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Kevin Levrone, the uncrowned king of Mr. Olympia, turned 60 on July 16, 2024, and received a lot of love and wishes from his fans. But there was a special wish that caught everyone's eye.
1991 Arnold Classic Champion and IFBB Hall of Famer Shawn Ray also shared a recent image with the Uncrowned Mr. Olympia on his Instagram account. The IFBB Hall of Famer wrote:
"Wishing the Maryland Muscle Machine, @kevinlevrone a very Happy Birthday today!"
The duo had a whole lot of history together in their prime when they used to compete in the same division and fight with each other to win the Sandow Trophy.
However, none of the bodybuilders managed to lay their hands on the Mr. Olympia title, but they gave some legendary bodybuilders a good run for their money. Levrone held the most number of Pro wins until the entry of eight-time Sandow Trophy winner Ronnie Coleman into the bodybuilding industry. Mr. Olympia's official page posted a video from 1994 Mr. Olympia in 2023 to showcase the duo's iconic performance.
The 60-year-old former bodybuilder and Ray even participated in one of the 1994 Mr. Olympia, as fans remember it as one of the historic blunders. The uncrowned king, Ray, and Dorian Yates were the top three contenders in the show. Yates won the title that year, and Ray secured a silver trophy, but the Maryland Muscle Machine was placed third. Fans didn't agree with the decision to this date.
This is just the beginning of the duo's competitive career together. Ray even called out Levrone's decision to make a comeback in the year 2016.
Ray's shocking comment on Levrone's comeback after many years of retirement
The Uncrowned Mr. Olympia retired after the 2003 Mr. Olympia after securing the sixth rank, and after 13 years, he decided to make a comeback. In 2016, in an interview with Generation Iron, the IFBB Hall of Famer made a bold comment on Levrone's comeback. He said:
"It's a foolish mistake. I think it's a foolish mistake um I think he's underestimating the talent that is there even though it's not the Hall of Fame quality that he once competed against um he's not Lou at 43 years young coming back after a 17year layoff." (2:56)
As Ray highlighted, the 60-year-old former bodybuilder made a mistake, and the Maryland Muscle Machine placed 16th in the 2016 Mr. Olympia. The seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath dominated the stage with his exceptional performance and won the title.
However, despite all these controversies and bold comments, the duo shared an iconic bond and ended their beef like other bodybuilders. Now they often wish each other well on their achievements and birthdays.
