Hidetada Yamagishi “believes in” Flex Lewis. Thinks he has a strong chance to win the Olympia or at least get in the top 3.
One of the featured athletes in our original Generation Iron film, we caught up with Hidetada Yamagishi in our latest video interview. During our conversation, we got on the topic of Flex Lewis moving from Men’s 212 to Men’s Open. Hidetada is an athlete who has competed in both divisions. What does he thinks Flex’s chances are moving up to the bigger guys? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Hidetada Yamagishi explains why he thinks Flex Lewis can win the Mr. Olympia 2020.
At the Olympia 2019, Hadi Choopan switched from Men’s 212 to Men’s Open. He placed third. This was an astounding success for the bodybuilder. He proved that a Men’s 212 athlete can not only compete in the top Men’s Open Olympia competitors – but make it into the top 3.
Flex Lewis is the latest Men’s 212 athlete making the move to Men’s Open. Unlike the surprise of Hadi Choopan, Flex has been planning this transition for over a year. After his last Men’s 212 Olympia victory – he announced he would no longer compete in that division. This was the beginning of his transition to Men’s Open. The Olympia 2020 will be his first time competing on that level.
More importantly, Flex Lewis was the reigning Men’s 212 Olympia champ for seven years. Keeping in mind Hadi Choopan’s success in Men’s Open last year – what can we expect from Flex when he steps onto the stage this December?
Hidetada Yamagishi personally expects some big things from Flex Lewis. Having followed his career and also having competed in both divisions – Hidetada has a unique perspective on what we can expect later this year. At the very minimum, Hideatada believes that Flex will place in the top 3. But Hidetada is even more hopeful than that. He believes that if Flex comes in with the best conditioning of his career, he just might be able to win the entire Mr. Olympia.
Of course, Flex Lewis has a lot of hurdles to overcome. Not only is he transitioning from a smaller division, but this year’s line up is bringing back some heavy hitters. Phil Heath recently announced his comeback in an attempt to earn his 8th Sandow trophy. Defeating Phil will be a challenge for every competitor on that stage including Flex Lewis. He will also have to topple the returning champion Brandon Curry on top of a potentially returning Big Ramy.
If all of these athletes compete during the finals, it will be a stacked line up and a challenging battle for everyone – Flex Lewis included. But if there’s one thing Flex is known for, it’s his consistency. He has always brought an amazing package to the Men’s 212 stage. If he brings that same level of focus into his transition to Men’s Open – it’s very possible that we’ll see him placing in the top 3 as Hidetada said. Perhaps he will even shake things up and make for a spectacular Olympia – beating out Phil Heath and Brandon Curry making for a third new champion in a row. Only time will tell.
You can check out Hidetada Yamagishi’s full comments on Flex Lewis in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
