Late Saturday night, with the placings of the 17 other competitors participating in the 2008 Mr. Olympia already decided, the two men still awaiting their fate walked to center stage of The Orleans Arena. One who had been there many times before, and one who until this year never imagined he would. And in the end, after 10 years and 47 contests, Dexter Jackson finally rose to the top of the sport by toppling two-time and reigning champion Jay Cutler on the way to the biggest win of his career.
"I was praying," Jackson said. "I was undecided on if I would actually win tonight. I knew I deserved to win but I didn't think I would. This sport is full of surprises. I'm just in shock right now. I've been dreaming about this moment since I started bodybuilding. I never thought it would happen."