Looking Back – 1980 Mr. Olympia
Today we take a look back at the 1980 Mr. Olympia.
The event was exciting but very controversial. While all the competitors were preparing for this contest, they had no idea that lurking behind the scenes, was Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Arnold came out of retirement and entered the show one day before it took place.
The competitors were under the impression that Arnold was going to MC the show and film it for a television broadcast.
When the competitors found out about Arnold entering the event, several athletes did not take it well, especially Mike Mentzer.
There was an incident back stage where Mike Mentzer and Arnold Schwarzenegger almost traded punches.
Frank Zane also entered the show against all odds. The defending 3X Mr. Olympia winner, entered the contest not long after suffering a life-threatening accident.
While Frank Zane made it to the stage to defend his title… other competitors were pointed out as favorites to win. Boyer Coe, Mike Mentzer, and Chris Dickerson could have all easily placed first that evening.
Till today, several bodybuilding pundits, criticize Arnold for entering the contest or even go as far as to say that the contest was allegedly fixed so Arnold would win.
After viewing the footage over and over again, Arnold to be fair, was not that far off from his best.
This cannot be said for the 1981 Olympia, where Franco didn’t even compare to the rest of the line-up. That event was a total disaster… but that’s another story.
Arnold Schwarzenegger presented a physique that kept up with the other competitors, but his age and time away from the stage, started to show on his physique.
Not too many bodybuilders can return to the Mr. Olympia and obtain a good result. But in 1980, Arnold Schwarzenegger did not compete for over 5 years, and returned to the Mr. Olympia, with the largest line-up he had to face in his entire career.
Should Arnold have won? The majority of bodybuilding fans believe Arnold should have lost, but at the same time, several fans believe Arnold deserved the title.
The following year, Frank Zane, Mike Mentzer, Boyer Coe, and Roger Walker, decided to boycott the 1981 Mr. Olympia.
After the 1980 Mr. Olympia, Mike Mentzer retired from competitive bodybuilding, and focused on promoting his training system.
