Tag: 2023 New York Pro
Bob Cicherillo Calls Out Salty Fans Over Contest Results: “Leave Your Feelings at the Door!”
Bob Cicherillo is setting his sights on angry fans who disagree with judges and contest results. In a recent Voice of Bodybuilding podcast, Cicherillo laid out why the judging process is fair and accurate despite fans continually taking issue with scorecards.
Judging in bodybuilding took center stage following last December’s Mr. Olympia competition. The event served as a major shake-up for the Open class as Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay lost his title to Iran’s Hadi Choopan. The former two-time champion dropped down to fifth whereas Derek Lunsford and Nick Walker took second and third.
Immediately after the results, fans and some bodybuilding veterans criticized the judging process. Retired pro Zack Khan was among them. He believes Ramy wasn’t given a fair shot on stage in Las Vegas because the 38-year-old was sidelined for most of prejudging.
Months later, competitors gathered in Ohio for the Arnold Classic. Nick Walker entered the contest on short notice as the overwhelming favorite but lost to Samson Dauda. Once again, fans and the bodybuilding community were upset by the results.
While Chris Aceto and Jay Cutler thought Walker could have won, Cicherillo disagrees. He’s taken to multiple podcasts and interviews to explain the judging process. Even though Walker brought the best conditioning of the show, Cicherillo stressed that Dauda presented the best combination of symmetry, balance, shape, proportions, and stage presentation.
Bob Cicherillo Sounds Off On Fans Angry Over Contest Results: ‘The Judges Decide the 1st Call Out’
Cicherillo said his latest video was inspired by fans who called out the 2023 New York Pro scorecards.
“He [Brent Swanson] didn’t end up doing that well in terms of placings, he ended up in ninth place. But this isn’t about where he placed okay, it’s about a post that I saw which inspired me to want to put out on this edition of the Voice of Bodybuilding. In a nutshell, Brent’s got a couple of fans/clients I guess that do personal training from the description. We’ll get to that in a second. They put out a big long lengthy post about after show about how disappointed they were.”
Again, Cicherillo highlighted that a contest is won by a combination of factors, not just conditioning.
“Number two: he was the most shredded guy on stage, you can see it right there. What does that mean? There’s so many components to a bodybuilding show. We’ve been over this folks, over and over and over. The most shredded guy on stage… listen, that’s fantastic. If we were in the Mr. shredded competition, well he might have won the thing.
But there’s size shape, proportion, symmetry, muscularity, presentation, and conditioning, so if that was all he had then obviously, what, you’re [the fans] are 1 for 6? That’s not really helping your cause. That’s strike two,” Bob Cicherillo explained.
According to Bob, only judges can dictate who earned a spot in the first call-out.
“Earned a first call out, we believe he earned a first call out. No, no, you earn a first call out with your physique. You don’t earn a first call out because of these other accolades or because you believe he worked very hard or any of those things. The judges dictate who earns a first call out, I don’t care who you are.
If you’re a former champ, if you’re a former Olympian, I’d say that consideration only goes so far as to what you’re quote entitled to. You’re entitled to step on that stage, alright, in front of a jury of your peers, we call them judges and get compared to the guys next to you. Now, it’s all about comparisons. I don’t care if you won six Olympias, if you’re not at that level at that point if you blew your conditioning and you just weren’t in shape, you don’t earn anything. You earn it by showing up and being in contention with the other guys.”
Cicherillo highlighted that the point of the judging panel is to score shows in an impartial manner. He added that fans shouldn’t bash events because their friends were unable to win.
“You have to take these things out of consideration. When you’re objectively talking about a physique competition because the underlying [problem] here are that he was given a raw deal and that he deserved a top five call out, ‘He should have been in the first call out.’ Our hearts were broken when he wasn’t in that top-five call out and he deserved to be called out. I couldn’t disagree more.
Listen, your hearts might have been broken for your friends personally, listen, I’ve had family around me for 13 years trying to get a pro card. Trust me, their hearts were broken as much as mine. When I would go to another show, another year and come up short of a pro card. They knew how hard I worked. They knew I put 100% in every prep,” said Cicherillo.
“Check your feelings at the door! Stop bashing shows your friends didn’t win.”
The last time fans heard from Cicherillo, he gave his thoughts on the recent 2023 Pittsburgh Pro guest posing spectacle. Big Ramy fulfilled his obligation this year, but Bob thought his physique looked the same or worse than at Mr. Olympia.
Overall, Cicherillo thinks judging should fairly and objectively compare different body types. He admits the system has flaws, but he urges fans not to criticize the shows.
