Monday, June 29, 2015

Kevin Levrone: One of the Best To Never Do It!


Baltimore, Maryland's Kevin Levrone is my second favorite bodybuilder of all-time behind Flex Wheeler. When I began to follow bodybuilding as a teenager in the mid-90s, I would cut Kevin's pictures out of the FLEX and Muscle & Fitness magazines and hang them up on my bedroom walls. I was always in awe of his incredible size and shape; he was thick with huge round shoulders, a big wide back, full chest, a tight waist with deep cuts, massive legs, bowling ball arm thickness, and superstar charisma to cap it all of! And in a day when most competitors turn pro and then take one to three years before making a professional debut, Kevin's rookie season in 1992 saw him win three out of his five competitions and earn his first of four Mr. Olympia runner-up placings. Having won 23 contests in his 11-year career, Kevin is the second winningest professional bodybuilder behind 8-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman, which earned him a place in the IFBB Hall of Fame in 2009.

However, as illustrious as Kevin's career was, the title as Mr. Olympia was never bestowed upon him. He is what many would consider an "Uncrowned Mr. Olympia". Despite his best efforts in bringing forth an exceptional win-worthy physique, Kevin was relegated to runner-up status in the 1992, 1995, 2000, and 2002 Mr. Olympias; he definitely should have won at least three of those Mr. Olympias (in my opinion, 1995, 2000, and definitely 2002). Though he never officially announced his retirement, Kevin's last competition was the 2003 Show of Strength Championship where he placed third. Since that time, he's gone on to act in small movie roles and viral videos and manage a number of successful ventures, including the most recent launch of his Kevin Levrone Signature Series supplement line. Yep, Kevin is a busy man and doing the business of bodybuilding. He's had great success but so many of us know that his legacy would have been that much more grand had he won an Olympia title or two...or three. Let's toast to Kevin Levrone, he's one of the best to EVER do it!

(Photos below are from Kevin's 1995 Mr. Olympia appearance where he earned his second of four runner-up spots in that prestigious contest)

Marcus Langford @TheBBMBlog
Marcus Langford @TheBBMBlog
Marcus Langford @TheBBMBlog
Marcus Langford @TheBBMBlog
Marcus Langford @TheBBMBlog
Marcus Langford @TheBBMBlog
Marcus Langford @TheBBMBlog
Marcus Langford @TheBBMBlog

1 comment:

Say what's on your mind!