The desire to be Mr. Olympia is the carrot they dangle in front of every newly-minted IFBB Pro. If you decide to compete in the National Physique Committee, or NPC, you’re more than likely not embarking on a natural journey. There are natural shows and you could compete at The Ben Weider, but chances are you’re either on the juice or seriously considering it. And that’s all I’m going to say about that. You can do it naturally like a Ronnie Coleman or a Kai Greene (initially). You might even get as far as Keone Pearson did (initially), but ultimately, you need to take the plunge. Once you’ve done that, then the next question becomes, are you in it for fun – or are you going all the way? If you’re a competitor who competes in your hometown or let’s say in a 100 mile radius, then I’d call you a weekend warrior. You can win some local titles, maybe even a big title, but you’re essentially appearing before the same judging panels and you’re staying in your comfort zone. If you start competing at national level shows (e.g. Nationals, North Americans, USA’s, Team U), then I’d say you’re serious about turning pro. And anyone who is serious about turning pro, on some level, yearns to be on the Olympia stage. Anyone who actually turns pro, chases that Olympia qualification tenfold compared to how they chased the card. That qualification becomes the ever-elusive carrot.
Kai Greene cut his teeth; he paid his dues and then some. He competed as a natural and looking absolutely jaw-dropping. He could have potentially stayed natural and won some smaller pro shows, but in order to go all the way, he left no stone unturned. He gave it his all in the gym, in the mirror, in the kitchen and on the stage. Never has there been a competitor who posed quite like he did. The Predator, as he was nicknamed, presented routines that were not only thought-proving, but equally inspiring and entertaining. Greene understood how to capture the audience’s attention and knew how to keep it for a whole routine. I don’t care if you were peeing your pants, you didn’t get up during his presentation to go take a leak. His routine wasn’t your chance to hit the concession stand, either. People traveled to local and regional shows, not knowing a soul competing there, just to catch a Kai Greene posing routine. Everyone saw him as a future Mr. Olympia. But year after year, he’d miss his mark. Or would he? He wasn’t missing his mark because he wasn’t good enough, he was missing the mark because the Olympia judges were rewarding Jay Cutler and then Phil Heath. And this, in part, might explain the tension coming to a head at the 2014 Olympia that was never aired on NBC. Few people take the time to get the full story, they just rather make wild assumptions.
Phil Heath was a great champion and built a great physique. Despite his narrow clavicles, he was able to look the part of Mr. Olympia for several years, but I think it’s safe to say that out of his 7 Olympia wins, at least one or two belonged to Kai Greene. Kai would come in huge, totally shredded, with super-striated glutes and out-pose Phil, but get 2nd place. Meanwhile he was winning big at the Arnold Classic and The Oak himself would look at him in awe. I mean just look at the photo above. That’s ARNOLD next to KAI. All the fans would look at Kai this way, too. Everyone was wondering when The Predator was going to get his. When was he going to hoist the Sandow over his head? When was he going to stand tall as the best bodybuilder in the world? But Kai never brought the Sandow back to The Big Apple. No matter how much he trained, how much he posed, how much he ate, how many dues he paid, he was never going to be Mr. Olympia. And there’s been others, like Kevin Levrone, Flex Wheeler, and Shawn Ray, who were never were crowned Mr. O. And believe you me, they deserved it!
We can sit here and talk about the subjectivity of the sport, or, we can be real and admit to the fact that politics do exist – both then and now. Why were the odds so stacked against Kai being Mr. Olympia? Kai worked with big magazines, he had the big sponsors, and he commanded a massive fanbase. In fact, Kai’s fanbase was larger than Phil’s, and unlike Phil, even once Kai stopped competing his following never stopped growing. So what was the reason he just stopped trying? Why was he denied so many times? It wasn’t because of the silly grapefruit photo session – get real! It wasn’t because he guest posed in what might have looked like bondage gear. None of that is why – no one cares about that except a few politically-correct fans on the message boards. Only Kai could really narrow it down, but rather than speak out, he just stopped competing. He never actually retired, he just stopped. Why give them that? Why retire? He simply just changed gears. I have no doubt that if Kai had been judged FAIRLY, he might still be competing today. But there comes a point in time when you stop chasing the carrot. If no matter what you do, you can never get it, then it becomes an exercise in futility. His time was and is too valuable for that.
Kai Greene, like Kevin, Flex, and Shawn, don’t need to be Mr. Olympia to inspire people. They don’t need the Sandow to be living legends. They’re welcomed and celebrated wherever they go. And if I had to guess, I’d say they probably don’t think very much about the what-if they’d been Mr. O, but we certainly do. If you’re a real Kai Greene fan or if you’re a real Kevin Levrone fan (like I am), you just can’t play it down. It perturbs you, just like perturbs me. Hell, I’m writing an article about it and you’re reading it.
As bodybuilding fans, we’re left scratching our head at how merit oftentimes takes a backseat to politics. The fact Kai Greene never won a Mr. Olympia is a downright crime, but fortunately for him, he saw the writing on the wall. Many don’t. Many will keep competing, even if they’re past their prime. And if there’s ever a sure thing, it’s father time. As competitors get older, some keep chasing the carrot, even into the Masters. If you’re not supposed to be the best, you never will be, no matter how good you look. Much like Nasser, Levrone, Wheeler and Ray, Kai Greene is most definitely an Uncrowned Mr. Olympia and a true People’s Champion. Public opinion is his Sandow.
