Jay Cutler Dethrones Ronnie Coleman
and Wins the 2006 Mr. Olympia!

Jay Cutler made bodybuilding history and defeated eight time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman on Saturday night, September 30, 2006 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Going into the contest the general consensus was that Ronnie was unbeatable and that he would set a new record by winning his ninth Sandow trophy. Instead, Jay turned the tables and arrived in the best condition of his life while Ronnie, who looked fantastic, was a little bit off his best shape. Specifically this translated into a score of 22 for Jay and 38 for Ronnie (lowest score wins) and was considered a no-controversy win for Jay who had been a four-time second place runner up to Ronnie in previous Mr. Olympia battles.

Jay weighed in at 274 pounds which was about 10 pounds of muscle more than his usual contest weight. Ronnie weighed in at around 295 pounds which was about 20 pounds heavier than last year. Always the showman, Ronnie made a surprising entrance on stage when he appeared in a Moses costume with long white hair and beard while carrying two tablets like the biblical character! He peeled off the costume, wig and beard to reveal a muscles upon muscles body and did a fantastic posing routine.

The judges' decision to place Jay Cutler first, Victor Martinez third, Dexter Jackson fourth, and Melvin Anthony fifth, is an indication that they could be changing their criteria for what a Mr. Olympia should look like. Martinez, Jackson, and Anthony are smaller guys who show chiseled mass with less of a "mass monster" look. This aesthetic could be an indication of things to come when you consider that "big" guys like Markus Ruhl, Dennis James, and Gunter Schlierkamp, who all looked fantastic, placed 8th, 9th, and 10th respectively. Only time will tell.

Also, as part of the same weekend of events, the ladies of the muscle world had their chance at the Ms. Olympia, Ms. Figure Olympia, and Ms. Fitness Olympia. Iris Kyle won the Ms. Olympia, Jenny Lynn won the Ms. Figure Olympia and Adela Garcia won the Ms. Fitness Olympia.