Paul Dillett reflects on facing off against a young Ronnie Coleman before he became The King.
It may be hard to believe, but there was a time when Ronnie Coleman wasn’t immediately known as an unstoppable force in bodybuilding. Like any athlete, Ronnie had to start from somewhere. While he showed incredible potential, no one knew what he would one day become. Paul Dillett faced off against Ronnie during his younger years in the sport. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Paul Dillett details what it was like competing against Ronnie Coleman both behind the scenes and on the stage.
Paul Dillett did in fact face off against Ronnie Coleman after Ronnie became known as The King. But Dillett was in a completely different head space by that point. He had lost some passion for competing in the IFBB and thus his competitive spirit suffered.
Dillett did, however, have the pleasure of facing off against Ronnie Coleman in his younger years as well. This is back when Dillett was still focused on becoming the best. During our video interview with Paul Dillet, we asked him what it was like to see Ronnie back stage during those early years. Did he see the potential of what Ronnie would eventually become? Did he pose a treat before he became the total mass monster that dominated for eight Mr. Olympias?
Paul Dillett certainly recognized that Ronnie Coleman was an incredible athlete with a bright future. But during those years in Dillett’s prime, he was only focused on one thing – winning. He didn’t size up other competitors back stage. Instead, he was laser focused on himself and making sure he brought his best both mentally and physically.
However, when Ronnie Coleman first won the Night Of Champions, much like many other athletes and spectators, Dillett started really taking notice. Well, notice might be too weak of a word. As Paul Dillett put it during our conversation, “this is some scary shit right here!”
He’s referring to, of course, the 1998 Night Of Champions. It was the moment that Ronnie dawned on the world of bodybuilding in his true form. Dillett even recalls seeing photos of Ronnie six weeks out before the show. The photos were so impressive that they made Dillett want to “lock myself in my room.”
This reaction mirrors what many athletes, judges, and fans experienced when Ronnie Coleman became more than just another competitor. It’s when he became The King. It seemed almost like an overnight transformation. Suddenly, a promising athlete became an inhuman monster that changed everything.
As we said at the top, for younger generations it’s hard to see Ronnie Coleman as anything else but a legend. It must have been truly exciting to be Paul Dillett or any number of other individuals who actually lived through Ronnie’s rise in real time.
It also goes to show that anything can happen. The shocking transformation of Ronnie Coleman happened fast. Many people didn’t see it coming. Perhaps an athlete out there will pull off the same kind of surprise. Just when you think you know the landscape of athletes – everything can change in the blink of an eye. That’s what makes sports in general exciting. That includes bodybuilding as well. Perhaps even more so than others.
You can watch Paul Dillett’s full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
