2010 Iron Man Blog

10th place Johnnie Jackson
9th Marcus Hailey
8th Mark Dugdale
7th Mohammed Bannout
6th Eddie Abbew

Top five to follow

Check out Bodybuilding.com’s full contest coverage from this competition right here.

2009 IFBB Iron Man Pro Check out the results from the 2009 IFBB Iron Man Pro contest here. [ View 2009 IFBB Iron Man Pro Results]

Competitor 27 is El Matador, Silvio Samuel. This i SIlvio’s show the crowd go nuts before he even steps onstage, his conditioning i second to none, skin is paper thin, his lower back is insane. I do beleive he will take this show with straight firsts. Posing to some hip hop, he is relly working the crowd.

The final competitor is Japans Hidetada Yamegishi, his comeback after his prison ordeal last year looks to firmly in tha past, not as think as he was, but he has improved the balance and symmetry he possesses, and it is looking like he is going to grab and Olympia qualification

Contestant 23 is Daryn Lytle. He poses to hip hop music. He has a nice pleasant physique but to dsmall to make it high in the pro rank. But with more years and size he will be a good beat for the top.

Contestant 24 is Cesar Mendible, He poses to Madonna and some Queen, a big man, but not ready to break the top ten tonight.

Competitor 25 is Evginy Mishin posing to a version of Excaliber, he seems to holding some water in the back compared to this morning, with soe more mass and better conditioning he could be in the top ten.

The 26th competitor to take the stage is Mr Symmetry himself, Ronnie Rockell, alot drier than prejudging, he has brought his A game to fight for that second place spot, which he could very easily do.

Competitor 19 is Rusty Jeffers. He is posing to dramatic music  from the Conan and as always elegant and classic. But unfortunately his shape does not do him right. He is way to soft.

Competitor 20  is The big Swede Martin Kjellstrom. He has come to the show with great condition. He is bigh as a house and start waking up the audience. With more thickness on his upper body and he can do some damage,

Competitor 21 is Marc LeVoie. He si posing to rock version of Excalibur. HIs leg is too thin to his upperbody.

Competitor 22 is Don Long. He starts off with soft music and with soft moves, He poses elegant to the Prince. But unfortunately he can’t match many of the other contestants condition.

Competitor number 16 is none other than Abzilla himself, Ahmaid Haider who is making a return to the stage after a lengthy layoff. His posing as usual is very classic, his physique is balanced, symmetrical and he is sharp, and could even snag himself and Olympia qualification.

Competitor 17 is the comeback story of the year, injury slain, Marcus Hailey, coming out to some slow song, posing really nicely to the flow of the music, he is alot tighter than prejudging. Breaks into to some hip hop, he tearing the house don with some old skool break dancing. Very entertaining.

The 18th competitor to take the stage is Johnnie Jackson, who recently had a baby girl, well his wife Rebeca did, the worlds strongest bodybuilder has dried out some since this morning, but he is not in hs usual condition, and I think will siffer in the placing. Traditionally he never starts the season well but alway ends it with an Olympia qualification, so watch out for him to do some damage later this season.

Competitor number 12 Tamer El Sahat, has nice asthetic physique, posing to some classical music, he is displaying his physique to his best potential. He needs som more mass to be competitive on the procircuit.

Competitor number 13 is Russia’s Oleg Emelyaniv, posing to some European techno metal, that is techno mixed with some Rammstein. Not aking full effect of the energy of the music, physique wise he has dried out since this morning, but not enough to have an effect on his placing.

Competitor 14 is Labanon’s Aiman Faour, the big man has made little differance in his physique since prejudging, posing to choir style version of "nothing else matters" got the croud going.

The 15th ahlete to take the stage is DeShaun Grimez, posig to some lively hip hop, he has tighten considerably since prejudging, but his back is still super soft. From the front he looks like he could do some damage, but here in the Pro’s, it doesnt cut it.

Competitor 8 Omar Decker is coming in to theatrical music. The beat changes to hip hop and show off his size.

Competitor 9 Constanti Demitriou.  Poses to dramatic music. same shape as this morning. Nice physique but could be tighter.

Competitor 10 Mark Dugdale starts off with heavy rock and has dried off a lot since this morning which could pull him into top 5. Awesome chest.

Competitor 11 Moe El Massowi. He looks like he has soften up since this morning. The posing is not the greatest.  Gets better when music change.

4th up is Mohammed Bannout, making his pro debut, this guy is shredded Andreas Munzer style, his calves ar a little funky, things that make you go hmmmmmmmm. Posing to Usher he is getting the fans going, much like his Uncle Samir Bannout.

5th up we have Thomas Bengali, posing to some classical Italian opera, posing is very dramatic and classical, very pleasing physique in certain poses, but his weaknesses show up in others, should he fill out…………………WATCH OUT!!!!