RELATED: Bob Cicherillo Talks Olympia TV Labeling Athletes ‘Failures;’ Terrick El Guindy Apologizes
You can watch the video from the Voice of Bodybuilding YouTube channel below:
Published: 3 June, 2023 | 9:53 AM EDT
2023 New York Pro Results and Scorecards (Live Updates)
The 2023 New York Pro is the third most important event on the IFBB Pro League calendar and will take place this weekend, May 20, 2023, in Teaneck, New Jersey. This show served as a qualifier for the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest taking place in November.
A total of nine divisions will be in attendance including Men’s Open, Classic Physique, 212 Bodybuilding, Men’s Physique, Women’s Bodybuilding, Women’s Physique, Figure, Bikini, and Wellness.
Last year’s 2022 New York Pro champion, Blessing Awodibu, will not compete at this year’s event. Therefore, a new champion in the Open class will be crowned. In addition, Nick Walker took New York Pro gold in 2021 but has opted not to compete in favor of making improvements for November.
Whichever athlete comes out on top in their division this weekend will have the opportunity to face the reigning Olympia winner of their category. As far as the Men’s Open division is concerned, fans expect Tonio Burton and ‘Beef’ Stu Sutherland to put on a show, who have both shared consistent progress photos through the entirety of their preps.
2023 New York Pro Winners
Men’s Open: Coming Soon!
Classic Physique: Michael Daboul
212 Bodybuilding: Kerrith Bajjo
Men’s Physique: Ryan Terry
Women’s Bodybuilding: Coming Soon!
Women’s Physique: Natalia Abraham Coelho
Figure: Coming Soon!
Bikini: Coming Soon!
Wellness: Gisele Machado
2023 New York Pro Results
Men’s Open
Coming Soon!
Classic Physique
Contenders from the Classic Physique division delivered an exciting contest. While Junior Javorski and Alexander Westermeir brought impressive physiques, Michael Daboul’s thin skin and conditioning were too hard to ignore. Just like in Pittsburgh, Michael Daboul walked off stage with another trophy and cash prize.
Winner — Michael Daboul
Second Place — Junior Javorski
Third Place — Alexander Westermeier
Fourth Place — Camilo Diaz
Fifth Place — Eric Abelon
212 Bodybuilding
During prejudging, fans and the judges acknowledged it was a battle between Jason Hebert, Diego Guerra Montoya, and Kerrith Bajjo. While Montoya and Hebert brought an impressive level of muscle density, Kerrith Bajjo’s deep separation in his quads and abs guided him to victory at the 2023 New York Pro.
Winner — Kerrith Bajjo
Second Place — Diego Guerra Montoya
Third Place — Jason Hebert
Fourth Place — Jose Marte
Fifth Place — Sung Yeop Jang
Men’s Physique
Ryan Terry entered this competition with a chip on his shoulder, having recently placed runner-up to Corey Morris at the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro last weekend. During prejudging and through the finals, he was pushed by Vitor Chavez and Sidy Pouye. Despite impressive efforts by the finalists, Ryan Terry’s chest and back detail closed the show.
Winner — Ryan Terry
Second Place — Vitor Chavez
Third Place — Sidy Pouye
Fourth Place — Daniel Ammons
Fifth Place — Juan Manuel Gochez
Women’s Bodybuilding
Coming Soon!
Women’s Physique
Winner — Natalia Abraham Coelho
Second Place — Emily Schubert
Third Place — Joseli Schoenherr
Fourth Place — Yuna Kim
Fifth Place — Ann Gruber
Figure
Coming Soon!
Bikini
Coming Soon!
Wellness
Winner — Gisele Machado
Second Place — Tefani-Sam Razhi
Third Place — Lili Dong
Fourth Place — Edna De Souza
Fifth Place — Daisha Johnson
Sixth Place — Carol Cantarero
2023 New York Pro Scorecards
Coming Soon!
Fitness Volt congratulates the winners!
Published: 20 May, 2023 | 6:24 PM EDT
Lee Priest Predicts ‘Beef Stu’ and Tonio Burton Will Battle for 1st at 2023 New York Pro This Weekend
The bodybuilding season marches on as competitors prepare for another busy weekend. In a recent Rx Muscle interview, Lee Priest predicted which bodybuilders are most likely to walk away with gold at the 2023 New York Pro.
Over the last six months, the Men’s Open division has changed dramatically. At the 2022 Mr. Olympia contest, mass monster Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay failed to repeat as champion. Instead, Iranian-born Hadi Choopan claimed the title after outlasting contenders Derek Lunsford and Nick Walker in the finals.
Nick Walker and Hadi Choopan at The Mr. Olympia 2021
With a new Mr. Olympia champion looking over the category, fans’ attention turned to Columbus, Ohio for the 35th annual Arnold Classic. Once again, Walker was in the running to win but was narrowly defeated by Samson Dauda.
