This is a picture comparison between Lee Haney of 1991 and Dorian Yates of 1992, both Olympia versions. Is it possible that Lee could have captured his 9th title in 92? Lets go dare to compare!
Important to consider that Dorian himself stated that he over-dieted and came in shredded in 92 as he knew Haney wasnt competing and he was more worried about smaller guys like Labrada and Shawn Ray.
@@jolee2433 based on what? he knew Yates was coming in '91 and still lost in the muscularity round (8 mandatory poses, this entire video basically). an improved Yates from '92 would've beaten him even easier.
@@dj_m1999 the year the olympia was drug tested set haney back a year. his receptors were fresh though. he could have come in 260 in 93. you think if haney stuck around he wouldnt have brought up his weak points? haney has better shape
@@jolee2433 yeah because he had infinite potential, right? Add mass until he's 400 pounds, right? You clearly don't understand that there's people who hit their prime early, people like Haney, Arnold, Lee Priest and then barely change over the years and people who hit their prime late (Yates, Coleman, Heath) who develop their bodies when they are already in their mid 30s. Age isn't the only factor here, you are foolish for thinking that just because he was so young, that meant Haney could've kept improving and improving to infinity
But he probably did compete in the weakest era of bodybuilders no disrespect to him. And when Dorian cane along it’s not a coincidence he retired he was a wise man he could probably see the writing on the wall
@@markyates9712 wrong Lee’s and his wife Shirley had you f children then. It took all his time up being Mr. Olympia and they wanted to be more involved as a family, etc.... It doesn’t matter , Lee would’ve still kept winning had he competed He was that dominating Lee retired when he wanted to . Not because he thought he wound Lose !
@@NirsterkurChampions do whatever's needed to beat the competition. All Haney needs here is to beat Yates in '92, as he did in '91. Third parties are irrelevant.
Remember Dorian had only been training for 8 years in 1991 and beat Haney at his best ever shape in the in muscularity round. Dorian would have ended Haneys reign in 1992
@@2Chronicles714_ Dorian looked much the same in '92 as in '91. '93 he was way bigger and better. I'd say that Lee would still have won in '92, especially in that era where defending champs seemed to win almost by default??
@@mikthe2004 Dorian did improve in 1992 from 1991 his pecs while still weak were better his back also improved. Dorian beating a best ever Lee in the muscularity round with only 8 years of training was incredible. Many were stunned he beat Arnold's 7 Olympias. If Haney would have came in any of his other years condition Dorian would have won. Was really hoping there was going to be a rematch in 1992
@@2Chronicles714_ Why do you keep saying "only 8 years of training?" That's a pretty long time. And do you mean 8 years of serious training? Dorian says he started messing around with weights in his teen years, so in actual fact it was more than 8 years. I consider his 1993 version the Greatest Mr Olympia ever.
@@mikthe2004 In the magazines and I've also heard him say he only started weights the year before Haney won his first Olympia I think Yates best was 6 weeks before 1993 and at the 1996 Grand Prix.
@@xaviervega468 92 Yates was 242 pounds while shorter and more conditioned (in 1992). Regardless, he still beat Haney in the mandatory poses while being 10 pounds smaller and less conditioned so go figure what would've happened in '92.
He is only 2 years older than Dorian. Definitely could have gone longer if he wanted. He's probably better off now though considering he retired right before it became all about size at any cost.
@@mvyper Exactly, good spot. Nobody has mentioned medical matters and health concerns. It’s a strange irony in a sport that js meant to improve health, yet is anything but in the Pro game. Everyone harping on about ‘what if Haney took HGH, insulin etc…’ yet few stopping to consider a medical problem, family medical history, a recently discovered issue, genetic related etc…
I love Dorian but I feel Haney is truly complete, he looked amazing. Never was the biggest but you can argue the best looking package ever. Ronnie just took a similar body and made it huuuuuge
@@hannessonnenschein360 Haney's legs were a big flaw of his and the main criticism he received. Only a delusional zoomer like yourself that only knows Haney from RU-vid comparisons would despute that. Yates in '91 weighed less than Haney yet his legs were literally 1.5 times bigger
@@dj_m1999 calm down bro. I have watched several posing routines of him and came to the conclusion that he had great legs in some Poses and that its mostly about how badly he displays his legs, especially from the back. Saying "no legs" on a 8 × Mr. O is just a clown move dude
@@fender1000100 Yates's pecs were small and attached high on his rib cage. Small pecs on a giant ribcage is not a good look. Haney had the rib cage and the pecs to match.
