If you witnessed the 2008 Mr. Olympia contest, you witnessed more than the champ being dethroned for the second time in over twenty years.  You also witnessed the age of the “belly” ending, once and for all!  Dexter Jackson won the title from the incumbent Jay Cutler, despite Cutler being almost forty pounds heavier than Jackson.  It was the first time in modern history that a smaller man has beaten a bigger man to steal away the title.  It sent ripples across the bodybuilding world.  Not only did it mean a reigning champion had been dethroned, but it meant that he had been beaten by a competitor much smaller than him.  In other words, the best physique won, not the biggest one.  Jackson had better lines, conditioning, and shape – even though Cutler had him beat in terms of overall muscle mass.   Class defeated mass, and it had been a long time coming.

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