There are several interesting stories and incidents linked to Mr. Olympia, and Flex Wheeler's withdrawal from the 1997 Mr. Olympia contest due to injuries is certainly one of them.

In 1997, several experts viewed Wheeler as the youngblood who would take the old king, Dorian Yates', throne. However, Wheeler announced his withdrawal with just a couple of days left before the contest.

Wheeler entered the host hotel with a bandage on his left hand 48 hours before the event. According to him, he became the victim of an unsuccessful carjacking. However, he sustained injuries while fighting the criminals, one of whom he said had martial arts training.

After that horrible incident, he admitted that he tried to start his training. However, due to injuries and medication, the pro bodybuilder had to withdraw from the Mr. Olympia in 1997.

This was not the first time Flex Wheeler got unlucky before the Mr. Olympia competition.

Another Unfortunate Accident Crushed Flex Wheeler’s 1994 Mr. Olympia Dreams

After debuting at Mr. Olympia in 1993, Wheeler shocked the bodybuilding world with his great conditioning and balanced muscles. In that competition, he finished 2nd behind the reigning champion, Dorian Yates.

As a result, many thought that he would definitely participate in 1994 and could dethrone Yates. However, after midnight on June 9, 1994, Wheeler suffered an accident, and his car crashed on the I-10 Santa Monica Freeway. He injured two of his cervical vertebrae, which drove him out of the contest.

Even Yates viewed Wheeler as a worthy contender to win the 94' Mr. Olympia. He said, "If Flex had come in ’94 and hadn’t had the car accident, and he came in like ’93, then he possibly would have beat me in ’94."

What else do you think Wheeler could've won if he hadn't faced such untoward situations?

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Souvik Roy