Phil Heath discusses what it would take to convince him to return to the Mr. Olympia or Masters Olympia
Many in the bodybuilding world have been wondering if and when Phil Heath will make a bodybuilding comeback. He’s no stranger to teasing fans with updates and he’s certainly kept his physique on point. Based on a recent interview, it seems that Heath is certainly ready to make a comeback… for the right price. On Bob Cicherillo‘s latest Voice Of Bodybuilding podcast, Phil Heath gets candid about knowing his value and what kind of prize money would incentivize him to compete at the Mr. Olympia… or even the Masters Olympia.
The 2023 Masters Olympia has been on everyone’s mind as of late. With the event just around the corner (slated for August 25-27 in Romania), many fans have been wondering who will be competing. More specifically, bodybuilding fans have been excited to know if any former legends will come out of retirement.
It seems that the likes of Dexter Jackson and Jay Cutler, despite rumors, have little interest in making a comeback. But one bodybuilder who technically qualifies has been teasing some sort of comeback eventually. That bodybuilder is Phil Heath.
So it’s no surprise that when given the opportunity, Bob Cicherillo asked Phil Heath point blank if he would consider competing in the 2023 Masters Olympia.
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Is Phil Heath interested in competing at the Masters Olympia?
When asked by Bob Cicherillo if he would be interested in competing at the 2023 Masters Olympia, Phil Heath responded that the proposition is a lose-lose situation. He explained in detail:
“If I were to do this show, everybody is going to say, ‘Why didn’t you do the regular Olympia? It just makes sense, you look phenomenal and this and that. I understand these things so well that it doesn’t really serve me.”
Phil Heath has a point, it wasn’t that long ago that he was a threat to the mainline Mr. Olympia title. While 43 years old is technically enough to qualify him into the Masters Olympia – he’s on the earliest side of that. Let’s not also forget that he is a one-of-a-kind genetic phenom with a work ethic like none-other. It simply may be too early to jump into something like the Masters Olympia at this moment.
Phil Heath talks about his value as an athlete and how that affects his decision to make a Mr. Olympia comeback
While discussing the Masters Olympia, he also touches upon his value as an athlete. If he were to take a chance on a different kind of show like the Masters Olympia, the price would have to be right.
“You know, I was on Jay Cutler’s podcast… Jay said if they paid a certain amount of money, I mean I understand that part too but I’ll be honest, it’s got to be more than just for a two-day headline, for me. And I know how everybody thinks – and I really do… I would really have to have a compelling argument because I have to play both sides right.”
It’s at this moment that Bob Cicherillo asks him what kind of price would be enough to bring in Phil Heath. What exact number would be worth his consideration?
“I produce a lot of numbers; I know my worth, it’s worth way more than 100 grand. I’m just going to be upfront. We’re in a sport in my opinion, where certain personalities – certain athletes bring so much value that there should be something to nudge them and no different than, hey we want this UFC fighter or we want this person to come from boxing into the UFC or vice-versa, we’re willing to pay a fee and I think that’s just business. Unfortunately, that conversation doesn’t exist… There’s definitely a number, they have to come up, it would have to make sense… We would have to have a meeting of the minds and actually figure out, ‘Hey, how would this make sense for you guys?’”
Phil Heath continues – and seems to throw out a theoretical number. While it’s not clear if this is the kind of prize money that he would essentially need to make a comeback – he uses it as an example when discussing his value as a brand and as an athlete:
“If I say, ‘Hey, a million dollars.’ They’re going to say ‘Why? We don’t really need you.’ Then, you could say well, ‘How do we make that happen?’ There are phone calls that can actually be made to produce.”
While discussing this, Phil Heath makes it clear that he’s not singling out the Masters Olympia, it’s true for him to do any sort of comeback including the Mr. Olympia. He also discussed the idea of specialty PPV events to bring more interest and fun competitions into the league – including a one-vs-one battle against Kai Greene.
Ultimately, names like Phil Heath and Kai Greene sell tickets. They are more than athletes vying for prize money. They are marketing material to help sell tickets. Phil Heath seems to insinuate that the IFBB Pro league, or Mr. Olympia brand, is not opening the door to those kinds of conversations and negotiations.
Does this mean we won’t be seeing Phil Heath on stage anytime soon? Never say never – he continues to tease us and with the prize money increasing nearly every year, perhaps there will be an eventual price point that changes things.
You can check out the full interview on Bob Cicherillo’s Voice of Bodybuilding podcast below:
