Pro/Am Contests Blog

Check out Gary Phillips awesome finals pictures at:

http://contest.bodybuilding.com/gallery/contest/7902/site/2/

Congrats Kai on another well deserved win!

WW

By: Craig Lucas

After having our eardrums broken by the fireworks, Tony Doherty introduced the competitors to the crowd and we were soon ready for their routines.  There was a very good vibe in the venue with everyone eager to see the local Aussie’s take on the likes of Green, Freeman and Samuel.

CON DEMETRIOU.

Con posed to a classic Aussie song – Back in Black by AC-DC.  He got a good response from the locals and was sort of the forgotten Aussie tonight with two new Aussie Pros making their debuts.  Con looked a lot more relaxed than last year but still needs to work on his stage presence and condition.  Con’s one of the nice guys in Aussie bodybuilding and all of Australia wishes him luck as he lives his dream.

TONEY FREEMAN.

Toney had on a flashy pair of banana yellow trunks and posed to an up-beat funky song.  He got the hips swinging and gave the crowd what they paid for – entertainment!  With his beautifully balanced physique he is able to pull off any pose in the book and even threw in the old “belly-roll” pose.  He received a great response from the appreciative crowd.  He looked fantastic for a 40+ competitor.

RUSTY JEFFERS.

I was really looking forward to seeing Rusty’s routine and he didn’t let me down.  He opened up with a Frank Zane vacuum pose followed up by his classic Archer pose.  He posed to A Space Oddity 2000 and captivated the audience.  His fabulous ¾ kneeling poses were a sight for sore eyes.  He then chose a completely different piece of music and continued on with his classic posing, even throwing in a “hooter bounce” which the crowd loved.  The routine absolutely rocked and the big crowd let him know it.  That ‘porn-star moustache is an absolute ripper.  Come back any time Rusty.

MICHAEL KEFALIANOS

Michael walked out like he meant business and certainly looked the goods in his first Pro show.  He hit some very nice lunging poses and fired the local crowd up by hitting Most Muscular pose after Most Muscular pose.  Michael’s muscles are thick and round and he looked fantastic tonight.  He has four kids and a wife and only recently was driving cabs in Greece for a living.  Well done Michael, you’ve come a long way mate.

OSCAR DEXTER

Thankfully he got his color right for the night show, it was terrible at the Pre-Judging.   He looked 100% better for it and came out full of confidence.  He was quite popular with the crowd and has a great future if he can pack on some more size.

GRANT PIETERSE

Only 23yrs of age, Grant is a beautiful smooth poser.  He can only improve with age but today he will obviously struggle.  I like his look and shape, he is well balanced and if he can master his condition and continue to grow then he will be one to watch in the future.

IVAN SADEK.

The crowd favourite was on next and big Ivan brought the house down as he entered the stage.  Posing to a classic operatic tune that he probably borrowed off his mate Luke Wood, Ivan’s posing was slow and deliberate and he gave his fans plenty to cheer about.  He then amped things up with a hip-hop tune and had the crowd clapping along while he posed.  He looked great for his Pro debut and certainly doesn’t lack size.  Once he refines his physique a bit more he will look even better.  Well done Ivan, you did us proud tonight.

SILVIO SAMUEL.

Silvio dedicated his routine to the ladies, which drew laughter from the audience.  He got funky for the crowd and showed of his striated glutes and lower back, oozing his way through his routine, hitting some nice kneeling and lunging poses.  He looked great tonight and earned his second place.

KAI GREEN.

Kai is an amazing natural mover; he makes every pose look easy.  He brought his unique handstand poses to the show and got his hips thrusting to the delight of the crowd.  Kai’s condition was amazing with every pose he showing off his amazing detail.  The crowd went ape-**** when he finished and gave him the biggest cheer of the night.  He was extremely entertaining and his incredible physique and unique posing routine was the highlight of the night.  He was an easy winner.

TOP 5.

