The Mr. Olympia competition is the most prestigious bodybuilding show in the world.
Only the best of the best bodybuilders qualify to compete at Mr. Olympia.
Mr. Olympia was first held in 1965, and since then, it has been the top show to win in bodybuilding.
The legendary bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger made a name for himself in Mr. Olympia, winning the title 7 times in his competitive career.
There have been great bodybuilders who have never won Mr. Olympia, some of them trying many times while others haven’t competed.
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This article will go over the top 10 biggest and best bodybuilders who didn’t manage to land a victory in Mr. Olympia.
1.Kai Greene
Kai Greene often called the people’s champion, made a real effort in winning Mr. Olympia and was very close to achieving that.
One man stood in his way, and that was the seven-time Mr. Olympia champion, Phil Heath.
Kai Greene was runner-up three years in a row ranging from 2012-2014 when Phil Heath defeated him.
It was one of the greatest rivalries in bodybuilding history, Kai has not competed in Mr. Olympia since 2014, and it’s unlikely he will ever return.
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Phil and Kai almost fought on stage at the 2014 Mr. Olympia contest
2. Victor Richards
Even though Victor Richards was one of the best bodybuilders of his time, he chose not to compete in bodybuilding.
He felt his purpose in bodybuilding wasn’t to compete; he instead wanted to mentor people and give voice to people that couldn’t speak up.
When posing with Dorian Yates, he did look like he might be able to challenge him.
Unfortunately, we never saw Victor Richards on stage and respect him for sticking to his principles.
He wanted to be a great bodybuilder, but he didn’t feel the need to compete.
3. Paul Dillett
Paul Dillett from Canada is one of the biggest muscle freaks we’ve seen on the Mr. Olympia stage.
Paul Dillett competed in Olympia his best placing was 4th in the 1994 Mr. Olympia when Dorian Yates won the title.
He managed to win The Night of Champions in 1999 and the NPC North American Championships in 1992.
Even though Paul didn’t land a victory in Mr. Olympia, he is still remembered as one of the biggest mass freaks in bodybuilding.
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4. Kevin Levrone
Kevin Levrone was competing in the era of Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman.
Who are two of the best bodybuilders ever in Mr. Olympia.
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That made it hard for Kevin Levrone to win; however, he managed to place as a runner up 4-times in his career.
Kevin made a comeback in 2016, where he placed 17th when he was 51-years old.
He hadn’t competed in bodybuilding for 13-years when he made his comeback which was well received by bodybuilding fans.
5. Shawn Ray
Shawn Ray, like Kevin Levrone, was competing in the era of Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman.
He placed two times as a runner-up against Dorian Yates in 1994 and 1996.
Shawn Ray was very consistent in his bodybuilding career and rarely placed lower than 4th place in his Mr. Olympia competitions.
6. Andreas Münzer
Andreas Münzer from Austria was one of the most shredded bodybuilders we’ve seen on stage.
He had vast amounts of muscle and was ripped to shreds.
Even though he did have an imposing physique, he didn’t have much success on the Mr. Olympia stage.
His highest placing was 9th which he got three times in 1990, 1993, and 1994.
He passed away in 1996, and the cause was organ failure.
7. Nasser El Sonbaty
Nasser El Sonbaty, “The Professor,” was one of the great bodybuilders who didn’t manage to win a victory at Mr. Olympia.
He was close, though.
In his competitive career, he managed to place runner-up in 1997 when Dorian Yates won the title.
Nasser El Sonbaty had a long competitive career where he competed in many shows ranging from 1990-2005.
8. Tom Platz
Tom Platz, recognized for his massive legs, competed on the Mr. Olympia stage 7 times in his competitive career.
His best placing was 3rd in 1981 when Franco Columbo won the title.
There has always been some controversy on the 1981 Mr. Olympia, and many people feel like Tom Platz should have won the title that year.
Tom Platz “Quadzilla” had possibly the best legs ever that we have seen in Mr. Olympia.
9. Lou Ferrigno
Lou Ferrigno is a very recognized bodybuilder and played a massive role in Pumping Iron’s bodybuilding film when he was preparing to compete against Arnold in Mr. Olympia.
Lou Ferrigno’s best placing in the Olympia was in 1974, where he placed runner up to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Lou had an imposing physique and would have been the top bodybuilder if Arnold wouldn’t have competed.
10. Rich Piana
Rich Piana never competed in Mr. Olympia and retired from competitive bodybuilding quite early.
Rich Piana won the Mr. Teen California competition when he was of the age of 18-years old.
Despite being one of the biggest bodybuilders in the sport, Rich retired from competitive bodybuilding to focus on his social media and make money.
Rich was one of the most successful bodybuilding youtube where he shared his diet, workouts, and everything in between.
He sadly passed away in 2016.
Kevin Levrone, among all those, has the Mr. Olympia shape.