competition before moving onto the next subject of the interview. Elssbiay said he needed to heal his injuries and evaluate his body before entering another competition. Elssbiay did not rule out participating in the Mr. Olympia or 2024 Arnold Classic, which will be held in Columbus, OH.
If Elssbiay had entered, this would have been the first Mr. Olympia competition since Orlando in 2020, when Dexter Jackson and Phil Heath posed together. Elssbiay won the contest and became the 16th Mr. Olympia.
Curry, the defending champ Hadi Choopan and the Egyptian man will be the only titleholders on the line-up. Other superstars will join them, including last year's second-place finisher Derek Lunsford and the 2021 Arnold Classic winners Nick Walker and Samson Dauda.
Elssbiay could have a lot of competition for his spot on the top 10 list. Hunter Labrada was fourth at the Olympia in his previous Olympia appearance, after winning the Tampa Pro. Andrew Jacked placed eighth in last year's rankings, but he was at his best after beating Labrada in 2023 Texas Pro. Michal Krizanek, Nathan De Asha, and Canadian Regan Grimes are all worth mentioning. Grimes won the 2023 Europa Pro.
Elssbiay has the option to decide when he wants to compete or not. As a former Olympia winner, Elssbiay has the option to choose whether or not he will compete again. He can either enter the Arnold Classic in 2024, wait for the next Olympia or both. If he wanted to, he could enter smaller shows.
Many international fans would feel disappointed if he decided to retire his trunks. However, he will go down in history as an icon of the sport because he has won two Sandow Trophies. Eleven of the seventeen men who have been crowned Mr Olympia 2023 Live Free have attained two or more titles. Elssbiay became the first Egyptian in nearly six decades to win the Mr. Olympia title. Seine place in history was assured. We hope that Big Ramy, with his huge smile and big stage presence will be back in 2024.