Look at Haney's side chest next to Bertil Fox in 1983. Fox makes Haney look small not just in the chest also Fox's massive arms. Looks like a pro next to an amateur
Haney wasn't the most muscular, neither most asthetic He was the perfect combination of both ❤️ And he retired at the age of 31 If he had competed for few more years, he could have achieved muscle maturity
@@leart78 You can't be that blind. Haney has a greater shoulder to waist differential. Yates has a naturally narrow shoulder girdle. As far as the waist goes, look at any photo of Lee Haney and then compare his to Yates. Yates ushered in the bloated gut era from '94 - '95 onwards.
@@iambodybuildingyt221 yes sir I think he was a great champion. And if you ask me he was bigger and better and more athletic and more symmetrical then Yates. If you see them standing next to each other from the front, relaxed, you can clearly see that Haney s torso is twice as thick and wide then Yateses. Makes Dorian look like a light heavyweight or something
@@ericbutton222 well he was good and one of the greatest of all time on the basis of mass, back, calves, and conditioning. But had many weak points in his physique and his presentation. He was never the greatest poser and never had very good upper arms and had a mediocre chest
Lee Haney's best version, was always his last version. So He might have had a solid chance to beat Dorian, especially if You consider that Lee usually trained light to avoid injuries, his body didn't need to overdo things, also since 93 Dorian had to deal with serious injuries. From 93 and so on, Lee would have been forced to use GH and insuline as Dorian though. In terms of single muscles, Lee's pecs and biceps are bigger and fuller, and despite the fact Dorian was a little bit crispier and with slighty wider lats and slighty bigger calves, that is still not enough to beat a gigantic and aesthetic phenomenon like Lee. So in my opinion, Haney might have had a chance to beat Dorian in 92, He never stopped getting better and better, but from 93 We can't know It since GH and insuline completely transormed Dorian's body...
haneys biceps were not bigger at all than dorians LOL he was lots of times criticized for hsi weak arms, among others his chest was awesome but top t bottom yates beats him in the side chest( prime yates not 91-92) a still young dorian beat best ever haney in muscularity rd in 91, a prime 93-96 yates would have him for breakfast all day if haney cant handle a 240 lb yates in 91 how can he even hope to beat a 260 lb dorian?with superior condition and balance? NOT GONNA HAPPEN
@@TheLusianPopa "Dorian's biceps were big or even bigger" Are u blind or insane? He injured and tore his bicep!! And why are you talking about a "young Dorian" when in 91 Dorian lost to Haney which had way bigger pecs, legs (Dorian couldn't even squat guess why? Cuz of fkn old injuries). Your "prime" Dorian is a fully injuried Dorian. A distended gut Dorian. A big waist Dorian. So as I already wrote, Haney never went all in, He never used gh / insuline, He never suffered from big injuries, He never showed huge weaknesses in what was Dorian's strongest part: the back, specially in terms of mass and details. Dorian had a lower attachment, but Haney had wider shoulders in terms of bone structure which made his front lat spread very wide aswell (which is the same strong point of Shawn Rhoden)
Definitely Haney. His physique + waist to shoulder ratio is second to none. Considering the preference back in that time, the judges would definitely be going for a physique like his.
Multiple O-winners like Arnold, Haney, Dorian, and Ronnie set the tone for their era. During each one’s reign, their physiques became the standard by which everyone else was judged. Haney was the apotheosis of the late-70s early 80’s look: exceptional structure, aesthetics, and presentation with lots of size and good conditioning. Dorian was the ideal of the 90’s: crazy mass, crazy hardness, with structure, aesthetics, and presentation taking a clear back seat. I’d wager if Haney and Dorian had clashed in ‘92, Haney’s reign would have continued an additional year before the Dorian look-and the mass monsters-took over the O. After Dorian won, the Arnold Classic went to the guys-like Flex Wheeler and Kevin Levrone-who in a previous era would have won the Mr. O.
If Haney had continued to compete for a few more years, I don't think Dorian could've beat him. Haney is superior in every way. Haney could've had 10 Olympias if he went for it...
