William Bonac hasn’t given up hope on securing a Mr. Olympia title before calling it a career. In a recent interview with Desktop Bodybuilding, Bonac brushed off retirement rumors and said he’s taking the year to come back better than ever in 2024.
As a Men’s Open pro, William Bonac has participated at the highest level for over a decade. His thick compact muscle density and work ethic were vital components to his rise as a pro. Bonac is a two-time winner of the prestigious Arnold Classic, winning gold in 2018 and 2020. While proving himself as an elite talent, Bonac narrowly missed out on winning Mr. Olympia to Brandon Curry in 2019.
Last year (2022), ‘The Conqueror’ was unable to exact revenge against Curry at the Arnold Classic and finished second. The outcome was controversial and many pros like Lee Priest thought Bonac brought the winning package. Despite the setback, Bonac returned a week later to win gold at the Boston Pro, guaranteeing his passage to the Mr. Olympia show.
He went into Las Vegas’ 2022 Olympia as a notable favorite but failed to make the first call-out. Bonac finished ninth and his teammate, Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay, also came up short in fifth, which served as one of the biggest shocks of the night. Bonac attempted the latest Arnold Classic as well but finished seventh.
William Bonac Says He Can Still Win Arnold Classics and Mr. Olympias
During the video, Bonac said he was still in the running to win Arnold Classics and Mr. Olympias as long as he takes a year off to let his body recover.
“I do for sure [think] I can win the Arnold Classic; the possibility is still there. To win the Olympia… I don’t know man, where the judges are going with the kind of physiques that they want for that. But I think if I give it my all, like the next two years, then I might have the possibility to win the Olympia. Right now, it’s just taking time off, you know, let my body recover.”
“When you compete and compete and compete, your body adjusts to the system to your supplementation and diet, so it won’t react as it normally would be. Your receptors – everything would be sensitive. So I need to get rid of that. Once I have that and that’s what I’m doing now, so I’ll need a whole year off. Once I have that, then I can come back again and everything will feel fresh, my body will feel fresh because that’s what I did in 2022 as well at the Arnold Classic.”
According to Bonac, his ninth and seventh-place finishes at the Olympia and Arnold Classic were justified. He added that the judges made the correct decision and said the outcome could have been worse.
“It was the right decision. When I look back at the pictures, I was like I look shit. You know, so yeah, you can even say you have to be happy with your placing and what you got – it could have been worse. I looked like shit. At the Arnold, I looked better. Did I deserve my placings? Yeah. The judges put me there for a reason. I’m not a guy to complain about his placings. Of course, in the past, I had some issues.”
“I’ve grown, I understand the game. So, I don’t complain when I win, I’m happy when I win, so why should I complain when I lose some? It’s a big pie, everyone can have some of it,” added Bonac. “I know what I saw, and I was like [no], people told me I should have placed higher but I’m lucky that I got that place, believe me. It’s not the physique I wanted to represent at the Olympia.”
Bonac on Big Ramy: ‘Its Tough to Be 2x Mr. Olympia & Lose Your Title All in 6 Months’
Bonac sympathizes with Big Ramy since the Egyptian native lost his title after holding the honor for two years.
“To be honest with you, if I did qualify for the Olympia, I would have probably gone to the Olympia as well. For him [Big Ramy] to go, is a good thing as well. I wouldn’t be demotivated because of his placings that he didn’t maybe expect it at the Olympia and then maybe the Arnold. It’s tough you know, to be two-time Mr. Olympia, losing your title and all just in sixth months’ time. Losing your title and placing fifth and then going to the Arnold and not even placing in the top three, it’s kind of tough to be the king and then… you know,” said William Bonac.
“I thought he looked better at the Arnold and I think at the Olympia he didn’t look that bad. We all looked — we all didn’t look perfect. None of use except maybe three guys and those three guys were in the top three, simple as that. I think Big Ramy should maybe have a rest for this time now and start his prep for Olympia and then maybe after Olympia take a rest and go forward again. We are not as young as these guys anymore.”
The last time fans heard from Bonac he discussed his future in the sport. Given the strain his body has been under, he decided to take a year off for the sake of longevity. He believes the time off is exactly what his physique needs following a busy season. Considering how illusive the Olympia title has been for him, Bonac set his sights on another Arnold Classic victory next year.
Watch the full video below:
While his time in the sport is limited, William Bonac hopes to come back stronger and more competitive in 2024.