Considering Choopan, a former 212 bodybuilder, was able to win the Open title at Mr. Olympia, some in the sport believe the division is shifting to favor shape and conditioning over freak factor. And while the season has remained somewhat quiet since Dauda’s victory, that is about to change at the sport’s third most prestigious contest this weekend.
Lee Priest Names Tonio Burton & ‘Beef’ Stu Sutherland As 2023 New York Pro Favorites
Having assessed Tonio Burton‘s physique, Lee Priest shared that he was impressed with the athlete’s shape, muscularity, and conditioning, adding that he could ‘definitely win it.’
“Yeah, I think I just saw some photos, he’s the one that has the tattoos on him doesn’t he? Yeah, I’ve always been impressed when I’ve seen him with his shape, muscularity, and conditioning I’ve sometimes seen him in.
I think he popped up on Instagram this morning he was doing a lat spread or something . Like I said, he looks great. Just the proportions and what he has, he has one of those physiques where he’s going to look so much better on stage, the illusion of the round muscles and the shape. He can definitely win it,” said Lee Priest.
Before looking at other contenders, Priest was taken aback by the lack of big names participating this weekend.
“Back in the day, remember the big names that would turn up at those shows, it was always the Olympia, the Arnold, and the Night of Champions, now the New York Pro, those were good shows and if you wanted them, they were a good win. Like I’ve said before, a lot of these pros sit out so many shows where they could fuc**ng win them if they turned up in great shape.”
Priest dubbed Maxx Charles as a dark horse given his consistent ability to enter shows with great conditioning.
“The thing about Maxx, I like Maxx, I think I’ve seen him in a few shows,” said Priest. “There’s a few shows I’ve seen him in. Like last year, where I thought he should have placed higher than he should have than he did I mean. His conditioning is generally on point. He can, like I said, it’s going to be one of those things, you don’t know till the day.”
In addition to Burton, Priest anticipates ‘Beef’ Stu Sutherland fighting for gold. He explained that Stu managed to hold his own against Hunter Labrada during a guest-posing event earlier this year.
“I could see him being, he could win or be top three easy from the names so far,” Priest shared. “Wasn’t there a guest posing a while ago where he was posing next to Hunter Labrada and he held his own.”
While some in the community had hoped for bigger names in the 2023 New York Pro, Priest believes it’s exciting because there’s no clear winner leading up to the contest.
“We don’t a lot them but that still makes it exciting like I said, because there is no clear winner. Watching this show is going to be picking the winner as well with the judges. There’s nothing worse than you go, ‘Okay the judges are going to put him first he always wins.’ Make it exciting that way. Even for the competitors too, they must know.
It sounds bad when you say there’s no big names in it, like there’s no good bodybuilders, because these guys competing are great bodybuilders. You know what I mean, back in the day, it had to be like those names, like Kevin Levrone, it was like, ‘Oh, Kevin was going to win.’ Even for the guys competing in this show, they’re probably all going in it with the mindset, ‘Shit any of us can win this.’ There’s no standout person here. It probably makes them try harder.”
Before making his New York Pro debut, Stuart Sutherland joined Fouad Abiad on a recent Bro Chat episode. He was happy there wasn’t a ‘bunch of studs’ performing this weekend and said he was feeling confident about his chances of success.
The winner of this year’s 2023 New York Pro will earn an invitation to the Mr. Olympia contest November 2-5 in Orlando Florida, where they will have the chance to face off against the reigning champion Choopan.
RELATED: Sergio Oliva Jr. Aiming for 2023 New York & Cali Pro, Fires Back at ‘Instagram Bodybuilder’ Label
Watch the full video below from the Rx Muscle YouTube channel:
Published: 18 May, 2023 | 4:05 PM EDT
Fouad Abiad & Stu Sutherland Talk 2023 New York Pro and Hassan Mostafa’s Potential
Steve Weinberger’s 2023 New York Pro takes place May 20 and Stuart Sutherland is one of the current Men’s Open favorites. In a Bro Chat podcast appearance, Sutherland, joined by Fouad Abiad and Iain Valliere, previewed the lineup expected to compete in New York. In addition, the group discussed Hassan Mostafa teaming up with Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay‘s trainer Chad Nicholls.
The two biggest bodybuilding events of the year ended with surprising outcomes. Last December, Elssbiay was unable to replicate the success he enjoyed in 2020 and 2021. He lost the Mr. Olympia title to Hadi Choopan, which quickly transformed the Open landscape. Unlike in years prior, a mass monster no longer held the crown, instead, gold was fought for by two former 212 competitors.
Attention turned to the 2023 Arnold Classic next. Fans recognized Nick Walker as the obvious frontrunner given his third-place finish at 2022 Olympia months ago. In the end, Samson Dauda won the show, which ignited more discussions about whether or not the judging process was/is fair.