The top five were called out in numerical order:  Freeman, Kefalianos, Sadek, Samuel and Green.  This is exciting news for us Australians as it means that either Michael Kefalianos or Ivan Sadek will qualify for this year’s Mr Olympia!  As the norm for an Aussie Pro show, the competitors went out into the crowd after the posedown and mingled with the fans.  We are indeed fortunate to see these guys close-up - thanks fellas.  The Melbourne fans are the best in the world and really appreciate the opportunity to get close-up photos of the worlds biggest and best bodies.

RESULTS

1st – Kai Green
2nd – Silvio Samuel
3rd – Toney Freeman
4th – Michael Kafalianos
5th – Ivan Sadek
6th – Oscar Dexter
7th – Rust Jeffers
8th – Con Demetriou
9th – Grant Pieterse

Congratulations to Kai on his second win in two weeks and a big congratulations to Michael Kafalianos who has now qualified for the Olympia.

The Austrailian Pro is happening as we speak, so check out photos and see who the contestants are and what the results are when they come right here.

By: Gary Phillips

Melbourne turned on its best winter weather for this year’s Australian Pro Grand Prix.  It was a grey and wet day which made all of us glad to get inside and prepare ourselves for the biggest and baddest bodies on the planet.  This is the ninth Aussie Pro Show run by IFBB super-promoter Tony Doherty.  Tony puts his nuts on the line every year for the Aussie bodybuilding fans and this year he brought some of the highest-ranking competitors to our shores.  Well done Tony - we appreciate your passion and efforts.  Today’s Pre-Judging crowd was one of the biggest ever and is testament to the popularity of Pro bodybuilding here in Australia.

1. Con Demetriou.    Con has a nice shape about him.  He looks good in the compulsories with his back standing out as his best bodypart.  I have seen Con’s abs harder than today and he still needs to work on his hammies and calves.  He looks better today than he did at this show last year.

2. Toney Freeman.    Toney looked massive as usual and has one of the best looking Front Bicep poses in the business. The rest of his poses are pretty good too.  The crowd seemed to like him and showed plenty of appreciation for his Most Muscular pose which was dry and hard.  He will be in the money today and was in the first call-out with Kai and Silvio.

3. Rusty Jeffers.    This is our first look at Rusty and he is in the mould of your classic old-school style bodybuilder.  He moves beautifully and is a pleasure to watch.  Rusty is in pretty good nick and should do well today.  His Archer pose was fabulous and was very popular with the crowd.

4. Michael Kefalianos.    First time Pro Michael Kefalianos has just come off a fifth placing at the Arnold Classic and by the look of things he will finish in around the same position today at his first ever Pro comp.  He brought his Xmas tree with him today and is nice and thick through the back with a strong Side Chest pose.  His chest looked shredded in his Most Muscular pose.

5. Dexter Oscar.    How tall is this dude!  He reminds me a bit of Rolf Mueller with his tall physique.  He could do with a coat of tan and a bit more oil, but his condition is nice and dry today. He will need more muscle thickness to compete with the top three but he has got the most out of his physique with his dry condition.

6. Grant Pieterse.   Grant has a tidy shape but will need a lot more size to compete with the Pros.  His condition was a bit smooth today but he holds his poses really well.  

7. Ivan Sadek.    The crowd went nuts when Ivan came out – he is definitely the crowd favourite.  It was great to hear the support that this local boy received for his first time on the Pro stage.  Ivan has plenty of size and looked right at home among the experienced Pros.  His Most Muscular pose was brutal and hard as was his Side Chest pose.  Despite his size, Ivan needs to remember to flex all of his muscles when he is posing.  He forgot to flex his legs in most poses and this could be the difference between him and our other local boy Michael Kefalianos who appear to be vying for 4th and 5th place going by the call-outs.

8. Silvio Samuel.    I didn’t realise how short Silvio was but it will make no difference to how he fares today with he and Toney Freeman fighting it out for 2nd and 3rd placing.  Silvio has lovely full round muscles and his waist looked tiny in his Front Bicep pose.  He had veins all over him and his legs looked fantastic in all his side poses.  Silvio is very professional on stage and has obviously put plenty of time into his presentation. His glutes were striated and his Most Muscular pose was thick and hard.  I would give him the nod over Toney today, but I’m a crap judge so don’t take my word for it.

