Karl Andersson, AKA ‘Carlito’, Tops Largest Field Ever at West Coast Classic
Karl Andersson is his name, and hard-core muscle is his game. The nickname is “Carlito’ and, unlike the Al Pacino character in the 1993 flick, this version was alive and well at the end of the night.
A 5’6”, 198-pounder, who originates from Sweden, Carlito had an auspicious contest debut as he dominated the open lightheavyweight class, and the overall as well, to become the latest NPC BMR West Coast Classic bodybuilding champion in an event that saw a record 230 competitors sign up (326 counting crossovers).
Based on photos and video’s I had seen of Andersson prior to the show, he wasn’t at his best when he took to the Ingalls Auditorium stage on the campus of East Los Angeles College on June 28. Which is kinda scary, actually, since, this cat had so much beef, he was still the chief when all the judges votes had been tallied. As in unanimous.
Carlito knocked off (get it?) an all-time best Rick Salazar to win his class in the open, then finished ahead of division winners Tommy Rojas (SHW), Cruz Medina (HW), Matthew Johnson (MW), Abhiniv (Elephant Boy) Jain (LW) and Joshua Ferrer (BW) to leave the Monterey Park, CA venue with the grand prize. Keep an eye out for this 26-year-old freak; just imagine what he would look like in prime time condition—and a few posing lessons. Remember, it was his first show.