Competitor number 6 is Ad Cherry. e is better condition then this morning but still not good enough.  He is posing to hip hop music but need to get more energy to wake the audience up.

Competitor 7 is Fidel Clarc . Trying to get the peoples attention. Have a big smile on his face and flow elegant through his poses. I think he might have had a few drinks in between the rounds:-)

First up is former British Champion Eddie Abbew, looking tighter than this morning, which should help him out in the final placings, posing to some nice R&B but doesnt flow too well as he poses.

Second up fomer Swedish Champion, Ardleivsky, some more R&B has tightened up since this morning, poses well, but the music is mealry background noise.

Third up is Troy Alves, this grandfathers upper body is looking as good as ever, but legs have not tightened up since thi morning. Using some good R&B he is showing the younger athletes how posing should be done

The finals started with the usual honor guard and the playing of the National anthem, followed by a history of the Ironman by MC legend Lonnie Teper, who has showed great strength by being presant tonight, after the passing of his mother earloer this week. May she rest in piece.

The first winner Shawn Ray has just stepped onstage followed by 5 time winner Flex Wheeler, 4 time champion Chris Cormier, 2003 Champion Jay Cutler, 2004 Champion and current Mr Olympia Dexter Jackson, 2008 winner Phil Heath and are being honored by Ironman magazine boss John Balik, and have been presented with comemorative custom made jackets.

After watching the prejudging this morning, it is evident who is placing in the top 3. However the remaining memebrs ofthe top 6 are much closer.

In first place I have "El Matador" Silvio Samuel, his conditioning at this show surpases even that of his last Olympia appearance. Saying that he is shredded is an understatement.

Second place I have Mo El Moussawi, bigger than last year but his conditioning is gonna make him suffer in the placing this year. His back is lighter, and needs to thicken his back to the standard of those awsome guns.

Thrid place, Ronnie Rockell, probably the most symmetrical physique on stage, everything you could ever want in a bodybuilder, but unfortunatley he is lacking in the condition department.

Placing’s 4 through 6 are far more difficult to compare, in fouth place I have Hidetada Yamagishi, not as thick as his last showing but also has taken control of that disendended stomach he had. Conditioning is good and could keep him in line for an Olympia qualification. Fifth place I have decided to go with Ahmed Haider, a very similar structure to Hide and nailed his conditioning too.

Pulling up the rear of the top six I have the ultra shredded Mohommed Bannout, nephew to former Mr. Olympia Samir Bannout, he could place as high as fourth, but we will wait and see how this turns out, as 4th 5th and 6th are extremely close.

Seventh place I have Mark Dugdale who I had predicted to be in the top five, however his conditioning is not what it was and the extra size is gonna be his achilles heel. The 202 shows are ripe for the pciking with this guy.

Eight place I have Eddie Abbew, looked like he was gonna make it into the top 5 at the begining of prejudging but faded too much as the show went on.

Ninth place tenth I am torn between Troy Alves and Marcus Hailey and Johnny Jackson, none of whom have brought their A game. It will be interesting to see how it all turns out tonight!!!!

Peace In Da Middle East
Bian The Bull

There were concerns early on that the lineuip wouldn’t be as deep or as spectacular as in past years because, let’s be honest:  1) Who wants to diet over the holidays? (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years), 2) Who wants to hold their conditioning for the 6 weeks between the Ironman until the Arnold?

So some may say it’s because of these reasons that the Ironman lacks ‘Starpower’ (Phil Heath, Gustavo Badell, Toney Freeman), but the Arnold is also missing some big names this year (Jay Cutler, Dexter Jackson).  

Bob Ciccerillo has suggesting that hosting the Ironman the week AFTER the Arnold would be better/more conducive for the athletes, because it’s easier for bodybuilders to hold their conditioning for one week versus six. If the Ironman was held the second week in March (the Arnold is being held the first week), then it would give the most athletes the most opportunities to compete in the most shows.

Before we start, one must take note of the ALWAYS consistant and amazing lighting and stage set up. The show is known for lighting. Also, this is one of the most diverse shows in terms of having international competitors. We have bodybuilders from Lebanon, Italy, the UK, and obviously, the US. There are 28 competitors in total. Another interesting thing to note is that there years ago, there was a huge uproar and to-do about there not being enough callouts at this competition. That CERTAINLY was not the case this time around. Sandy Rinally did a great job of doing A LOT of call-outs, and chances are, no competitors will complain about getting too many comparisons.

**Note: The competitors that come in Top 5 qualify for the Mr. Olympia competition.  

First callout:

Moe Elmoussawi – Top 3 last year at the Ironman. 9th finish at the Olympia in 2008. Definitely going toe to toe with Silvio Samuel for conditioning. He’s added some size, which may not result in a better overall package. Great shape and symmetry. Best arms in the show.