9. Kai Green.    Kai was a real favourite with the crowd and didn’t disappoint us with his amazing physique.  He’ll take home first prize today with a leg in the air.  His back detail, back width and back thickness is mind-blowing!  The way he moved from one pose to another was entertaining in itself.  The oohs and aahs that he received from the crowd was proof that he was the man to beat and his incredible detail and thickness had the crowd spellbound.  He is simply too good today.

Photos will be up soon, so check back and we will keep you posted on the results and photos

The Australian pro pre-judging is going on right now.  Stay tuned for updates.

According to local Aussie Lee Priest, he thinks Kai Greene, Silvio S and then Toney biased on what he saw yesterday.  

More updates soon.

WW

Check out David Robson’s preview of the show!

David Robson’s 2009 Australian Pro Grand Prix Preview!
By: David Robson

With Kai Green, Toney Freeman, Moe El Moussawi, and Silvio Samuel battling it out for the top three spots, along with the inclusion of several lesser known professionals, the 2009 Australian PGP will offer something for everyone. Date Added: 2009-03-13

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/robson_2009_auspgp_preview.htm

Pics coming right after pre-judging and finals.  Pre-judging starts in about 2 hours…

WW

Here is a list of who is competing:

http://contest.bodybuilding.com/results/7902

Previews and more coming soon.  

WW

Check out the finals pictures at:

http://contest.bodybuilding.com/gallery/contest/2822/event/1/division/18/site/2/

The top 6 posedown:

http://contest.bodybuilding.com/gallery/contest/2822/event/1/division/18/tag/7/

Let me know what you think about the new ‘compare’ photos side by side.  Go to the results page:

http://contest.bodybuilding.com/results/2822

Click on 2 boxes to the right of the competitor and click compare. Ex.

http://contest.bodybuilding.com/compare/contest1/2822/event1/1/division1/18/contestant1/1/contest2/2822/event2/1/division2/18/contestant2/5/

Soon after we work out all of the bugs, it will link to various contest of whatever competitor.  

Full Australian pro coverage at:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2008ifbbauspgp.htm

let me know if there are any problems.

WW

Ok so I went to the Australian pro today. it was the second year in a row i had been to the show and i was looking forward to comparing the two.

I must say this years show was better than last years. if you look at the top 6 it could almost be the top 6 of any show other than the O.

My critique of the athletes…

Sala Ibrraheim:
now this guy im pretty sure is Moe Mossaoui’s cousin. at only 24 years old and an IFBB pro hes done pretty well for himself. he was fairly dry and had a solid upper body but obviously lacked the size to shake things up.

Sala Ibraham.

his legs were the downfall of his physique as they dont match his well developed upper body.

Toney Freeman:
the X-man came to the show looking large but in the morning he looked a bit soft even though he eventually placed 4th i had him around 5 at prejuding. but toney redeemed himself at the nightshow by coming in much harder and dryer not to mention having an excellent routine which the crowd absoloutley loved. this guys physique is great its what bodybuildings all about. unfortunatley he missed out on an olympia qualifaction. for the record he was very approachable and very polite, a nice dude all around.

Oliver Adzievski:
one of the imports from Sweden and apparently a past national champ. he had poor condition probably the softest in the show. his back has little taper also. one of his redeeming features is his excellent chest development which complimented many of his shots.

Con Demetrious:
After being given a pro card after winning the IFBB nationals late last year Con got his first taste of the pro ranks tonight. i spoke with Con on Thursday and he said after spending time at the arnold amature competition he fell ill which hindered his prep for this contest.

Con Demetrious.

He still looked great but didnt have the real hardness that he needed to get compared with some bigger names. His strong points are his arms and he presents them well. he was a crowd favourite. i felt he looked better at the prejuding and softened up at the night show.

