Mr. Olympia 2019: Top Contestants for This Year's Competition

Saturday's 2019 Mr. Olympia contest is a difficult one to call, with the two previous winners not competing in Las Vegas.

Shawn Rhoden is the current champion after unseating seven-time winner Phil Heath last year. However, Rhoden has been barred from competing after American Media LLC revoked his eligibility following sexual assault allegations.

Rhoden turned himself in to Utah police on July 23 and pled not guilty to felony rape, object rape and forcible sexual assault charges, according to TMZ.

Heath also won't be competing after releasing a statement to say he's working on other projects, per Jonathan Salmon of Generation Iron.

Here's a look at some of the top competitors to keep an eye on in their absence.

Dexter Jackson

The 2008 champion is among this year's top dark horses, and if there ever was a time for the 49-year-old to bag his second title, this would be the year.

A five-time winner of the Arnold Classic, Jackson finished second at the Mr. Olympia as recently as 2015. He had to settle for seventh place last year, but he did win the Tampa Pro this year. His 29 IFBB titles trump every other competitor in history, and the veteran knows every trick in the book as far as posing goes.

William Bonac

Bonac is last year's Arnold Classic winner, and he has been remarkably consistent in the last few years. He took fourth place at last year's Mr. Olympia behind Rhoden, Heath and Roelly Winklaar, placed second in this year's Arnold Classic and won the Arnold Classic Australia.

One of the shorter competitors in the field, Bonac stands out for the amount of muscle he can put on such a small frame, as well as his balance.

His midsection has been the one area holding him back, and there are some questions regarding his decision to part with his trainer during the summer, per Generation Iron:

Bonac seems a safe bet to place in the top five, and this could be the year he finally captures the top prize.

Roelly Winklaar

Winklaar beat everyone but Heath and Rhoden in last year's competition, but he has struggled in 2019. He finished in fifth place at the Arnold Classic, carrying some poor conditioning into the contest.

The Dutch Beast has some of the best features in the field, with a tremendous midsection and shoulders. If his conditioning is on point, he should place in the top two, but that conditioning remains a question mark.

Brandon Curry

After winning this year's Arnold Classic, Curry is among the top picks to win this year's Mr. Olympia.

He has been steadily building up his form and physique, taking fifth place last year and improving from there.

Conditioning has long been one of his strengths, but the American also brings awesome size and balance to the table.

Even in a full-strength field, Curry would have been among the favourites. With Heath and Rhoden out of the competition, the title appears his for the taking.