by Christian Duque
More and more outlets are speculating that 4x Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler may be doing the 2023 Masters Olympia. Some believe the former Mr. Olympia and multi-year Arnold Classic champion is eying the big $10,000 check. There’s any number of things Jay could do with that kind of money, from getting his cars washed to stocking up on dog food. The prospect of taking that giant check to his local bank might be enough for him to endure the sixteen weeks of eating bland egg whites and chugging sugar-free Tang. But seriously, Jay is a millionaire who commands a lion’s share of fans all over the world, and makes big money on a variety of ventures, which include top level sponsorships. There’s no way he is hurting for money and definitely not the chump’s change he would make by doing this competition. So that’s definitely not the reason, but still a funny way to start the article.
No one has talked any kind of trash about Cutler, either, and he remains one of the most well-liked Mr. O’s of all time. If he competed, it wouldn’t be to shut anyone up. In other words, he wouldn’t be coming out of retirement to put any haters in their place. We have seen this happen before with guys like Arnold and Frank Zane, or the many critics who thought Kevin Levrone could never come back after a decade from the stage. This would not be a comeback fueled by shutting people up. If anything, the entire bodybuilding world would love to see the four time champion return. So if he came back, it would not be as a response to any sort of negativity. If anything, it would be music to the ears of countless fans that have been clamoring on the message boards, Facebook groups, and gyms all around – from locker rooms to weight sections, hoping that Jay would come back and show the current crop the way it was done back during the Coleman/Cutler era.
More than likely, however Jay is just getting ready for his 50th birthday and that birthday happens to coincide with the Masters Olympia. I know that a lot of people do not want to chalk it up to something as simple as that, but that would be my guess. That being said, if he is in tiptop shape, right around the time the competition takes place I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t throw his hat in the ring. While the prize money sucks and he certainly doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone, it would still be a pretty good marketing opportunity for his many sponsors, including his own supplement line. And that I think might be a situation too tempting to resist. There is no better marketing than marketing centered around a champion that makes a successful comeback. And that brings me to my next point, Jay’s legacy.
If Jay was going into a competition, facing fierce resistance, the likes of which included Victor Martinez, Dexter, Jackson, or Dennis Wolf, then I think he might not be so interested. The reality of the matter, however, is that there aren’t any really big names doing the competition. With all due respect to my friend Hidetada Yamagishi, who just recently threw his hat into the ring, there really aren’t any big names doing the Masters O. And while Hide was very competitive in the 212 and also did open shows, he was never in the same elite level as Jay Cutler. Even at 100% and again, with all due respect to the greatest bodybuilder from Japan, I don’t think that he could hold a candle to a 4x Mr. Olympia and a 3x Arnold classic Champion like Jay, who comes out of retirement and who puts it all on the line after so many years off the stage.
Because that’s another thing, Jay Cutler was never a bodybuilder who took shortcuts or half-assed it. If Jay comes back, even though he may not be facing fierce resistance, he has his legacy to keep in mind. He must bring a quality physique that would do right by his past look. No one takes his past accomplishments more serious than him. After all, we’re talking about a competitor who took runner-up four different times to the G.O.A.T. and never gave up. He kept coming back, better and better!! When you’re dealing with that kind of driven athlete, there simply aren’t very many guys who can hold their own next to him, much less beat him.
I don’t know if Jay is coming back at the 2023 Masters Olympia, but if that’s the case, everybody better make way for the champion. Absolutely no one is beating him and you heard it here first!
