“There’s too many shows” – Jay Cutler calls for a tier-based system in Olympia qualifications
Bodybuilding icon Jay Cutler recently slammed Mr. Olympia for its length. Accusing the event's production team of keeping bodybuilders waiting for hours, he said that the show must be cut short. Following this, the four-time Olympia winner has come out to speak against the qualification criteria for the Olympia.
Cutler, who enjoyed a successful Olympia career, has now spoken about flaws in the event’s qualifications. Sharing his views on it, the veteran bodybuilder said that there were “too many shows” leading up to the event. Calling for a “fair” method, he called on the IFFB to introduce a tier-based system as a solution. He pointed out that the current method was too dragged out.
Speaking in a recent YouTube video, Jay Cutler said:
“They need to do something with the tiers of the shows. They need to have a structural tier system where, like the Arnold just counts as a tier, and not everyone qualifies. They need to go in and work their way up in tiers to qualify. Because there’s way too many shows now for qualification.”
He added:
“It needs to be fair for the international since the IFBB has expanded so much overseas now, there’s a lot of contest. I still think it should be limited to 15 to maybe 20, in that range of the best elite guys in the world.”
It is pertinent to note that competitors previously had two ways to secure an invite to Mr. Olympia. The bodybuilder could either win IFBB shows or rack up enough points to land qualification for the event. Interestingly, the points system got eliminated by the league recently. However, an increased number of qualification shows means a crowded calendar.
Moreover, competitors who have won Olympia titles as well as the top five from the Men’s Open get automatic invitations. Considering this, Cutler’s tier-based system could be the best option for the for rest of the field.
Jay Cutler calls for prioritizing Men’s Open at Mr. Olympia
Jay Cutler previously slammed the current format of the Mr. Olympia competition and called for prioritizing the Men’s Open. Reminding that it is the most popular IFBB division, the bodybuilding icon said that it mustn’t be left for last.
According to Cutler, it's unacceptable that competitors are made to wait for hours before getting on stage. He also pointed out that people wouldn’t be happy waiting late into the night to watch the main event.
Speaking on a podcast with Milos Sarcev, Jay Cutler said:
“Listen guys, let’s be honest: It’s complete bullsh** that they are sitting backstage for hours on end. Remember, what time is this? At [11 pm Pacific time]. This is absolutely ridiculous. If his [Hadi Choopan] was a little better, now granted, I guarantee sitting backstage like that was total bullsh**. This is still a f**king bodybuilding show.”
He added:
“So, I know they want to turn this into a production, and they have all these divisions, but people are coming to see the Men’s Bodybuilding. They are coming there for the Men’s Open. It should be the priority. It used to be the starting point for prejudging on Friday. If you remember, that’s how it used to be rolled out. That’s how it should have been.”
It is pertinent to note that the Open class event took place at 11 pm PT at the recently concluded 58th edition of Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend. The event, held at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, was the largest yet with over 400 competitors.