Written by Peter McGough
27 December 2015

15outstandingbodybuilders

The Outstanding Bodybuilder of 2015?

Who Is It? Cast Your Vote!

 

 

As 2016 looms ever nearer, its human nature to reflect on the year gone by and in that spirit (spirits and the holiday season go together for moi) to consider who has been the outstanding bodybuilder of the year. It doesn't necessarily have to be the world’s best bodybuilder – Mr. Olympia. What we're looking for is somebody who made a particular impact, a unique impact, on the sport this year. Thus we have selected nine diverse candidates for this particular accolade. Cast your vote and let us know who you think deserves this honor and tell us why. Also if you think someone else, other than our candidates, deserves the award let us know who they are and the reasons why you would nominate them.

Make your pick for who is the most outstanding bodybuilder of 2015 and state your reasons why. Here are MD’s seven candidates, but feel free to choose someone else and tell us why. VOTE HERE

Dallas McCarver

Cody Montgomery

Phil Heath

Flex Lewis

Collin Clark

Dexter Jackson

Jose Raymond

Sergio Oliva Jnr.

Kai Greene

DALLAS McCARVER

Unbeaten as an amateur, McCarver extended that record by impressively winning his first pro contest, May’s California Cup. The 24 year old, unlike a lot of young pros, decided to go straight into the Olympia four months later where he finished 13th -- most pundits had him in the top ten. This prodigy, from Jackson, Tennessee, has a freaky X-frame physique that has potential (accelerated by expertise of his prep coach Matt Jensen) written all over it. He is one of the most accessible pro bodybuilders on the scene, with an outgoing personality and a real good head on young shoulders.

CODY MONTGOMERY

 Cody Montgomery’s record is truly unique. First of all he won three teenage national championships (2012-2014), which has never been done before, and probably never will be again. In fact no one else has won more than one teenage national title. Then in his first appearance at the pro qualifying level he sensationally won the heavyweight and overall titles at the USA Championships. He was 20 years old. Repeat, 20 years old. This made him the youngest ever USA or Nationals overall champion. The guy is not lacking in confidence and instead of taking a slow burn approach to making his pro debut he’s jumping straight into it, by competing at March’s Arnold Classic.

PHIL HEATH

As Mr. Olympia, Heath is officially recognized as the best bodybuilder in the world. And now having won five Sandows, which leaves Ronnie Coleman and Lee Haney (eight titles), Arnold Schwarzenegger (seven titles) and Dorian Yates (six titles) ahead of him he’s firmly ensconced as Mr. Olympia. Having turned 36 this month he has no thoughts of quitting anytime soon, and as things stand there doesn’t seem anyone at this stage to dethrone him.

FLEX LEWIS

In winning his fourth 212 Showdown title at the last Olympia, Wales’s best ever bodybuilder is now cultivating a dynasty. Over the years he has taken a pair of legs in search of a torso and built a complete physique. In tandem with that he is one of the most popular bodybuilders on the planet proving that even though his physique expanded his head didn’t.

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COLLIN CLARK

Not a name you may be familiar with but we select Collin Clark as a flag bearer for the anthem that bodybuilding is for everyone. Collin has Down’s syndrome but that didn’t stop him from entering November’s Kentucky Muscle Contest, in preparation for which he lost an incredible 60 pounds. His placing doesn’t matter because he became an inspiration (his story was reported on in the mainstream press internationally) and a kick in the glutes for those who just sit on that particular bodypart. And kudos to MD’s David Baye who went to the Kentucky show and presented Collin with a signed poster of four-time Olympia camp Jay Cutler, who is Collin’s favorite bodybuilder. The bottom line is Collin proved you don’t have to win a contest to be a champion.

DEXTER JACKSON

Dexter is now 46 years old and unlike most forty-year plus bodybuilders not only is he maintaining his form he is actually improving, and was probably better this year than ever. In March he won a record breaking fifth Arnold Classic and then finished second at the Olympia, pushing Phil Heath all the way, as his 240-pound package beat the squad of mass monsters chasing the champ. In a pro career that began in 1999 he has competed in more pro shows (76) than anyone else and has won 24 of them – only one behind record holder Ronnie Coleman. That resume makes him unique and be assured this evergreen bodybuilder isn’t finished yet.

JOSE RAYMOND

In winning last March’s 212 division at the Arnold Classic, and then augmenting that with a runner-up spot at the 212 Showdown at the Olympia, Raymond has become recognized as the number one contender for Flex Lewis’s title. Although his accomplishments in 2015 have been remarkable his whole life has. He and brother Tito were born into abject poverty, which didn’t stop both becoming successes. He is a fans delight, his interactions testifying to the fact that he has never forgotten his roots; a persona that makes him immensely popular.

SERGIO OLIVA JNR.

Very rarely has an amateur competitor attracted the type of publicity that Sergio Oliva Jnr. did this year in preparing for his eventual super heavy and overall wins at the NPC Nationals. Some of that had to do with the fact that his father is rated by many as the best bodybuilder of all time. But in the end his success was down to Jnr. himself due to his work ethic, his charismatic presence onstage and off, his exuberance for the sport and his refreshing honesty in saying what he really feels. Many raved about the MD interviews he did, in which his candid opinions were a refreshing change to some of the PC type of interviews that pervaded the Internet. In short he now stands as his own man and we await with interest his pro debut.

KAI GREENE

It may seem a little strange to include a candidate who didn't even compete last year but in terms of the amount of ink splashed on him bypassing the Mr. Olympia he was maybe the most talked about bodybuilder of the year. That equates to impact. What can't be doubted is it that Greene is probably the most enigmatic, almost unique bodybuilder we have ever seen and so he makes it on our list.

 

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