In an episode of The Menace Podcast, Shawn Ray was asked about Victor Richards, one of the biggest what-ifs in Mr. Olympia history. But Ray's answer revealed a different perspective about 'Mr. Big'.

"Problem is, Jose, had he competed, he would have been exposed... They would have taken all that mystery away. He's better off not competing and walking around as Mr. Big because everybody would be like, ‘Holy s*** what if?’ And he made a career off of what if.”

In the 1982 American Cup, Victor finished second. Then, in 1983, he earned the title of Teen Los Angeles. In 1984, the same bodybuilder won the California Gold Cup Classic. All those titles and his massive 330-pound frame earned him recognition in the bodybuilding world.

However, Richards shocked the world by virtually disappearing from the scene. He only came back in 1989 for Mr. Barbados. And after winning the Nigerian Championships in 1992, he was seen as the next Mr. Olympia. However, he never entered the stage.

“But if he were on the Olympia stage, he would lose to all of us because he would have been exposed genetically, not because of size, but genetically had a long waist. He was mostly chest and arms. His back had zero depth. It was very much like Paul Delet's back”.

However, there is no exact answer for why he did not participate in Mr. Olympia.

But Victor Richards Pointed Out One Thing About Bodybuilding

According to the “Greatest physiques,” Victor Richards used to feel uncomfortable with the pro bodybuilding competitions and the IFBB and the governing bodies.

He said, “In current bodybuilding, I dislike the kamikaze attitude to get ripped at all costs. I don’t love bodybuilding enough to sacrifice my life for it. If these kamikaze guys are thought to be smart or intelligent, I’d rather be to be thought of as foolish.”

Whether this is the reason for his staying away from the competition or not, we do not know.

Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar