Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay is leaving no stone unturned in his preparations for 2023 Mr. Olympia. In a recent interview with Muscle and Fitness, Ramy laid out his game plan for the current season and said he’s using anger as fuel to regain his title.
In 2022, Elssbiay was on top of the world, representing the Mr. Olympia brand with a pair of Sandows. He entered last year’s Olympia as a favorite but was ousted from the throne by Hadi Choopan. Some thought Ramy was overlooked, but ultimately, the judges awarded him fifth place. Steve Weinberger, who served as the head judge at the contest, suspected Ramy was suffering from injuries as many noted that his lats, arms, and back were missing detail.
Big Ramy brought his best physique possible to the 2023 Arnold Classic on short notice. He finished fourth but presented a remarkably better package. In the aftermath, fans and even Bob Cicherillo predicted Ramy’s time on top had come to an abrupt end.
Unlike last year, Ramy fulfilled his obligation to guest pose at the recent 2023 Pittsburgh Pro. Despite hinting at sitting the year out, it appears the former two-time champion has changed his mind. He shared that he’s working harder than ever to re-cement his status as the best in the world.
Big Ramy Says He’s Training ‘Angry,’ & Working Harder Than Anybody for 2023 Mr. Olympia
Big Ramy thanked his fans for their loyalty and discussed the route he’s taking to win back his Mr. Olympia title.
“I’m really excited like always. I have to do one thing: working hard, I do that for a reason always but this year I do it because everyone knows if you lose one time, it’s never the end. If you have that, if God gives you a chance to fight for the next step and nothing broke you, you can get that one more time.”
“Everyone, the people, it’s like us… I mean, we must give the people the fans, it’s like listen, our advice… we can give to them, working hard, working hard you have to do in your life. If anything comes after working hard, you did fine. You have more than what you had in your pocket.” ‘
“Truthfully it’s a good thing when you get the [Mr. Olympia] trophy but what’s better than that is getting the love and respect from the people.”
“Even this year when I lost, [my fans in Egypt] had my back, I’m really thankful they did that. Again, they understand what I’ve been working for all this year. I’m working because I have to give them dreams in their life and that’s great,” said Big Ramy.
When asked about his mentality this year, Ramy said he’s angry because he’s not the best in the world and added that his emotions have helped him train harder.
“I think we’ll have a nice competitors lineup right now and the lineup is getting more stronger. That makes me very excited to be in this lineup again and work harder than anybody. No, it’s not anger because you lost it’s angry because you want to be the best in the world. That can give you a chance to work hard. I told my friends today, maybe you get angry, but the anger doesn’t break you, it makes you fight more.”
In light of his last two performances, bodybuilding veterans are indifferent about Big Ramy’s future. Cicherillo serves as a commentator at Mr. Olympia, and he labeled Samson Dauda and Derek Lunsford as equal threats to Choopan’s title.
Meanwhile, 2022 Olympia top-three finisher Nick Walker is under the impression that Choopan won’t repeat as champion later this year. He anticipates a battle with Lunsford for gold. Dauda, who bested Walker in Ohio, made it clear that he wins the show hands down if he brings an improved back.
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With so many twists and turns last year, fans are eager to see stars from the Men’s Open go to war in November. Should Big Ramy regain his title in 2023, he will share the honor of winning back Mr. Olympia with Jay Cutler.
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