The 2010 IFBB season kicks off in Phoenix, Arizona next weekend (Feb. 20) with the IFBB Phoenix Pro promoted by Stryker X (who'll be appearing on Heavy Muscle Radio Monday Feb. 15). The top athletes in our sport not only get their first opportunity to hit the stage, but also their first opportunity to qualify for the Mr. Olympia. The show features Men's Bodybuilding, Men's Under-202, Women's Bodybuilding, Figure, and Fitness in what promises to be a great weekend in the warm, dry, air of the Arizona desert.
Currently, there are 25 registered men bodybuilders, and below you'll find my analysis, assessment, and prediction of how they'll do come Saturday night.
Melvin Anthony won the Atlantic City Pro in 2008 and finally proved he could pull it together to win the big show; however, 2009 was not a great year for the "Marvellous" one-- he failed to nail the dry, hard, conditioning he needed to find himself among the sport's upper echelon. If Melvin does his homework this time around, his graceful structure and smooth posing might just land him in the winner's circle.
Troy Alves has to be the hometown favorite in this lineup. At 40+ years old, this veteran finally won his first pro show at the 2009 Orlando Europa Show of Champions. While under the tutelage of Chris Aceto, Troy seems to be getting better with each showing and from the photos we've seen so far, I expect Troy to easily crack the Top 3. If his Phoenix residency and crowd favorite status pulls any favor with the judges, a win here would not be out of the question.
Tarek Elsetouhi won of the IFBB Arnold Amateur show back in 2008 and then turned pro. Since then, he's wasted no time making himself known in the pro ranks of the IFBB. Tarek took 8th last year at the Europa Super Show, 6th at the NY Pro, and 6th at the Tampa Pro in both 08 and 09. He's, once again, working with Master Guru Chris Aceto and is sure to bring incredibly shredded conditioning to the stage in Phoenix. If his back has come up and he shows us that dry conditioning we know he's capable of, Tarek can easily place top 5 or higher.
DeShaun Grimez, Chris Aceto's third pupil in the show, was the 2007 NPC USA Champion, but he's had a disappointing run in the IFBB to date. From the look of his photos, he's added some serious size in the offseason. If Aceto can get Grimez into the shape he displayed at the USA 3 years ago this guy could turn into the darkhorse danger of the contest.
Making his first professional appearance since turning pro at the 2008 NPC National Championships (where he won the Heavyweight Class), Mike Liberatore has been working hard for well over a year now to add the necessary size to stand onstage with the likes of Toney Freeman, Quincy Taylor, and Troy Alves. Coached by Rx Muscle's own Dave Palumbo, we know that Mike will show up peeled to the bone. Combined with his beautiful structure and classic lines, we could very well see "The Liberator" qualify for the Olympia his first time out!
The biggest man in the lineup, Quincy Taylor, turned pro at the 2001 NPC USA Championships and has competed in 2-4 pro shows a year ever since (with the exception of 2009), including two showings at both the Olympia and the Arnold classic. He is a big dude with a tremendous following of loyal fans. If Quincy brings the shredded level of conditioning he promised while appearing on Heavy Muscle Radio 2 weeks ago, look out! Big Q could be as high as 1st or could finish out of the top 5. His destiny rests in his own hands!
Hidetada Yamagishi has competed in no less than 18 IFBB pro shows since 2006. Had he not gotten arrested in 2008 he could easily have set a new record. "Hide" (pronounced Hee-dey) is a crowd favorite and Japan's only active IFBB Pro. He continues to improve at almost every contest and he's placed as high as 2nd last year at both the Atlantic City Pro and the Orlando Europa Show of Champions. According to Hide, this is his show to win. Look for the Japanese juggernaut to be a top contender for one of the 3 coveted Olympia berths.
Toney Freeman is wasting no time this year looking for his first win of the season to add to his growing resume. The "X-Man" has to be the favorite going into this show based on his string of pro victories and past top 5 placings at both the Arnold and Mr. Olympia contests . While he has tons of size, symmetry, and beautiful lines, Toney is one of those guys who must come in shredded to the bone to win the big contests. The challengers in Phoenix are way too tough to leave anything to chance and if Toney isn't peeled, he might just blow a show he's expected to win rather easily.
The Women's Bodybuilding Division is shaping up to be hotly contested event with top Olympia contenders jumping into the mix to get some much-needed momentum going into the Ms. International 2 weeks later and to snag 1 of the 3 Ms Olympia qualifying births that'll be up for grabs.
Yaxeni Oriquen has to be considered the favorite going into this show having 1 Ms Olympia (2005) and 2 Ms International (2002, 2008) titles under her belt. While she's failed to bring her best conditioning to the stage these past few years, Yaxeni has oodles of muscle and a world champion structure to her credit. If she brings the level of conditioning that won her the 2008 Ms International, she'll be virtually impossible to topple in this lineup.
Betty Pariso, the true veteran in this lineup at over 50 years young, probably has the most momentum of any competitor in Phoenix. Last year, she won the IFBB Pro show in Tampa, she placed 2nd at the New York Pro, and she finished a very impressive 6th at an extremely difficult Ms Olympia contest. If Betty brings her trademark ripped conditioning with those massive cannonball delts, she could easily find herself in the winner's circle. Even if she's a tad off, I don't see her finishing out of the top 3 in this contest.
My final pick to round out the top 3 at this contest is IFBB 
Rookie Pro Zoa Linsey. A Canadian by birth, Zoa lives in Japan where she runs a gym on a military base. The 2008 IFBB North American Champ has one of the most impressive new physiques to hit the pro ranks since Heather Armbrust turned pro at 2006 NPC USA. Possessing both size and symmetry, if Zoa can duplicate her shredded conditioning from the North America, she might just upset this veteran field of champions.
While Oriquen, Pariso, and Linsey seem to be the favorites going into Saturday's Phoenix show, we can't discount veterans Gayle Moher, Jeanie Paparone, Colette Nelson and Dena Westerfield or newcomers Akila Purvis and Diana Stanback.
The first show of the season is shaping up to be a battle packed with some well known veterans, rising stars, and hungry rookies. Stay tuned to RX Muscle for up-to-the minute updates, LIVE Play-by-Play, and complete contest coverage and wrap ups. You'll find all the contest results right here and you'll find it first. See you in Phoenix!