Melvin Anthony:
Melvin was talking the whole day. On stage he would rev up the crowd and yell a few jokes and at the expo he posed for the fans photos and shared a couple of stories which made it very difficult to buy anything from him but it was worth the wait. i cant praise his physique or his personality enough, also his stage presence was excellent and he was thick as a brick. after a disapointing place at the anrold Melvin said he dropped 7lbs for this show. his condition stayed roughly the same throughout the show but it got slightly better as he posed on stage. his posing was a cut above the rest giving a combination of classic shots combined with his trademard break dancing. he presented himself so well you didnt want to blink in fear of missing somthing.

Bola Ojex:
i had never heard of this guy before but hes from Nigeria. his physique was nice but lacked overall size and development throughout. i think he looked better at the prejuding as he softend slightly for the nightshow.

Michael Kingsnorth:
another New Zealand Pro. this guy was ripped and had a captivating routine that the crowd loved.

Michael Kingsnorth.

his upperbody was hard as nails but he lacked leg size. hopefully more of his routines in the future.

Jaroslav Horvath
this guys Front double Bicep was really amazing. he tapered out so nicely. but when he his the ab shots there were obvious murmers through the crowd. his separation was fantastic in the abs. best shots were Front double bicep, rear lat speard and back double bicep. small legs were his downfall and he could have been a bit harder.

Troy Alves:
i was wrapped that i got to see and meet troy today. in the morning at prejuding he looked a bit soft in the legs but as he went on he got harder and harder. this continued through to the night show until his chest was practically popping out of his front lat spreat. the legs hardened up a bit too. classical posing got huge cheers from the crowd. we love troy in australia

Ronny Rockel:
From the front this guy is amazing. from the back its a different story his hams, glutes and back were soft which was unfortunate because he has one of the thickest and best physiques onstage but he failed to capitalize on it.

Ronny Rockel.

hopefully he can bounce back with a good showing next year. routine was a bit flat and didnt get the crowd going to much.

Sergey Shelestov:
this guy was massive yet retained very nice lines. looked really good from the back. hams glutes and quads all go well together with his great back depelopment. once he gets his condition down a little better toney freeman better watch out.

Moe Mossaoui:
so i finally got to see what all the hype was about. i understand now this guy is so THICK. really low lats and long peaked biceps add to the illusion. his excellent thickness and condition made him a crowd favourite and the crowd would have supported the decision if it went the other way with him and melvin. his condition was the only thing remotely close to dexters.

Martin Kellstrom:
martin was the big dissapointment for me this year. after a great showing last year he came in today a bit softer than last year.

Martin Kjellstrom.

he did look better at the night show but it was too late. considering he was peaking for this show it is disappointing.

Oscar Dexter:
this guy had a thick chest and good shoudlers. he has a good structure and will continue to add muscle as the years go on. if he can bring up his legs he will keep getting better and better. the crowd loved his routine

Dexter Jackson:
a tiny little frame combined with huge amounts of muscle give dexter jackson an amazing look. his condition was soo much better than last years. he really brought it to the table this year tonight we saw dexter at 100%. i think he looked best at prejuding but held most of it to the nigtht show. nobody held a candle to dexter tonight. Dex was in a good mood as he is on a winning streak. i have to give him props for coming all the way down to australia when he clearly doesnt need to go for the money or olympia qualifactions i think hes just doing it for the fans. and he said he will be back next year to break Cormier’s record and win 4 Aus Pro titles.

1. Dexter
2. Melvin
3. Moe
4. Toney
5. Troy
6. Ronnie

the judges did very well as this was a very close line up and was of a much higher standard this year. It was hard to pick.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=106360521

Candid pics now online!

http://webcast.bodybuilding.com/fitshow/2008australianpro/pics/candids/index.htm

Dexter wins again!

Check out the top 6 at:

http://contest.bodybuilding.com/results/2822

WW

Our contest database is having some issues right now, so I had to batch it using Photoshop.

