One thing which is common across most sporting competitions is how the audience roots for their favorite contender. While the winner tends to have a lot of support, the audience often challenges the judgment. Now, with Mr. Olympia coming up, let’s go back to 1984 when the winner emerged amidst some banter. Bodybuilding champion and Mr. Olympia 1984 contestant Samir Bannout opened up about some discrepancies.

In a conversation with Generation Iron, Bannout revealed that he got the 6th position despite being a deserving winner. Notably, Lee Haney won the Mr. Olympia crown that year and Bannout did not take kindly to this result. While many rejoiced, Bannout smelled something fishy.

Samir Bannout revealed the BTS from 1984, Mr. Olympia:

After winning his sole Mr. Olympia title in 1983, things were looking up for bodybuilding professional Samir Bannout. However, in a cruel twist of fate, not only did he lose out on the title the following year, but he was placed 6th. This seemed suspicious to the Lebanese bodybuilder, who had the potential and the winning physique. While he couldn’t do much about it back then, he opened up about the incident in an interview in 2021.

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The plot thickened as Bannout disclosed more details about the 1984 championship. Although he did not reveal names, the bodybuilder strongly believed that he had a lower rank due to politics behind the scenes. He exclaimed, “believe me, in 84, I was intentionally robbed”. Despite having the caliber and physique fit to win, Bannout claimed that the decision was unfair.

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To give some context, Bannout revealed how some people orchestrated an argument between him and the creator of Mr. Olympia, Joe Weider. While it never got physically violent according to the bodybuilder, he believed that the argument led to his downfall. He quoted, “I swear to god on the soul of my father, I never really touched Joe. I love Joe like a father.”

A first for Lee Haney:

While Bannout mourned his loss in the championship, Mr. Olympia 1984 brought a new winner to the world. Lee Haney is an eight-time Mr. Olympia title holder. His first win was in fact at the 1984 Mr. Olympia. Although he and Samir Bannout stood neck-to-neck for the title, judges declared the winner amidst disagreements from the latter.

Although he felt the situation was unfair, the Lebanese bodybuilder has moved on since. He holds no ill feelings towards the community and continues to maintain his body. The champion spoke about his philosophy of “Less is more” when it comes to bodybuilding and how he always stuck to that. Competitions could get rough, but having good ideals could get you a long way ahead.

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