Lee Priest battling to defend his Australian Pro title
Written by: Michael Berg, Flex Executive Editor
MARCH 18, 2006.The prejudging rounds of the 2006 Australian Pro at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Center have been completed, with the top names of the past month mixing it up with some well-known party crashers.
Lee Priest, Branch Warren and Mustafa Mohammad - who all competed at the Arnold, while the latter two also took the stage at last week's San Francisco Pro - are vying for the title, and have been joined in comparisons with ageless Vince Taylor and Francis Benfatto, who at 48 is making a return to competition after a 12-year hiatus. Germany's Ronny Rockel, who finished third Down Under last year, is also earning top callouts, and is making the most of them with his solid
symmetry and tight V-taper.
This is the contest where Priest, the 2006 Ironman winner, is debuting his new facial tattoo - a move that has many questioning whether the tall poppy has a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock. But tat or no tat, the defending champ of the Aussie Pro is in the running to emerge victorious on his home turf again. Warren, meanwhile, who was probably considered the favorite going in with his two runner-up finishes in the last three weeks, is stirring up an apples vs. oranges debate, his unparalleled mass up against the aesthetics of Taylor and Rockel. All in all, Priest, Warren, Mohammad, Taylor and Rockel seem to be the judge's picks for the top five. Check back to flexonline later tonight for the final results as soon as the show ends
