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Pro Bodybuilder
Join Date: Aug 2005
Age: 28
Posts: 982
Rep Power: 62 
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This was posted by Sean Sullivan (12th place finisher) on another board... his assessment of the show
This is kind of late but I wanted to post something about my first experiance on the IFPA pro stage. First, I must give mad props to Jame's for putting on the BEST show I have ever attended. This is not just sunshine up up my friends censored.gif but is an honest assessment of the event. Things ran smoothly, for the most part on time (can't help walk-ins and late check-ins holding things up) and the stage, lighting and venue is the best I have seen. The pump room is small and crowded, but that is about the only criticisim and can find for the venue itself.
The staff did an excellent job handling all of us, and there were quite a few to be handled! With two pro events, the Fitness Modle and the normal figure and bodybuilding classes there was quite a bit going on. The expiditors were on top of everything and had the competitors lined up and read to go for each class. The head judge, Bob Gormely, has more experiance judging then anyone I know, and ran a smooth prejudging and kept things moving. The judges did there best with some tough classes and I think they deserve credit for a job well done.
I must also add that the goodie bags were about the biggest I have ever seen. I actually had less free stuff walking the Arnold expo then I did here, and I can't see how Jame's made any mony with all he gave out! The awords were Niels and that shows he spaired no expense as we all what the quality and price of Niels is. On top of that all the pro's recieved a gift bag from Gaspari that included Superpumped, perhaps the best pre-workout supplement on the market, so hats off to Gaspari nutrition on that, you now have a life time customer!
I wish I could comment on all the classes, but i missed much of the show so only a few observations. Starting with the ProFigure. I had the opportunity to spend some time with Katrina Roundtree and found her to be every bit a champion off stage as on. What an incredable physique! She was challenged hard by Melissa Gallagher and the incredably ripped Leyla Yurchick and the complete and wonderful Carla Pagle. Not to take away from any others in the class, it was tought and all were excellent, but I only really saw the end of the comparison and knew it was between these four. In the end Katrina was a deserving champion and I can't wait to see here again next year.
I missed most of the Fitness Model and Figure divisions, but the ladies I met back stage waiting for photo's were all great competitors. I also missed the most of the Novice and Masters classes at prejudging but at the night show one male Novice stood out, overall chaom Kevin Currin. This guy is a future pro and I have no doubt about that. I can't understand why he did not cross over as he would have done some damage in the open. I hope he decides to go for the pro card, because its close. In the women's the top three were excellent and were three totally different physiques. Kim Lachance was really hard, Candice Boyd symetrical and Julie Soar had muscle from head to toe! What a tough class but in the end, muscle rules as did Jule so congrats on another pro card! In the masters I have two observations, John Jackson is now the hardest I have ever seen him (and we go back to the early 90's) and ken Arsenault is a force to be reckoned with! In fact Ken has made such great improvements in two weeks that he is my odds of favorite at the GSO in NH next month! And both these guys can pose! Speaking of posing, chapter III in the Star Wars Saga was the best ever, thank you for that great preformance Jedi Hudzic! Tall Class victor Brett Oteri is back to his ripped and ready self and was the best I have ever seen him. In the short class the Toni Sortino came to be the shows only repeate champion and was ready and ripped to the bone BUT, he ran into a roadblock named Chris Zangari! As soon as Chris come on stage I knew it was over and there was our next IFPA pro. This guy had it all, and perhaps the best balance I have seen on stage in a long time. Chris congrats and do us a favor and come back next year and enter as a pro, you earned it and have the physique to represent!
Now for the pro men. I was able to get first hand impressions here, mostly because I was right there with them. I wont even bother going over the placements or who I though should have places where because these guys were darn good! How good was the line-up? Well lets see, of the pro men there were 3 Natural Mr Olympia titles, 3 Mr Worlds, 4-5 Mr Universe, around 15-20 pro shows won in fact the only rookies were myself and Chris Motil and the only bodybuilders on that stage who had NOT won a pro show were Dave Lovelace who has been top 3 in WNBF and IFPA nd Wil Usher who I know has been top 3 and is the best under 158 pound bodybuilder I know. So I will simply make random observations:
Kevin Culpeper- If you think Kevin looks big in the photo's try standing 2' away from him! Kevin was everything I thought he would be, large, balanced and had a killer back and great legs. I did not get the chance to talk to him much, but he seems like a great guy and was fun to be with on stage.
