Wheeling & dealing: perhaps the greatest competitor to never win a Mr. Olympia title, the now-retired Flex Wheeler is still in the Hardbody business


When Ken "Flex" Wheeler exited the bodybuilding stage for good in 2003, he left behind an inimitable legacy. Winner of 17 IFBB contests, including four Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic and five Ironman Pro titles, he placed second three times at the Mr. Olympia--in 1993, behind six-time winner Dorian Yates, and in 1998 and 1999, when he was runner-up to the man currently poised to set the all-time O win record, Ronnie Coleman.

In no way secondary to his record as a competitor, though, is the fact that to many devout bodybuilding followers, the physique Wheeler developed between 1993 and 1999 should go down as one of, if not the, greatest physiques in history.

Today, although Wheeler may have put away his posing trunks, he is still very much involved in the bodybuilding industry and has plenty of opinions on the state of the sport today, including his thoughts on Big Ron's battle for Sandow number nine and new sensation on the scene, 2006 Colorado Pro and 2006 New York Pro champ, Phil Heath. Here, Wheeler sits down with FLEX to reminisce, and, along with Fred Berger, CEO of Hardbody Entertainment, reveal his future plans with the up-and-coming company.

FLEX: What are your thoughts about Ronnie Coleman, your former nemesis, going for the all-time Olympia win record?

FLEX WHEELER: I'm just in awe of Ronnie right now. I don't see anyone out there who is a genuine threat to him if he comes in at his best. It's like a boxing match: you might be able to get some punches in, but I'm sorry, you're going to have to knock the champ out, and there has been no one close to knocking him out. I'm not saying that it won't be a challenge for Ronnie. The other guys are still the best in the world; they're all great, but there's a difference between being a part of history and making history. The Olympia contenders will be a part of history, but Ronnie Coleman will make history. That's one man's opinion, anyway.

Of course, we've always been close friends, and it was an honor to compete against him. Even when I was at the top and he couldn't even place 10th at the Olympia, we were close. Even during the controversy of '99, when I got booed for letting my emotions overcome me ... let me just clear that up. When I took my medallions off after they awarded me second, it was a purely personal thing, not directed at Ronnie and not even meant to be an insult to the judges. They put something on my neck that signified I was second best, so I was like, "Hey, I'm taking these things off my neck that say I'm number two because in my heart, I'm number one."

Of all the people who witnessed that, the only one who really mattered to me was Ronnie. I turned around to him and gave him a hug and whispered, "Hey, bro, you know that has nothing to do with you," and he said, "Man, I know it doesn't." I said back to him, "Congratulations. I love you and I'll talk to you later," and he said, "I love you, too; I'll talk to you later."

FLEX: In the years since you retired, have you gotten the urge to jump onstage again to do battle with Coleman and the rest of the guys?

WHEELER: I know in my heart that if I were the force I was before I had to abruptly leave the sport ... bro, I would have won a couple of Olympias by now--or at least Ronnie and I would be going back and forth, slugging it out, like in a brutal UFC [Ultimate Fighting Championship] fight. I have no doubt. And I have no doubt that it would be just me and him. I mean, where it's

him separated from everyone else down here on planet Earth, it would be me and him slugging it out. I don't mean to sound cocky, but I have no doubt. If you don't believe me, just go back to the old pictures and put them up against anybody competing today.

Yeah, that does stay in my mind, but am I making a comeback? No. Am I at peace? Yeah. There's a difference between thinking something and doing it. I don't want to go back up there. I'm so grateful that after all these years, people still think so highly of me. I really have the best of both worlds--being involved in bodybuilding as I am today and still being able to do an interview like this, in part because of my past involvement. I couldn't ask for more than I have today.

FLEX:Is there anyone you see on the horizon who has the potential to become the next Flex Wheeler?

WHEELER: Nah, there'll never be another Flex [laughs]. No, actually I'm a big fan of Victor Martinez. I think he's definitely Mr. Olympia material; he has the physical assets. If he pairs that with a Mr. Olympia mindset, he's going to become a force to be reckoned with.

I would say Mustafa Mohammad could be Mr. Olympia. If you look at the guy, he has no lagging bodyparts and the craziest muscles you could imagine. He doesn't have a big waist, either.

Phil Heath definitely has the potential to become Mr. Olympia. He's competed in only a handful of shows, and look at the level he's reached already. I truly believe the sky's the limit for him. Plus, he's not like most of us in the way he came to bodybuilding. He had already come from playing in a sport [basketball] at a high level, so he's used to dealing with the pressures that you find in bodybuilding, which is also a sign that he will succeed. I think it was a smart move for him to sit out the Olympia this year. To me, you go to the Olympia to win. Use the other contests for learning experience if you want, but you should go into the Olympia looking to win it all, and no one's going to beat Ronnie this year. Plus, Phil would have a tough time with guys like Jay [Cutler] and Victor and Dexter [Jackson]. So why not take some time off to learn and grow? Next year could be a whole different story for him.

