WHEN FLEX WAS KING - Recalling the 1993 Arnold Classic
WHEN FLEX WAS KING
Recalling the 1993 Arnold Classic
By Peter McGough
The 25th rendition of the Arnold Classic takes place on March 2nd when Dexter Jackson will have the opportunity to equal Flex Wheeler’s record of four Arnold titles. Thus it’s timely to look back 20 years to the first Arnold victory of the man who The Blade is aiming to emulate. For Flex’s 1993 posing routine, the posedown and interviews click on this link
On March 6, 1993 as Arnold Schwarzenegger handed him the winner’s trophy many in attendance anointed Flex Wheeler as the possessor of the best physique ever and a pretty good bet to confine Dorian Yates to a single Sandow.
Flex’s physique which carried 225 pounds on a 5’10” frame was a unique blend of full-bellied muscles, shape, mass, and conditioned density. In 100 per cent condition he truly was spectacular with a dramatic V-taper that swept into a tiny waist and his guns (the whole biceps/triceps/brachi complex) were huge, round and striated. His back double biceps shot (head-to-toe) has to be rated as one of the greatest ever with more detail than a Kardashian divorce settlement.
Some seem to be remember that Flex burst onto the scene and was an overnight sensation. Well, his route to the 1993 Arnold was far from meteoric. Kenneth Wheeler was born in Fresno, California, on August 23, 1965 and at 20 won the Tall Class at the Teen Mr. America. In 1989 he was 5th in the light heavy class at the NPC Nationals, then second heavyweight at the 1990 NPC Junior Nationals – beaten by Robert Rothrock who never competed again. In 1991 he was the heavyweight runner-up at both the NPC USA Championships and NPC Nationals. At those contests he was denied a pro card by Mike Matarazzo and Kevin Levrone respectively.
He won his pro card by taking the overall at the 1992 USA Championships. A result that marked him as one to watch, and the community eagerly awaited his pro debut at the 1993 Ironman a week before the Arnold. The Flexster didn’t disappoint. He took the Ironman relegating Lee Labrada, who had finished third at the previous Olympia, to second place with another Olympia luminary Vince Taylor, who in the previous two years had won nine pro contests, third. Flex’s fellow rookie Paul Dillett took fourth. That quartet finished in the exact same order at the Arnold, with Flex recording a straight firsts victory. Later in March Flex won the French and German Grand Prix and created a record by being the first pro to win his first four contests. Mike Francois later tied that record although his first four contests spanned 1994 and 1995. Coincidentally his fourth victory occurred when he defeated Wheeler at the 1995 Arnold.
But back to that March evening of 20 years ago, Flex was hailed as the future of bodybuilding and an almost certain Mr. Olympia. That’s as may be, but the reality was that at the 1993 Mr. Olympia six months later Flex was just a tad short of his Columbus form and Dorian Yates (15 conditioned pounds heavier than 1992) steamrollered his way to a second Sandow, with the rookie pro second.
Flex was tremendous at the 1993 Arnold, but a personal viewpoint is that his best ever showing was at the 1998 Ironman and Arnold Classic, spaced a week apart. He was slightly fuller and even more detailed at those two contests than he was in 1993. However in 1998, as in 1993, The Sultan of Symmetry once again proved that for him it’s a long time from spring to fall. That is because he showed up at the 1998 Mr. Olympia as red hot favorite to occupy the Olympia throne domain left vacant by Yates’ retirement, but couldn’t repeat his Arnold form and finished runner-up to Ronnie “Out of Nowhere” Coleman. Unfortunately for him Flex was never able to replicate his Arnold winning form at the Olympia, but there’s no truth to the rumor that he lobbied for the Olympia to be switched to a March date.
After his stellar 1993 year in which he racked up four wins and a second at the Olympia Flex’s star was soaring, but in June 1994 that all came hurtling to a shuddering halt as did the car in which he was driving when it flew off an LA freeway ramp and he received severe neck injuries which nearly cost him his life and put him out of flexing action until 1995.
Throughout his career Flex seemed to be the recipient of some bum decisions: By that I mean he could look awesome from the front as he walked out but when he turned round if his glutes weren’t ripped, then despite the excellence elsewhere he was deemed out of shape. Always seemed an ass-backwards affair to me where the glutes are a more defining factor than the biceps, triceps, delts, back (complete with Xmas tree) , hams and calves also on view during a back double biceps shot. No one runs into a gym on their first day of being bitten by the lifting bug screaming, “I gotta get me some ripped glutes.” Please tell me they don’t!
With the glutes issue appropriately behind us, we look forward to March 2, and Dexter Jackson’s attempt to tie Flex’s four title record. Although in my humble opinion the reality is Flex should have enjoyed five Columbus victories: Still wondering how he lost to Kevin Levrone in 1996?
Peter will be back next week and every Wednesday looking at the world of bodybuilding like only Peter McGough can do.