Six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates recently appeared on Escape Fitness for an interview. Yates, despite being 5’9 ft, was the first Mr. Olympia to weigh nearly 300 lbs in the off-season. Genetically gifted, Yates is often credited with starting the mass monster era who pushed the limits of muscularity and conditioning to redefine bodybuilding standards. During the interview, Yates revealed how he caught the eye of a renowned judge during his first bodybuilding contest.

Yates’s high-intensity training style set him apart from the other bodybuilders, and in just two years, the Birmingham native built a world-class physique. While Yates decided to compete in bodybuilding, he lacked confidence and often underestimated himself. However, that was about to change.

The best novice in England

During the interview, the 61-year-old explained how he felt competing for the first time on the bodybuilding stage. The Shadow revealed it was a “novice” bodybuilding contest because he wasn’t confident about how he would fair against heavyweights. However, while “pumping up backstage,” during the West Coast Championships in Morecambe, England, Yates thought, “I might be better,” than the other competitors.

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When he stepped on stage and posed, “Everyone was just freaking out.” Yates revealed that the head of IFBB in England, Ron Davis was a judge at the show. Davis was also a judge for the Mr. Olympia contest. Despite being a rookie, the original mass monster’s physique shocked the man who had judged many Olympia-caliber bodybuilders.

Davis asked, “Why are you in the voice class?” Yates said, “Because I’m a novice. I haven’t competed before I don’t think I’m good enough for the heavyweights.” However, Ron Davis “literally almost laughed” and said, “Let me tell you something kid, you’re better than all the heavyweights we’ve got in the country right now! You’re the best heavyweight we’ve got!”

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However, Ron Davis didn’t just compliment The Shadow, he also gave him an opportunity.

Dorian Yates booked his ticket to the World Games

About a week after the West Coast Championships in Morecambe, London would host the World Games. The World Games are like the Olympics for sports that don’t feature in the Summer Olympics. During the interview, Yates said Ron Davis told him to come for the trials of the British bodybuilding team for the World Games.

Yates, who had just participated in his first bodybuilding show couldn’t believe his ears. “All right, is this really happening? Are these guys serious?” said The Shadow. The former Mr. Olympia also revealed that he got selected for the national team. While Dorian Yates placed seventh, it gave him the confidence boost he needed.

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What did you think about Dorian Yates’s story? Where would you rank him on the list of the greatest bodybuilders? Let us know in the comments.