I do think that once Ronnie walks away from the sport, there will be a different type of Mr. Olympia. I don't think the next Mr. Olympia will be 290 pounds. I think we'll see a more flowing-type physique. There have always been trends in the way Mr. Olympias look, and I think we're getting ready to see a new one after Ronnie calls it quits.

FLEX:I know you will be involved in the Olympia this year, not as a competitor, but on the business side. The company you're president of, Hardbody Entertainment, is the title sponsor of the weekend. What will you guys be doing in conjunction with the show?

WHEELER: We're going to make history. For the first time ever, a competitor is going for a ninth win; for the first time, one company has been able to own worldwide TV rights and be the title sponsor of the Olympia. We're having a completely open model search that will allow a knockout mom or a great-looking dad to pursue their goal of becoming a fitness model. We're looking to make this show totally accessible to as wide an audience as possible and benefit the sport as a result.

FRED BERGER: Owning the broadcast rights to the show means we'll be providing a live webcast and DVD, not to mention an hourlong piece that will be airing on ESPN International this winter. We're offering a completely new business model to the fans as far as the webcast goes. Normally, Olympia DVDs are around $40, but we're going to be doing a live webcast with video on demand. If you buy an hour of the webcast, you can purchase the Olympia DVD for only $19.95, which is unheard of in this industry. We wanted to make the Olympia affordable to the masses.

FLEX:Tell us more about Hardbody Entertainment and what you do.

BERGER: Hardbody Entertainment is a sports production company. The fitness industry is important to me, and [in July 2005] I found myself with the opportunity to join forces with Flex Wheeler, our president, who is an icon in the industry, and James Pritchett, who is our executive vice president. We got together with the idea of showing people the drive, fortitude and discipline of amateur athletes in a way they've never seen before. We're not solely limiting ourselves to bodybuilding and fitness. We have an interest in working with many different sports, but our segue into this has been the fitness industry.

WHEELER: Fred, like me, wants to help get the message out that there are many dedicated young men and women in the sport who deserve to be recognized for their efforts. Obviously, in our sport, a good deal of the spotlight has been shined on the negative. Then, when there is positive coverage, it might only be about the pros. Obviously, a lot of people know who Flex Wheeler was as a professional competitor, but not too many know about the effort it took to get there--the sacrifices that so many young men and women make every day as they strive to be the best at what they do.

We want to humanize the sport. There's a lot more to bodybuilders than just being big superhero-looking people. There's family life--husbands, wives, children--and also full-time jobs, all of which have to be carefully balanced. The dynamics of it all are often very interesting and inspiring.

FLEX: Along those lines of showing the inside story of athletes, you were filming Road to the Pros last year, following some competitors as they prepared for the NPC Nationals. What is the status of that project?

BERGER: We wound up with four athletes who did turn pro--and a good deal of amazing footage that we're currently editing into a documentary film that we plan on releasing in early 2007. It [covers] almost a year-and-a-half journey in which we chronicle competitors competing in the NPC, then pros in the Arnold Classic and the Olympia. We really have the ability now to put together a long journey that covers many athletes at different levels.

WHEELER: We have solidified coverage with ESPN International, so we will have a worldwide viewing audience, as well.

FLEX:Beyond video productions of athletes and events, do you have a game plan to expand the business further?

BERGER: Ultimately, we're trying to bring some excitement and a more positive image to the industry, and when that's in place, we'll look to bring in some mainstream advertisers. This is the kind of thing that can really bolster the sport.

Other sports, like football for example, have companies like Nike involved in promotion and advertising. There's no reason why our sport can't enjoy similar relationships, and when that happens, everyone wins.

WHEELER: Once upon a time, even Chevrolet was a sponsor of the sport. We're essentially trying to bring back a level of regalism. It's going to take a two-step process: first we want to humanize it, then we can venture out, as Fred mentioned.

When I was a kid, all I wanted to wear was Michael Jordan, Nike and Adidas, so it saddens me to see that a lot of those types of companies have walked away from our sport. If we can increase the sponsorship, we can increase the sponsorship, we can increase the incomes for the athletes. We are trying to become [a publicity] engine for our sport.

BERGER: We also have a chance, by shining a new light on the sport, to help get so many kids on the right track healthwise. Obesity is running rampant in our country. In fact, most schoolchildren today drink so much soda in a week that if you took out the sugar [from the soda ingested by one child], you could fill a Mason jar with it. We have an opportunity and a responsibility to help provide our youth with positive role models.

INTERVIEW BY SHAWN PERINE SENIOR WRITER

Source: FLEX

its my personal opinion but i think if flex would of stayed around for a few more years he would of dominated the olympia. i think we would of been watching flex and ronnie battle it out instead of ronnie and jay

Flex is a great athlet! But he had surgery so, he could not stay....

Arnold Schwarzenegger likes Flex and he said that Wheeler is the king of symmetry!

not only does arnold praise him but everyone that meets him says hes true to his fans.

I like such pictures!