I want to start my article out by saying how much I respect Ron Harris. I made a video going to bat for him a couple of days ago and I’m happy that so far that video has over 8,000 views on Instagram. That may not be much, but it’s 8,000 or so people that got to hear me stick up for one of the best journalists in the bodybuilding industry. Ron was taken under the wing of the great Peter McGough and worked as a staff writer and Senior Editor of Muscular Development Magazine. It’s a job that John Romano had before him, as well as a shortlist of other media heavy-hitters. He was able to take the job and make it his own. Ron was able to work with a team of people and a publisher that believed in bodybuilding to the very end. On the one hand, if Steve had sold the magazine just 5 years earlier, he would have walked away with sacks of money. But he held out as long as he could and the magazine held out as long as it could. Ron was part of it all. In a very real way, Muscular Development was the last of the Mohicans – it even outlasted FLEX on news stands.
When the MD went away, Ron had to figure out a way to hone in his skills and continue being a working journalist in the fast changing world of professional bodybuilding and fitness. As a result, he has been able to appear on a variety of podcasts, keep big sponsors, and put out his own content. Ron is an honest person, he is a humble person, and even though he doesn’t seem to think so, he’s a very talented member of the media. He can write articles, do interviews, and work behind the scenes. He can do it all!
Ron made peace with Joe Pietaro from MuscleSportMag, he’s never had much of an issue with RX. Everyone is cool with him. Everything seemed on the up and up for Harris. As of late, however, Ron has been a regular part of a podcast on Matt Tsinkorang’s Muscle Discord. It was on an episode of this podcast, joined by Matt and IFBB Pro Phil Clahar, that Ron got caught on Bob Cicherillo’s radar. The episode dealt with the controversial decision to crown Dorian Haywood, meanwhile relegating Phil Clahar to runner-up, at the 2025 Masters Olympia.
While Matt and Phil were talking, Ron was listening. As I said on the video where I come out in support of Ron, there is a big difference between merely hearing people talk and listening to what people say. It deals with the level of attention shown. Whereas most podcasts settings are essentially a free-for-all of people talking over each other, Harris opted to listen, process, and his co-hosts finish their thought. Then and only then, would he chime in. Even though Ron didn’t agree with Matt and/or Phil, it seemed as if he did to Bob. So instead of having Ron join him and “Sugar” Shawn Ray on the Voice of Bodybuilding podcast, Bob went on the warpath.
Cicherillo and Ray, but more so Bob, attacked Phil, Matt, Muscle Discord, and Ron. Bob accused Ron of agreeing with everything that Matt and Phil were saying, which is categorically false. He also accused Ron of not having any nuts, which I guess is subjective. I don’t really want to get into a whole conversation of how much nuts Ron has or does not have, but I think the guy has proven himself to be a real journalist. So I guess that means he has nuts. Bob would counter that and say that he doesn’t because he didn’t speak up and interrupt Phil or interrupt Matt while he was on that podcast. Therefore, Bob went on the warpath with Ron and put his character and integrity in doubt. Cicherillo totally smeared Harris for no real reason. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but Bob attributed opinions to Ron that he didn’t even have.
Does that sound like the work of an Athlete’s Rep? Of course not! But speaking of that post, Bob now states it’s a largely ceremonial gig and he was never truly the Athlete’s Rep. On an interview Chick did with Muscle Discord on September 4th, 2024, he lashed out at Phil, accusing him of going around him with his grievance(s). It was on that podcast that he was still claiming to hold Athlete’s Rep position and took credit for thinking-up divisions, getting the athletes healthcare, and even getting Lee Priest’s pro card reinstated. It was during this interview that Cicherillo threw Clahar under the bus and pinned him against the IFBB. Shortly thereafter, he infuriated the industry with his commentary on Nick Walker’s chances of winning the Olympia, as well as other topics, that resulted in him getting media backlash. That’s when Bob walked back his position on being the Athlete’s Rep. Eleven months after the Bob’s interview on Muscle Discord, Phil Clahar lost the 2025 Masters Olympia, despite winning the prejudging. It was on an August 2025 episode of Muscle Discord where Phil and Matt sounded off. Ron was on set and stayed mostly quiet. Nonetheless, because Ron was there, he earned Bob’s scorn.
In the middle of this conflict, Ron came out with a video titled “No More Mr Nice Guy.” You can check out the video throughout this article as I’m going to embed it in several different links. In this video, Ron answered a number of questions during the live-cast but also weighed in on some topics related to the controversy at the 2025 Masters Olympia. Ron talked about his role with Muscle Discord, how he was no longer going to appear on their podcast, and how he had essentially been pressured by Matt and Phil to agree to things that he didn’t really agree with. I don’t think that the video needed to be made, particularly, because all Ron had to do was stop appearing on the podcast and start putting out more of his own content. The fact that he made the video shortly after Bob and Shawn attacked him on the Voice Of Bodybuilding podcast, doesn’t look the best for him. The optics aren’t favorable.
I totally respect Ron and I understand he’s just trying to make a living. And no one understands that more than Bob. Bob didn’t just throw a few punches at Ron. I think he was totally trying to end Ron’s ability to make a living. He ROYALLY threw Harris under the bus, attributed opinions to him that he didn’t hold, and sealed the deal by accusing him of “not having any nuts.” IF Matt and Phil put Ron in an uncomfortable spot on the Masters Olympia episode at Muscle Discord, then Bob put Ron in the worst spot imaginable with the many attacks against him VOB.
Ron dealt with Muscle Discord by not appearing on the podcast in the future and both sides ended on good terms; however, I don’t particularly like the way Ron dealt with Bob’s bullying. The “No More Mr. Nice Guy” video seems like Harris’ caving to Cicherillo’s attacks. In watching Ron’s video, he appears to take a very subservient position to Bob. Again, that’s just my perception. I could lie about it and sugarcoat it, but I’m not a shill. While I respect Ron and want to see him do well, his video makes him look weak.
In a very real way, pretty much whatever Ron did after Bob’s video would probably have been a mistake. In my estimation, Ron’s only course of action would have been to stay silent, plot his next moves, and then make those moves. Attacking Bob would’ve been career suicide. Caving to Bob isn’t much better. Silence and action would have made the most sense in my book. The optics now, paint a picture of Ron ditching Muscle Discord in a very public way (even though on good terms) and eating out Bob Cicherillo’s hand.
That said, Ron has to make a living, and Bob could have ended that career with relatively little effort. While Ron may have feared losing the opportunity to interview a big name or two as a result of his association with Muscle Discord, Bob could have taken him off the map, entirely, if Bob had been able to paint Ron as being anti-IFBB and as persona non grata with Jake Wood Media. If Cicherillo had succeeded, poor Ron wouldn’t have a pot to piss in when it came to this industry. Whether Bob would have succeeded or not, was not a chance Ron was willing to take.
As a result, it appears that Bob was able to silence a guy who never said anything against him in the first place. But the point is, Bob just earned himself a decisive victory at Ron’s expense. It’s only a question of time until Bob goes after another journalist or another outlet in similar fashion. When a bully gets his way, he doesn’t stop bullying. If anything, the bully will be emboldened to bully more.
Maybe Bob will try to silence Matt or Phil, next. Maybe, he’ll try to silence Lee Priest? Maybe he’ll try to silence me. I suspect he won’t have any luck with anyone mentioned in this last paragraph. I wish Ron nothing but success. I’m saddened he got caught up in all of this drama, but I don’t want to see any other media personality or media outlet go silent or re-think their approach because someone like Bob Cicharillo tried to intimidate them.
