The Mr. Olympia top brass made a surprise visit to Flex Lewis’ gym – is it for an official special invite?
On Friday, March 4th, 2022 – Dan Solomon posted what he labeled a “developing story” by making a surprise visit to Flex Lewis seemingly teasing a special invite to Mr. Olympia 2022. This news comes after much controversy earlier in the year, when Solomon seemed to indicate that, without an official special invite, Flex Lewis was currently not qualified to compete at the Olympia. While the video in question did not reveal or confirm a special invite – it ended with a “too be continued” graphic.
Flex Lewis has had quite the roller coaster of a career ever since his retirement from the Men’s 212 stage in 2018. Lewis is already a confirmed true legend in the sport. He is a 7x Men’s 212 Olympia champion. He is considered by many to have one of the greatest physiques in modern bodybuilding history. After his retirement, many thought he was done for good. But he later confirmed that he would in fact move up to the Men’s Open division to compete in the Mr. Olympia.
Unfortunately, we have yet to see him on the Mr. Olympia stage. Due to a variety of circumstances, Flex Lewis had to defer his Men’s Open debut. Many believed that 2022 would finally be his year to step on stage and challenge the Men’s Open top brass.
But this excitement was somewhat dashed when Dan Solomon did a Q&A on Instagram earlier in the year. Answering a fan question, Solomon claimed that, as it stands now, Flex Lewis is not qualified for the Mr. Olympia 2022. Usually former Olympia champions and top 5 athletes get automatic invites to the next year Olympia. But due to a technicality, Lewis has not yet qualified. While he was a Men’s 212 Olympia champion – he never competed in Men’s Open. So technically he is not yet qualified.
But all of that seems to be about to change based on the teaser video Dan Solomon posted on Instagram. In the video, Dan Solomon along with other key Mr. Olympia personnel made what they call a “surprise visit” to Flex Lewis’ gym. The camera follows them through the parking lot, into the gym, and show a hardy greeting with Flex Lewis. Then the video cuts to show a graphic – “TO BE CONTINUED.”
Dan Solomon also included this comment with the video:
“Developing Story: The Olympia bosses made a surprise visit yesterday to the Dragon’s Lair gym in Las Vegas….and the cameras were rolling!”
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The fact that Solomon has posted the video using official Mr. Olympia branding seems to all but confirm that he will be receiving a special invite. When they decide to drop the other half of the video revealing the full info is currently unknown.
Many fans and fellow athletes were enraged upon originally hearing that Flex Lewis was not automatically qualified for the Mr. Olympia. Though there were some who believe that a special invite was always in the cards – and that the Olympia brand was simply trying to drum up headlines to build excitement and promote the event as a whole.
While we cannot at this moment say that Flex Lewis is officially invited, it seems more than likely considering other special invites that have been given over the years. There’s no doubt Lewis being present on the Olympia stage is a big draw for many fans. It will be one of the true X factors of the event. We hope that he will be able to compete – whether it be via special invite or an official qualification through competition. Time will soon tell.
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