Lee Haney made good gains in size especially his back between 1991 and 1992 Olympia's. Which proves he still had plenty left in the tank. I believe if Lee did the 92 Olympia he would have made the improvements necessary to hold off Dorian. Lee was genetically put together far better than Dorian, and Lee's 32 inch waist and huge back gave the illusion of being super wide. Dorian likes to tell people that in 1993 his improvements were down to not over dieting. But obviously this is nonsense. These gains were the result of insulin usage. We saw it with Nasser in 97 and with Flex Wheeler in 99. And obviously it was insulin usage that propelled Ronnie to Mr Olympia from literally nowhere. Whenever a seasoned pro suddenly makes massive gains after being on gear many year's it's usually down to insulin.
I would never doubt Lee Haney. The man was very complete. Dorian came in and changed the game, and he gets his due respect. Lee does not get his due respect. The man won 8 in a row and was never off. He is also an incredible ambassador for the sport. That said, Lee over Dorian all day.
I think had Haney trained to go against Dorian, he probably could have won 92. Haney wasn't fading from age, he was 30 or 31 when he won his last Olympia. That's basically prime years for current bodybuilders. As for 93, I'm not sure. Haney clearly had the genetics to achieve whatever he wanted, but he wasn't interested in training that hard to look like that and said himself he didn't want to train himself into injuries. You can see by his successors, Ronnie and Dorian, that it comes with a big price. Training, and gear, has come a long way since the 90's, but back then, it was all about lifting as big and heavy as you could.
Absolutely! Haney came in at 259 lbs in 1989! Imagine if he came in at that weight with his 1984 and 1991 conditioning? In fact..if Haney came in at 259 and shredeed to the bone..I think He'd have beaten Dorian in 1993 too!
Haney was never more than 248 lo, he got weighed officially at 243 in 88, go watch the footage.you telling me he added 16 lb of muscle in 1 year?get a grip.and he was rarely shredded to the bone, in 91 a 240 lb yates had noticeably larger legs than a supposed 247 lee....
@@TheLusianPopa -they weighed him 3 days before the show and he was carb depleted. And he gained fullness by the time he stepped on the stage. Yes, he was (more than 248) in more than one show. He was 259 pounds in 1989(prob about 4-5 lbs too smooth). Had he trained like a maniac..I'm confident he could have showed up on stage at 260 ripped to his eyeballs...
All credit to Lee for filling out his arms as much as he did. They're noticeably longer than Dorian's. Longer arms are harder to fill out...unless you're Sergio:^) If Lee could put another inch on them while staying in condition, lights-out.
Lee would have even in '93. His body was still maturing AND... he stated: "I finally learned how to Peak!!". So yes, he could have and he' s a friend. Shirley felt that she needed him more in the home life from what I got speaking with him about it. Now.... I worked with Weider and crew at the Mr. Olympia '92 backstage with Joe and crew. They called them to the stage, Dorian out first I said loudly #1...Kevin, I said #2. It was a toss up from there, until Ronnie who placed low for years. He came out...I turned speaking to the luminaries backstage stating: "When he gets his things in order...he's gonna do exactly like Haney did!!". Full Stop, I kid you Not!! I don't gamble but since then....I have fought the urge to consistently play Lotto!! 💯👌🏾😝😉
Because 1988 was the year I graduated high school so it stands out in my memory more and I have friends who attended the Olympia that year. The weigh-in was helda few days before the show.
Battle of the Undersized Arms Sandow Winners. (Love them both, for what it's worth.) P.S. Haney was the last of the traditional 'Y-shaped' physique Mr. Os. From Dorian on, we migrated into the X-shaped physique era. But even Haney's legs had begun the shift from Arnold. N.B. No, I'm not saying that anyone's legs are shit. Merely that the standards have changed. If you want to see how much, maybe MMM can compare Steve Reeves with Big Ramy.
I think, if Haney chose to do 92 Olympia he would've lost to Dorian. Dorian is a logical Guy. he said he used to analyse his Competitors n theirs physiques. He said in some interview lee labrada, shawn ray n vince taylor was his competition for 92 Olympia. they're much smaller than him but they could be in better condition n haney was retired at that point so No point in playing the Size game so he chose to come in light weight with equal or Better condition than his Competitors.
I disagree. Haney said specifically he said 91 was his best overall package, because he just was starting to learn his body. With that said,there is no reason to believe he couldn't have brought in an even better package in 92.
