Only five days separated their births in the summer of 1973. Then, a decade ago at the 2007 Mr. Olympia, when both were primed at 34, they clashed in one of the most closely decided O’s of all time. After four bridesmaid finishes, Jay Cutler had finally succeeded Ronnie Coleman the year before.
Coming off an Arnold Classic win, Victor Martinez was hard- charging, and yet, with Ronnie returning for revenge, few anticipated a new story line. Wrong! Martinez was crisper and more classical than the wider Cutler, which earned him firsts from nearly half the judges. The champ squeaked by with a close victory, but legions cried foul, setting up an epic rematch. Fate, though, is fickle. Martinez blew out his knee, keeping him o stage in 2008 (when Cutler lost to Dexter Jackson). He was never the top contender again, leaving us to ponder what could’ve been and, maybe, what should’ve been.
