Saw this posted by DC and I agree..
My take on Pro Ironman--I look at the pictures online and it always tells a much different story than what you see in person--I mean its a simple as standing in a relaxed front position and having a picture taken and then standing in a front relaxed position and blowing out your air and crunching your abs (the first picture will tell a different story to the people on this board viewing it than the second) but people will make final observations on that first picture
1 Dexter Jackson USA 5 5 5 5 20
(I was not at prejudging but from my eye Dexter was second place)--unbelievably even and symmetrical if not just a slight bit off top form (slight)
2 Lee Priest Australia 10 10 12 12 44
I had him third. Amazing posing routine because he can do poses others cant and look incredible. Arms as everyone knows were outrageous. Legs looked harder in the front than pictures show online, back looked pretty damn amazing in double bi shot--hams, glutes were smoother then Dexters and it seemed to separate them as they were very closely matched from the front
3 Gustova Badell Puerto Rico 35 16 14 14 79
Ill tell you this is the guy who I believe should of won the show--again I wasnt at prejudging but if your talking symmetrical, ripped, shredded aesthetic muscle mass here it was. Nothing is lacking, every pose looked strong--I think he should of took this show and was beaten on name value. I thought he matched or beat Dexter and Priest in every pose and I feel if those 2 household names werent in front of him--this show was his
4 Ahmad Haidar Lebanon 19 20 23 21 83
Unbelievable midsection and intercostals---looked incredible --about the best competitor in a show youll see in forth place
5 Craig Titus USA 17 25 20 24 86
hard and cut--did not look very pleased with this decision--incredible triceps--its all in his genetic makeup but his chest really seems to hold him back against the top 3--If you look back at his old pics circ 95 his chest did not look as flat as it does now--I know he has gotten away from the seriously heavy heavy chest training (500lb push benches) that he used to do back in the day and probably rightfully so due to injury precaution but it did look like that kind of training had his chest up
6 David Henry USA 26 32 30 88
good god watch the hell out for this guy David Henry--Derik Farnsworth mentioned to me at the Expo that he looked awesome and he sure did. Give this guy a little bit of time to add to his quad size/sweep and a slight bit more size and he is going to dominate. I cannot believe thats the same guy I saw 2 years ago--He looked incredible--awesome build. I can honestly see him winning this show and being top 5 in the world like Dexter if he continues to improve like he is doing, no doubt about it.
7 Johnnie Jackson USA 35 35 36 106
Round as all hell, traps almost hit his ears, roundest pecs in bodybuilding since Nimrod King, just a little off here and if he comes in dialed is a threat to any show
8 Bob Cicherillo USA 39 45 43 127
Much larger than Ive ever seen him, like Priest he can do some poses that make others look lanky (like X shots with arms and legs wide), everything is all there for Bob, his hamstring size has come up dramatically, he is lacking nothing really--he just needs to come in drier, and shredded to the bone-maybe even sacrificing a lil size to get there and he is one of the top guys
9 Idrise Ward-El USA 43 40 49 132
Idrise has a physique to me that looks largely genetic and lacking seriously heavy ass training, he is round and has a great build and his potential is there to do great things, he just needs to be a little bit larger and get a real dense look to him (ala Johnnie Jackson and big Ron) which only comes from some heavy slag iron. He was in pretty good shape, just needs to get hardcore
10 Ronny Rockel Germany 45 52 54 151
Big quads, was very hard, just needs to bring that upper body up to match (and he is getting there)--he and Lee Powell almost looked interchangeable--they came out right after each other and you could hear the crowd mumbling "is this the same guy?"
11 Jason Arntz USA 56 53 55 164
Hard as nails, I agree with others that the side delts have to subside a little bit because in his side poses and back poses, its really noticeable. Looked great and the only big fault you can find on Jason really is that his arms seem to lose size as he puts them up into a double bicep pose (and this is only in comparison to his other outstanding bodyparts) ala outstanding thigh sweep. Hanging by his side or in side triceps poses the arms look fine but they fade a little when he puts them up. If he ever catches the arms up to the rest of him he will jump up many many places
12 Lee Powell England 72 59 62 193
Honestly as interchangeable with Ronny Rockel as you can get--very very similiar builds
13 Paul Baker Jamaica 67 68 71 206
Big as all hell, has arms that are enourmous, got to get those quads up a lil (you can tell im getting hungry at this point because my answers are getting shorter--LOL)
14 Mohamed Amouti Lebanon 72 1 67 210
Big man 279lbs onstage--Was in pretty damn good shape and could of gotten some higher placing
15 Rod Ketchens USA 73 72 69 214
Best shape Ive seen him in personally, Symmetry is a lil off, holds water in his back like Nasser does
so there you got it--I thought Gustavo Badell should of taken this show, I know nothing about the guy, didnt even give him a second thought as competitors go, before walking into the audiotorium but in my eyes that was the winner (sans prejudging)
My training partner and I were discussing on the way home the following after seeing Big Ron at the Expo--just like when lets say a good amateur guy locally sees a good pro and thinks "wow thats beyond me, I dont think I can get to that level" its got to be the same when other pro's see Ronnie, because he is so beyond everyone in muscle mass its ridiculous. I dont get shocked much in this sport anymore after being to so many shows and seeing so many different people but good god everytime I see Big Ron, its mindboggling how a human being can have so much muscle mass on him