Yes. He was dwarfing Dorian in some shots and would have won in 1992. Dorian started insulin for 1993 and took a major step and would have beaten him. Then again, maybe Lee takes it as well and has his own massive growth to stay just ahead. I doubt Lee would have though but it’s fun to speculate
The reason Dorian came lighter in 1992 is because Lee Haney retired & did not need to be as big. If Lee would have competed again with the same physique from 1991. Dorian would have unleashed his 1993 form one year earlier to match Lee in 1992. Also I talked to Lee Haney in a expo in 2005, asked if he ever considered competing in 1992. He told me that winning the Mr. Olympia was dream come true & said that he never thought he would win consecutive titles for so long. he took competing year by year for each Olympia defense, never thinking about records. He knew the 1991 Olympia would be his last stand & was a family decision with his wife a year prior. Knowing this would be his last Olympia, he conjured all his will & strength to bring his best & heaviest physique at 255 lbs for the 1991 Mr. Olympia contest. Putting so much effort & training in 1991, he no longer had the competed drive & was the final decision to retire.
Back in the day the rumours were the weirders were looking for another type of champion, and Lee knew his days were numbered. So he decided to retire as champ. Lee Haney is the premiere Mr Olympia in my personal opinion.
I think, yes, Lee had made it in '92. On the other hand: I saw Lee several times guestposing and I met Dorian '92 at the german profi grand prix in Duisburg. I' ve never been so shooked by a bodybuilder 😳.
The ‘92 Olympia was in Helsinki, Finland, and I didn’t see it but according to the non weider magazines, Yates physique was basically the same as it was in ‘91, so I believe Haney would’ve won again. I emphasized “non weider” magazines because Muscle and Fitness and Flex (both owned by Joe Weider) had so called “writers” working at their publications who were complete Dorian Yates fanboys. They claimed that Yates had improved SO MUCH since his defeat to Haney at the previous Olympia and that he would have destroyed Haney in Helsinki. But virtually every other bodybuilding magazine at the time wrote that Yates looked basically the same in ‘92 as he did in ‘91.
Future topic (hopefully it wasn't covered already) - Could Arnold have won more Olympia titles in the 1970's if he hadn't given up bodybuilding before his 1980 comeback?
Cool vid, but my belief is that legends should remain in the legendary league, and I think Lee understood this perfectly. I mean he reached Legendary level and it was time to roll credits and take his rightful place in the hall of heroes and let the next legend build it's self to greatness. Forcing it to what ifs and maybe if and perhaps and stuff like that just diminishes the magic of it. I think Lee was spot on to roll credits right on top of the world, blaze of glory and Dorian followed his example and that puts them in a special class. No disrespect for any other bodybuilders, but to my mind, the fact that they knew exactly when to ride into the sunset makes these two legendary gentlemen the best of all time. Just my two cents.
6:40 Of course you must appreciate Dorian for mass, he was sick... But even here, the mass wasn't all there yet in 96, but the amount of detail on Dorian in so many places on the back, and the youthful aesthetics that a rising genetic star displays; the judges would be and were correctly in awe.
I'm an Englishman and could not tell the difference with that mimic of the queens english, its exactly how we all talk from the boarders of Scotland to land's end, my sole.
Haney was the GOAT no question Perfect balance of size, symmetry and conditioning not to mention how he was pure class as a person and the ultimate ambassador of the spot to this day
I'm surprised at how much thicker Haney's mid and lower back are. Dorian is much more conditioned in the back but it makes for a intersting comparison.
It's an open question as to whether or not Haney could have gotten better between 1991 and 1992. My guess is that his body could have but his mind perhaps would not have allowed him to push much further. Quick correction per your earlier statement of Dorian having only lost to Lee Haney. While that is true at the Olympia Dorian did lose his Pro debut at the 1990 Night of Champions to Mohammed benaziza and had also lost British championships overall in 1986 as well as the world games in the heavyweight class.
Haney was massive for that era and the last Mr. O with a classic symmetrical physique in my opinion. He saw Yates raise the bar on size and conditioning and start the mass monster era with a whole different ball game of designer steroids, HGH, insulin etc… as well as training philosophy. Haney may have simply called it a day and retired before the ‘92 Olympia because of the health risks involved to match up and defeat a guy who already gave him a run for his money at the ‘91 Olympia even though he was only 31 or 32 years of age. It was a wise decision, as he’s in great natural shape and health for his age now.
@@bobjohnson1633 whether it was 92 or 93, Haney and the rest wouldn’t have known exactly when Yates would cast his Shadow over the bodybuilding world. They just knew this relative unknown was bringing something new to the table to lay claim to the Mr O title. Haney was already literally wrestling with Yates on the Olympia stage in ‘91. He gave him a scare that no other Bodybuilder did since ‘84.
