Steve Weinberger believes that Big Ramy has some work to do for 2023.
The 2022 Olympia saw many competitors take the next step forward. On the other hand, there was also some who fell down the scorecard. Big Ramy went from reigning two-time champion to fifth place on stage. Head judge Steve Weinberger recently discussed what he saw from Ramy during the Olympia.
Heading into the show, many thought that Big Ramy would run away with his third title. This was the feeling all throughout the summer as he shared different physique updates at an incredible weight. Instead, it was new champion Hadi Choopan battling with the likes of Derek Lunsford and Nick Walker.
Weinberger joined OlympiaTV on YouTube to break down different aspects of the competition. Of course, Big Ramy was at the forefront.
Steve Weinberger: “I Don’t Know What It Is B”
Steve Weinberger laid it all out when discussing Ramy’s performance but believes there are still some unanswered questions. Like many, Weinberger described the performance as “disappointing.”
“His legs were not what they should have been. His back wasn’t what it should have been. His condition was off. His body parts were off. Honestly, it did not look like the Ramy of 2020, more of the Ramy from 2021 just in even worse condition. He came down even worse.”
“I don’t know whether he has a back injury or a shoulder injury but there’s some problems somewhere with him. I don’t know what it is, but something is not right.”
From the beginning, Steve Weinberger had his eye on Hadi Choopan. He knew from prejudging that Choopan came in best shape.
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“There was no weakness in his physique — none. When they all came out and we were looking, I always tick off the top six guys and he was the first one I ticked off on my sheet like, ‘oh my God, this guy is ready today,’ and he was. At first glance, I thought, ‘wow, this is the guy to look at.'”
Big Ramy will now get back to work in hopes of regaining his title in 2023. The Men’s Open division was extremely deep this year and will only continue to grow. If he wants to get back to form, Steve Weinberger believes that he must rewind to 2020.
“I think the 2020 was the best Ramy and the New York Pro was the second best Ramy but those two were a lot closer to 2021 and 2022. 2021 and 2022 were not the real Ramy that we know.”
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