Charlie Moss- What can I say about Charlie that I have not said in the past? One of the best Natural bodybuilders I ever met and was in outstanding shape at this event. He had the best posing routine I have seen to date and he is always know as a showman! Charlie is fun to watch and fun to compete with, and is a great champion.
Moses Ajala- I was impresses with this little giant! Moses is HUGE and THICK! I have followed him for years and was excited to be on stage with him. Another quite guy, but had the best side chest pose I ever saw.
Ben Rodriquez- A NABBA USA and had the biggest calves in the show. In fact I will have nightmares of him back stage doing calf raises as he was getting ready to go on stage. I was concerned one of those puppies would blow and take out the whole venue. We will call Ben Atomic Calves from now on!
Wil Usher- Again, the best under 160 pound bodybuilder I ever saw. What a showman! I came to win the best preformance but 1 min. into the Usher routine and I gladly conceeded defeat! Wil, 5 more pounds and Rico will be having nightmares!
Chris Motil- My man Chris came to show what a rookie can do, and he did! Chris that was the best stage presance I have seen to date and you showed everyone you are a pro!
William Powell- The Yorton Champion came read to do some damage and was every bit as good as when he destroyed me for the overall at the Yorton last year. Complete from head to toe and the only guy who could challenge Rico for best glutes.
Robert Green- Class act! Yes, this guy is a champion through and through and I was perhaps most imnpressed with his physique more then any other. When Robert hits a pose it just POPS! And he can pose too! His Blade routine was great, and nice sword Robert grinning-smiley-003.gif
Earl Snyder- Earl has been a champion many times and proved agan whay. His physique was on tonight and I thought he was at his best ever. I had lots of time to talk with earl and was sad to hear he is hanging up the trunks at the end of this season. This made me happy that I decided to jump into the fray and stand next to one of my two idols in the sport of Natural Bodybulding. Earl, you rule brother, thanks for the memories!
Dave Lovelace- I actually ahd to talk Dave into doing the show. Said something to me about adding some size. Well HE DID! Up around 15 pound from last year he was huge, thick and balanced. Dave was slightly off, and I am sure he would admit it too, because of a filgut delay and not getting back to my house the night before until late. He missed meals and had to rush his prep but he made no excuses and truged out with an improved physique. can't wait till next year.
Carl Matthews Jr- If you look up Humility in the dictonary (with my spelling I should have one but don't) Carl's photo is there. This man is the kindest, most soft spoken and nicest guys I ever met. BUT, on stage he was the most intimidating physique up there! Lets get one thing stright, Carl is BIG and RIPPED! Real BIG and REAL RIPPED! In fact the shadow of his bicep made my whole physique dissapear in the posedown and forced me to retreat to the part of the stage where I felt less intimadated by brute mass (sorry Wil wub.gif ) If there is someone knocking on Rico's door right now its Carl.
Dave Goodin- Dave is the second of my two idols and it was a great pleasure spending time with him. In fact all I wanted was one call out with dave and Earl so Deb could take some photo's of that moment for me. I got the opportunity on the first call out and was right next to Dave. Of course the judges soon saw the error of there was and I was moved out of line, but deb got the photo's! Dave had a wonderful physique, was the best poser I saw and just has "IT" and no I don't mean and IT you get off E-bay. Dave's physique is one of a kind and brings back memories of Frank Zane and Lee Labrada. Dave was shredded living up to his namesake Texas Shredder. I am looking foreward to a trip the the great state of Texas in the spring and to spend more time with Dave.
Philip "Rico" Ricardo- In the USMC the biggest bad censored.gif in the company is the Gunny. The Gunny or Gunnery Sergeant as the rank is really called, is the man every Marine looks up to. Gunny is the guy who has been there and done that, and lived to talk about it. Gunny is never ****y or arrigant, takes time to teach his Marines and is a confident master of all things combat. Gunny is the real Marine, the John Wayne and Rambo we all look up to. Rico is a Gunny on active duty serving this country in the USMC. I point this out because Rico is the Gunny of the IFPA. There is no one I look up to more, no physique that inspires me more and no other bodybuilder I would rather emulate then Phillip "Gunny" Ricardo. I will make no comments about the physique, one photo will do that. Semper Fi Gunny, this Capt. salutes you sir.
To the bodybuilders I had the opportunity to share the stage with that day, I say one more thing: "To us, and those like us..... darn few left"
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