See it here first:

http://webcast.bodybuilding.com/fitshow/2008australianpro/pics/index.htm

WW

Head IFBB Pro Judge, John Tumann and his fiancé, Lisa Schlichter are in Australia now for the pro show. Lisa has been kind enough to take a few photos and provide some insight for the fans on bodybuilding.com. Lisa reports, "It’s currently 7:30am and prejudging begins at 10am." She’ll be providing more coverage from the show throughout the day. The latest from Lisa…

This is the promoter, Tony Doherty of Dohertys Gym. Also in the pic is his father, Frank Doherty. Together these men will put on a great show as they do every year. Let me tell you that Doherty’s Gym is old school and has every piece of equipment that anybody on any level needs. The gym is open 24/7. The kitchen is totally the bomb!  Tony and his dad had all of us the best, clean food that you could get anywhere. The cooks in the kitchen made the basics of steak, chicken, rice and steamed veggies.  We are all treated like royalty. The competitors got a full stomach and we shuttled back to excellent accommodation.  I understand why this show brings the big names in IFBB. These 2 guys take real good care of everyone and they love what they do.

This is Bola Ojex from Nigeria. Really, I saw this guy pose and although he would need a bit more size on his frame, he has a real small waist and joints. His front double bi is something to watch for when he steps on stage!!!!

John Tuman and our new friend from the gym, Jordan Brown. Jordan is hopeful to someday start entering BB shows. He did one once with NABBA and we told him that there won’t be anymore of that going on. So John’s giving him some great pointers and slaughtering his arms with this intense workout!  Jordan has been so kind to drive us around and show us the sights here in Melbourne.

One last picture for now. This is Martin Kjellstrom. Absolutely huge, massive indeed!  Martin represent Sweden and is pictured with his trainer.

For larger versions of the photos and more coverage on this show visit: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2008ifbbauspgp.htm

ok well i was at dohertys gym today. I had to train chest and i had to buy a prejuding ticket for my dad for the show on saturday so i thought i would kill two birds with one stone and train at dohertys and get the ticket there and maybe catch a pro if i was lucky.

so i walk in and sitting in the cafe area at the front is Toney Freeman, Melvin Anthony and Troy Alves. i go in and start training and toney and melvin jump on the treadmills and troy starts to train shoulders.

Toney: Toney was the only one wearing a singlet and his arms were HUGE. i was surprised at how shredded he looked also. And as always these guys are always bigger in person and Toney was no exception. depending on the condition of melvin, ronnie rockel and the X factor of Keilstrom i think toney will be top 3 for sure

Melvin: was wearing long sleeves and gave nothing away. when he was leaving he was carrying all these bags full of food and new shoes about 6-7. he kept dropping them so i went up and asked him if he needed a hand and he said yes. i walked him to the car taking him to the hotel and he said to me "thankyou sir i appreciate it". pretty much made my day. funny thing was he was chowing down on Dymatize ISO 100! NO MUSCLETECH!!!

Martin Keilstrom: this guy is huge and is apparently going to weigh about 320 on stage. he was wearing a t-shirt bigger than my bed sheet that cut off about half way down the forearms. the guy had pipeline veins running down his forearms and hands. hopefully he nails his condition. ordered 5 chicken breats and 2 boxes of rice

Con Demetrious: New Australian pro. i had a chat to him while i worked in with him on the preacher curls. he has been in thailand for a while then he went over for the Arnold where he said he got sick and had trouble with food so sadly he might be off. but he was very nice and approachable and has a very good physique.

Troy Alves: was eating the house down. two big shakes chicken breast and rice after he trained shoulders. was wearing long sleeves and pants, couldn’t see anything.

Photos and more here:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=106316191

Many of these guys are coming off the Arnold Classic from last week. How will they be able to hold it together from traveling across the globe, on top of doing photo shoots throughout the week. Below are my top 10 picks for this show. I look for Dexter Jackson to make it two in a row and for Marvelous Melvin Anthony to put it together and give Dex a run for his money. Toney Freeman continues to improve and you can’t count out hometown man Ronnie Rockel. Troy Alves was looking tight at the Arnold can if he is able to drop his water on time he could be in the mix. Mo will have to redeem himself after the Arnold placing where he finished 11th.

1. Dexter Jackson
2. Melvin Anthony
3. Toney Freeman
4. Ronnie Rockel
5. Troy Alves