Silvio Samuel – 2 pro wins. His low point was placing at this competition last year. Conditioning is not an issue at all. He’s not very far off from his Olympia look.

Hidetada Yamagishi – 1st Japanese Bodybuilder to compete at the Olympia. This was his first competition 3 years ago. Great return to the stage. Amazing conditioning. Glutes, hams and lower back are awesome. Really shredded. This year, he had a new trainer (Charles Glass), new gym (Gold’s Venice) and new training partner (Silvio Samuel), and clearly, it’s made a difference.

Ronny Rockel – Definitely in the top 5. Tremendous physique. Great thickness, no glaring weaknesses, awesome shape. Much sharper than he was at the Olympia. One of the most complete competitors in the line up.

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In no particular order:

Johnnie Jackson – He’s definitely in contention. Not at his 100% best, but still good enough to beat others. Will be interesting to see his muscularity and size compared to Silvio and Moe’s conditioning.  Immediately starting dieting right after the Olympia competition. Historically, he hasn’t brought his A-game to the early part of the year. His back is a little soft.

Eddie Abbew – Looks good. Light in the legs. Has come down in size a bit. Nailed his conditioning. Placed 3rd last year.

Oliver Adzievski – First US contest. Best outing so far. Conditioning has been brought up.

Troy Alves – His 24th competition. Doesn’t have one pro show win yet.  Not the best Troy Alves we’ve seen.  Has placed as high as 3rd, twice. Great upper body and V-taper. Very soft and watery lower body.

Mo Bannout – Cousin of Samir Bannout. Amazing conditioning. Amazing V-taper. Has a little bit of problem with his colouring. He’s not as thick as some of the other competitors, but his conditioning takes over.  Striated glutes.  His lower back needs more thickness. Great most muscular.

Thomas Benagli – Very detailed. Great colouring. Conditioning is good.

Adorthus (AD) Cherry - Actually made his pro debut as last year’s Arnold Classic. He didn’t do as well as he could have, but it gave him experience. He’s gotten a better feel for the stage. His shape is amazing. Tiny waist, great sweep, round muscle bellies.

Omar Deckard – One of the biggest bodybuilders out here. Definitely one of the giants. HUGE biceps, his upper body has never been a problem. It’s the lower body that needs to catch up. Is learning how to dial himself in better.

Constantinos Dimtrio – Great shape. But should be competing in the under 202 class because it’ll be hard for him to hold his own against the Big Boys.

Mark Dugdale – The long awaited return.  Brought his weight down, between 213-219. His strength is the overall balance to his physique. In 2007, he was 2nd in this event. In 2008, the judges did not like the new, heavier version, and as a result, he didn’t have a great competitive year. This is a much better version. The lines in his lower back display excellent conditioning. He could easily be a dominant force in the under 202 class. He has the type of physique where if he adds a couple of pounds, it looks like a lot of pounds.

Tamer El Shahat – Only IFBB appearance was at this show 3 years ago. Very marketable look. Good physique.

DeShaun Grimez – 2007 USA Heavyweight Champion.  Competed at least years Arnold. Conditioning is much better than last year’s . He has put on some muscle, and improved his condition A LOT since last year. Probably a darkhorse of the competition.

Ahmad Haidar – Abzilla. Great size, shape, and symmetry. Feathered quads. 8TH Ironman appearance. He looks good. He’s almost 40. During his time off, he needed to bring up his back thickness and work on his condition. It looks like he’s only done part of the work.  Got tighter as prejudging went on.

Marcus Hayley – Took the year off because of injury. He and his trainer say that he’s the best he’s EVER looked. Good condition. Legs have come back. Not GREAT shape, but pretty decent.

Rusty Jeffers – Great conditioning, great lines. He’s holding a little water, looks a little smooth. Muscularity and separation are still there. Needs to improve condition a little.

Martin Kjellstrom – 4TH years at a Pro. Alrighty qualified for the Olympia in the Romanian Grand Prix. Striated glutes and hams.

Don Long – Vanished for a couple of years. Triumphant return. Great conditioning. Needs to better control his abdominals.

Check out over 250+ pre-judging pictures at:

http://contest.bodybuilding.com/gallery/contest/7882/event/1/site/1/

If you didn’t get a chance to watch the show, the webcast replays will be available soon. I will keep you all updated.

Myron Mielke’s review of the show will be done in the next hour.

WW

Thats the end of the prejudging and its looking like Silvio Sammuel has taken this show with straight firsts. with everyone else playing catch up, they will be back on stage here at the LA convention center at 18:30 and Brian Bullman and Marika Johansson will be giving the play by play of the finals