Given the unpredictable nature of the category, IFBB Pro League contests have never been more exciting. The bodybuilding world will head to the east coast in two weeks for the New York Pro, which was won by Blessing Awodibu last year.
Stuart Sutherland, Abiad, Iain Valliere Talk 2023 New York Pro: ‘There’s Not a Ton of Studs Doing It’
Sutherland said he’s feeling good ahead of his New York Pro appearance. He added that there are a number of competitors making their respective debuts. While it seems unlikely, Valliere teased the possibility of a surprise entrance.
“I feel pretty good [ahead of the New York Pro]. Yeah, one of the things I’m happy about with New York, there’s not like a ton of studs doing it. Like, ther’es a lot of new guys. There’s Carlos. There was going to be Justin [Shier] but he fuc**ng bailed. There’s Nate Spear, he competed last year, it’s not his debut,” said Stuart Sutherland.
“You know, Iain is not going to show up and just sweep the floor with us,” said Stu.
“Maybe I am,” teased Valliere.
“Yeah, you know there’s a chance for a lot of us to kind of show our faces and get recognized there, that we wouldn’t have at another show. You know, with just somebody who is just the odds-on guy to win,” said Sutherland.
Valliere said he’s excited as the show will serve as an opportunity for lesser-known bodybuilders to receive attention. Stuart mentioned a few names like Sergio Oliva Jr who were initially interested in the contest but later opted out.
“It makes it exciting for me. You see the dawn of a new crop coming up. Like you said, there’s no Olympia top five guys in there, where everyone is just talking about one singular person; it makes it interesting. It gives the opportunity for some guys to be seen and talked about and get their moment in the sun,” Valliere said.
Sutherland hopes to find success on the New York Pro stage in a few weeks. He recently guest posed in the company of Labrada and held his own.
“We’re inside of three weeks out and I still don’t know of everyone that’s doing it. I have a list with a white board where I try to keep a list and track it. Sergio might jump into it if he can make it over here.”
Fouad Abiad & Valliere Discuss Hassan Mostafa Now Working with Ramy/Bonac’s Coach, Chad Nicholls
Fouad Abiad and Iain Valliere confirmed that Hassan Mostafa is now working with Chad Nicholls. While competing actively, Fouad said Nicholls had him use substances with anti-estrogen qualities.
“I heard some horror stories about his preps previously about how low he went with food and everything. Then, he started working with AJ and he looked the best he ever looked,” Fouad Abiad said.
“He’s working with Chad [Nicholls],” said Iain Valliere. “He looks good right now though.”
“I don’t know – AJ is really big on anti-estrogens and that – that would scare me off, I mean it worked,” said Stuart Sutherland.
“I don’t think it will be a drastic difference. He’s a little bit like Chad. I don’t think it will be a drastic difference. Chad’s pretty big on – well he was when I worked with him, anti-estrogens too. I think the benefit to someone like Hassan working with Chad, is Chad is very extreme in his diets, and it works for somebody like Hassan because Hassan has so much muscle, he can afford [it]. Yeah, if he drops a couple pounds of muscle while he’s getting shredded, it’s not going to hurt his fuc**ng physique at all,” said Abiad.
Stuart said he doesn’t like the side effects caused by anti-estrogen drugs despite their utility.
“It’s not like the anti-estrogen thing doesn’t work, it just feels horrible,” replied Sutherland.
The last time fans heard from Fouad Abiad outside of his Bro Chat podcast, he joined seven-time 212 Olympia Flex Lewis for an honest conversation about his health. According to Abiad, he’s been suffering from extensive kidney damage and fears he’ll be on dialysis by the time he’s 55.
RELATED: Iain Valliere Breaks Down 2023 Arnold Classic, Says 212 ‘Has No Case’ For Sticking Around
Fans will get their first taste of what’s to come in the Men’s Open division next week at Jim Manion’s 2023 Pittsburgh Pro, where a star-studded lineup is expected to guest pose, featuring: Nick Walker, Derek Lunsford, Samson Dauda, Hunter Labrada, and Shaun Clarida.
Watch the full video below, courtesy of the Fouad Abiad Media YouTube channel:
Published: 4 May, 2023 | 2:13 PM EDT
Sergio Oliva Jr. Aiming for 2023 New York & Cali Pro, Fires Back at ‘Instagram Bodybuilder’ Label
Legacy bodybuilder Sergio Oliva Jr. is slowly inching his way back into competition after taking a brief hiatus. In a Bodybuilding University YouTube video, Oliva Jr. opened up on his comeback plans, criticized fans labeling him an ‘Instagram bodybuilder,’ and shared his thoughts on the future of Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay’s career. Being the son…