I like how sometimes you won't even give a point if ya don't feel either is doing enough to warrant the point. Also geez man hahahhaah those impressions you do! Keep it up!
Haney was the best IMO... It’s obvious the chemistry experimentation got a little wilder after 1992. Dorian pushed the limits then Ronnie took it to the extreme... Haney was my favorite he made me want to train... Dorian made you say wow that looks crazy beefed up then Ronnie made it comic book like... Dear God Cutler too he is in my top 3...
Not entirely accurate. Haney also said that after 8 Olympia wins, he had nothing more to prove and who could blame him? He also said that he wanted to put the controversy of the 1990 Olympia behind him and turn up in his best shape ever.
Lee Haney saw what Dorian was doing and realized that he wasn’t going to destroy his physique and classic lines by pushing the envelope the way Dorian did. Haney was structurally superior to Dorian but Dorians willingness to go further than anybody else is what separated him from the competition.
You fuckin kidding. Where the fuck u got that??? The fact that Haney said that after 8 Olympia wins, he had nothing more to prove. Dorian was never close to Haney and where Dorian tops is in the most controversial wins only.
Dorian was 5 pounds heavier and in better condition, he wins actually, and he stated he deliberately over dieted to compete with the smaller guys after Haney retired. He would have come in 5-10 pounds heavier if Haney did compete in 1992, he would have won convincingly, despite Haneys no doubt tremendous shape.
You have to take into account Dorian came in smaller in 92 because he knew he was the biggest competitor. Dorian focused on conditioning for 92 knowing he couldn't be out sized
@@TheBladerunner1975 yes but he could've been much bigger. He made similar gains 1991 to 1992 as he did 1992 to 1993, except that he didn't overdiet as much and purposefully decided to come in bigger. I mean look at his conditioning in '92, it was way better than '91, his face looked like a skeletor
I only wish Haney had gone on to win his 9th then maybe he would get the credit he deserves...rarely hear him in a discussion as who is GOAT...but his record indicates that he is in fact the GOAT.
I agree with most of what you said, but the front double bicep of lee is immaculate. Your judging of this pose seems a bit too tunneled on its namesake.
Fully agree.. I actually think Haney smokes Dorian in the front double bi shit - he was so much wider and that huge rib-cage and upper body just spreads out so much.. very impressive. His waist was always pretty tight as well, so the contrast is impressive as hell. Next to Flex Wheeler, Haney has my favorite double bi, all things considered. Yes his bis are weak, but there is so much else to enjoy. Unless Dorian got into Haney's head and Lee showed up too heavy to try and keep up with Dorian, I think Haney could have taken another solid win without too much effort. Haney is a class act all the way. The width, the pecs, the shape and flow of the torso - even the charisma and confidence.. just way too much for Dorian here: www.ironmaglabs.com/wp-content/uploads/lee-haney-dorian-yates.jpg
Much as I like Dorian, Lee was the last aesthetic Mr Olympia, imo. Interesting that his back was so competitive but, arguably, Lee's back was decisive in winning his titles, just like Dorian, though Dorian's conditioning + mass combo + overwhelming back set the tone going forward. Even so, imo, Lee was the biggest aesthetic Mr Olympia and his posing was art.
Dorian stated he was as big as in 93 by 92 but he dropped muscle in order to come super shredded, so this is totally hipotetical and unreal, but i was good to see pictures of them side to side with Dorians 92 physique
Dorian would have won hands down! Side tri. Dorian, crisp young and good looking. Not to mention how much more aesthetically pleasing, Dorian's chest looks.
Haney had crazy conditioning I am a big Haney fan personally I think Lee Blew out all competitors his vacuum the lats his legs were a little behind but even they were sliced and diced Lee takes the crown either way Lee with a bit more size on the quads would have won 15 titles
Lee Haney reminds me of a stretched out, taller version of Kai Greene, especially in the back and mid-section, with the super low hanging lats, wide ribs and shoulders...Kai's just shorter, and more compact, and has more mass all over (especially legs).
Lee Haney was 31 years old in 1991 his last Olympia he was just hitting his is prime but he was smart he got out before he got injured or anything and he already beat the record
I respect what modern bodybuilders go through and the dedication. But it would be such a better sport if it was all natural and about health too. It would be great to see these guys live long, healthy lives like Jack Lalanne. The classic physique guys like Lee Haney had much better looking, healthy looking physiques compared to these modern day mass monsters that just look freaky.
