Its time for one of the biggest weekends of the year in the IFBB Professional League, and judging by the numbers this weekend, the NY Pro can’t get much bigger. A record number of IFBB competitors – 110 to be exact – will the stage in Men’s Bodybuilding, 212 Men’s Bodybuilding, Figure, Bikini and Men’s and Women’s Physique.
With that many different physiques on stage there are sure to be some surprises in store, but here’s an early look at how things could shake out.
WHAT: IFBB New York Pro Championships
WHERE: Tribecca Performing Arts Center
FOR MORE INFO: Go here
SCHEDULE
Prejudging: 11 am EST
Men’s 212
Men’s Open
Women’s Physique
Men’s Physique
Figure
Bikini
Finals: 6 pm EST
Women’s Physique/Awards
Men’s Physique/Awards
Men’s 212
Women’s Figure/Awards
Men’s 212 Awards
Men’s Bodybuilding
Women’s Bikini/Awards
Open Men’s Awards
MEN’S BODYBUILDING
The marquee names are a blend of old, new … and newest. Old as in 11-year pro Johnnie Jackson, who – despite turning 42 this year – showed no signs of slowing down when winning the FIBO Power in Germany on April 21. If that version of JOJ shows up this weekend, he’ll be very tough to beat. But Jackson slipped up a week later at the Mr. Europe Grand Prix when placing second to Michael Kefalianos, and if he can’t come in at least as good as he did there he’ll be hard pressed to claim the third win of his career.
The X-Factor here is third-year pro Cedric McMillian. The mercurial McMillan had everyone raving when he won the overall at the 2010 Nationals, but he’s yet to match what he brought to Atlanta in the pro ranks. Despite winning the Europa Orlando Show of Champions a year ago, McMillan looked like a shell of his former self. In precontest photos, McMillan looks like he’s regained what he lost last year, but precontest photos don’t mean anything come show time.
As far as the newest, there will be no shortage of next-generation talent making their professional debuts. 2011 NPC USA overall winner Steve Kuclo headlines a field that includes 2011 NPC North Americans Overall winner Juan Morel and 2011 NPC USA Heavyweight champ Jon DeLaRosa. All three are under the age of 30, so this should be the first of many memorable meetings to come.
2011 Amatuer Olympia Sami El Haddad will also make his pro debut and could contend for a spot in the top five.
212 MEN’S BODYBUILDNG
Jose Raymond may be the defending champion in the lighter division (Raymond won the 202 and under class here a year ago), but there’s no question as to who’s the favorite coming in – three-time 202 Showdown winner and three-time NY Pro 202 and Under winner Kevin English.
English, a New York native, will have the hometown fans on his side, but he’ll have to come in much sharper than he did when winning the 202 Showdown last fall, where he was far from his best. Whether that slip up was just that or a sign that the 39-year-old is on the decline remains to be seen.
Raymond, as always, will be thick and conditioned. He’s coming off a win at the Optimum Classic last week and would like nothing more than to knock off English in his hometown and establish himself as an early frontrunner for the 212 Showdown in September.
FIGURE
It’s not often you get to see two of the best in the sport square off midway through the season, but that’s exactly what will happen when Candice Keene and Ava Cowan meet up on Saturday. Unquestionably the No. 3 and 4 competitors in the world, Keene and Cowan have flip flopped in their last three contests. Who’s 3 and who’s 4? Depends on how you look at it. Cowan took third at the Figure Olympia to Keene’s fourth, while Keene took third at the Sheru Classic and the Figure International to Cowan’s fourth.
Heather Dees, much improved from a year ago, placed fifth at the Figure International and could push either or both should they miss the mark.
Monica Specking and Candice John are each coming off wins in the past two weeks – Specking at last week’s Optimum Pro and John at the Pittsburgh Pro on May 4 – and should also be in the mix.
BIKINI
It looks to be a repeat of the Pittsburgh Pro two weeks ago, with the entire top three making the trip to New York.
India Paulino enters the odds-on favorite after her win in Pittsburgh and her runner-up finish at the Bikini International in March, with Pittsburgh runner-up Jamie Baird ready to take the No. 1 spot should Paulino falter. Baird keeps getting better, as evidenced by her two wins last year and back-to-back 4th place finishes at the sport’s biggest contests, the Bikini Olympia and the Figure International.
Yeshaira Robles (3rd Pittsburgh Pro) is climbing fast, while Julianna Danielle and Abby Burrows should also push for spots in the top 5.
WOMEN’S PHYSIQUE
It’s the fourth WPD Contest of the year, and, with 29 competitors, the largest lineup to date. The only confusion with the division so far is why some are still confused as to what the judges are looking for when the division’s guidelines have been spelled out for over a year:
“While all types of physiques will be considered when it comes to height, weight, structure, etc. Excessive muscularity should be scored down accordingly. Women’s physique competitors should have the overall aesthetics and look that is found in figure with a little more overall muscularity.
These words can be helpful to assess what should not be descriptive to the physiques being judged in women’s physique: Ripped, shredded, peeled, striated, dry, diced, hard, vascular, grainy, massive, thick, dense.”
With those guidelines in mind, look for Gillian Revielle, Marlina Echohawk and Michelle Blank to contend for the top spot here. Reville has competed in two of the four WPD contests so far this year, placing 3rd at the Desert Muscle Classic in February and 2nd at the Europa Show of Champions last month. Echohawk finished 2nd at the Desert Muscle Classic, while Blank, a former fitness competitor, placed 2nd in her Women’s Physique debut at the St. Louis Pro in March.
MEN’S PHYSIQUE
Can anybody stop Mark Anthony Wingson? Not yet. Wingson has won the last two MPD contests, the Pro Grand Prix on April 14 and the Europa Show of Champoins on April 27-28.
Collin Humphries has tried twice, and he keeps getting closer. Humphries placed 3rd at the Pro Grand Prix and 2nd at the Show of Champions.
Eddie Baird, coming off a 3rd-place finish at the Show of Champions, is also one to watch.
COMPETITOR LISTS