My take on Pro Ironman--I look at the pictures online and it always tells a much different story than what you see in person--I mean its a simple as standing in a relaxed front position and having a picture taken and then standing in a front relaxed position and blowing out your air and crunching your abs (the first picture will tell a different story to the people on this board viewing it than the second) but people will make final observations on that first picture
1 Dexter Jackson USA 5 5 5 5 20
(I was not at prejudging but from my eye Dexter was second place)--unbelievably even and symmetrical if not just a slight bit off top form (slight)
2 Lee Priest Australia 10 10 12 12 44
I had him third. Amazing posing routine because he can do poses others cant and look incredible. Arms as everyone knows were outrageous. Legs looked harder in the front than pictures show online, back looked pretty damn amazing in double bi shot--hams, glutes were smoother then Dexters and it seemed to separate them as they were very closely matched from the front
3 Gustova Badell Puerto Rico 35 16 14 14 79
Ill tell you this is the guy who I believe should of won the show--again I wasnt at prejudging but if your talking symmetrical, ripped, shredded aesthetic muscle mass here it was. Nothing is lacking, every pose looked strong--I think he should of took this show and was beaten on name value. I thought he matched or beat Dexter and Priest in every pose and I feel if those 2 household names werent in front of him--this show was his
4 Ahmad Haidar Lebanon 19 20 23 21 83
Unbelievable midsection and intercostals---looked incredible --about the best competitor in a show youll see in forth place
5 Craig Titus USA 17 25 20 24 86
hard and cut--did not look very pleased with this decision--incredible triceps--its all in his genetic makeup but his chest really seems to hold him back against the top 3--If you look back at his old pics circ 95 his chest did not look as flat as it does now--I know he has gotten away from the seriously heavy heavy chest training (500lb push benches) that he used to do back in the day and probably rightfully so due to injury precaution but it did look like that kind of training had his chest up
6 David Henry USA 26 32 30 88
good god watch the hell out for this guy David Henry--Derik Farnsworth mentioned to me at the Expo that he looked awesome and he sure did. Give this guy a little bit of time to add to his quad size/sweep and a slight bit more size and he is going to dominate. I cannot believe thats the same guy I saw 2 years ago--He looked incredible--awesome build. I can honestly see him winning this show and being top 5 in the world like Dexter if he continues to improve like he is doing, no doubt about it.
7 Johnnie Jackson USA 35 35 36 106
Round as all hell, traps almost hit his ears, roundest pecs in bodybuilding since Nimrod King, just a little off here and if he comes in dialed is a threat to any show
8 Bob Cicherillo USA 39 45 43 127
Much larger than Ive ever seen him, like Priest he can do some poses that make others look lanky (like X shots with arms and legs wide), everything is all there for Bob, his hamstring size has come up dramatically, he is lacking nothing really--he just needs to come in drier, and shredded to the bone-maybe even sacrificing a lil size to get there and he is one of the top guys
9 Idrise Ward-El USA 43 40 49 132
Idrise has a physique to me that looks largely genetic and lacking seriously heavy ass training, he is round and has a great build and his potential is there to do great things, he just needs to be a little bit larger and get a real dense look to him (ala Johnnie Jackson and big Ron) which only comes from some heavy slag iron. He was in pretty good shape, just needs to get hardcore
10 Ronny Rockel Germany 45 52 54 151
Big quads, was very hard, just needs to bring that upper body up to match (and he is getting there)--he and Lee Powell almost looked interchangeable--they came out right after each other and you could hear the crowd mumbling "is this the same guy?"
11 Jason Arntz USA 56 53 55 164
Hard as nails, I agree with others that the side delts have to subside a little bit because in his side poses and back poses, its really noticeable. Looked great and the only big fault you can find on Jason really is that his arms seem to lose size as he puts them up into a double bicep pose (and this is only in comparison to his other outstanding bodyparts) ala outstanding thigh sweep. Hanging by his side or in side triceps poses the arms look fine but they fade a little when he puts them up. If he ever catches the arms up to the rest of him he will jump up many many places
12 Lee Powell England 72 59 62 193
Honestly as interchangeable with Ronny Rockel as you can get--very very similiar builds
13 Paul Baker Jamaica 67 68 71 206
Big as all hell, has arms that are enourmous, got to get those quads up a lil (you can tell im getting hungry at this point because my answers are getting shorter--LOL)
14 Mohamed Amouti Lebanon 72 1 67 210
Big man 279lbs onstage--Was in pretty damn good shape and could of gotten some higher placing
15 Rod Ketchens USA 73 72 69 214
Best shape Ive seen him in personally, Symmetry is a lil off, holds water in his back like Nasser does
so there you got it--I thought Gustavo Badell should of taken this show, I know nothing about the guy, didnt even give him a second thought as competitors go, before walking into the audiotorium but in my eyes that was the winner (sans prejudging)
My training partner and I were discussing on the way home the following after seeing Big Ron at the Expo--just like when lets say a good amateur guy locally sees a good pro and thinks "wow thats beyond me, I dont think I can get to that level" its got to be the same when other pro's see Ronnie, because he is so beyond everyone in muscle mass its ridiculous. I dont get shocked much in this sport anymore after being to so many shows and seeing so many different people but good god everytime I see Big Ron, its mindboggling how a human being can have so much muscle mass on him