2023 California Pro

[Jen THE Admin]

May 27



Competitor List

Posted May 22, 2023, 4:00 PM ET

MEN’S OPEN BODYBUILDING

No	NAME	COUNTRY
	Slavoj Bednar	Czech Republic
	Wesley Boxley	Chino, California
	Tonio Burton	Kemah, Texas
	Nathan Dandridge	Moreno Valley, California
	Rafael Del Real	Tulare, California
	Ross Flanigan	New Braunfels, Texas
	Seungchul Lee	Korea
	Jossue Plascencia	Downey, California
	Stuart Sutherland	Mesa, Arizona
	Mariusz Tomczuk	Poland

[bigmikecox]

Nice rematch between Stu and Tonio.

If Sengchul is shredded, he will cause problems

[Bestia]

Doesn't Regan Grimes have to qualify for the O this year? Not that I think he is a threat (at all) but guys like Regan, Antoine, Martin (head case), and others need to win a show to qualify. Waiting until late year shows doesn't bode well for them. I anticipate dudes flying to all corners of the Earth chasing the qualification win - while shows like this one are extremely getable

[bigmikecox]

Doesn't Regan Grimes have to qualify for the O this year? Not that I think he is a threat (at all) but guys like Regan, Antoine, Martin (head case), and others need to win a show to qualify. Waiting until late year shows doesn't bode well for them. I anticipate dudes flying to all corners of the Earth chasing the qualification win - while shows like this one are extremely getable

With no point system there will be some big names not at the Olympia. Looks like the later shows like Tampa and Dallas will be loaded. But what if Iain doesnt win Toronto, that adds him to the later shows. I cant see anyone beating Jacked in Dallas and I think Hunter has a good shot in Tampa

[mayor of bodybuilding]

With no point system there will be some big names not at the Olympia. Looks like the later shows like Tampa and Dallas will be loaded. But what if Iain doesnt win Toronto, that adds him to the later shows. I cant see anyone beating Jacked in Dallas and I think Hunter has a good shot in Tampa

Andrew Jacked Lights out Game over! n

[Bestia]

Yeah that's what I'm saying. Hunter will get his win somewhere just based off his name (queue Griff here). No one is beating Andrew in Texas. If Iain doesn't win Toronto all Hell is going to break loose in the later shows. There will definitely be some odd men out this year. And with the Euro talent having improved greatly, the guys in the states can't just expect to bounce over and pick up an easy win. Just as likely to fly in just to get their asses handed to them.

All of that being said, this is the way it should be. If you can't win a show during the season then you shouldn't be on the Olympia stage.

The best best best thing I love/hate to hear is when jackasses start with the "I should have competed in X show because I could have won that". Yep, sure you could. You have to compete to win and words mean dick in bodybuilding. Get onstage and off your high horse dudes

[lifepulse]

It's the same thing all us old guard have been bitching about for the last few years. Bodybuilding is turning into too-strategic of a stress match, all in an attempt to avoid fierce competition and just get to the O stage, with little focus on winning titles.


And I get that fully. I prep people for competition still, the hardest thing to put together is always some sort of timeline (so you can have time to cycle off, then prep), plus evaluating realistic odds at any given level of competition.


But at the pro level -- we now have a ton of talent, and not a ton of open spots -- and everybody is playing the strategy game so hard, they're missing opportunities.

[bigmikecox]

Yeah that's what I'm saying. Hunter will get his win somewhere just based off his name (queue Griff here). No one is beating Andrew in Texas. If Iain doesn't win Toronto all Hell is going to break loose in the later shows. There will definitely be some odd men out this year. And with the Euro talent having improved greatly, the guys in the states can't just expect to bounce over and pick up an easy win. Just as likely to fly in just to get their asses handed to them.

All of that being said, this is the way it should be. If you can't win a show during the season then you shouldn't be on the Olympia stage.

The best best best thing I love/hate to hear is when jackasses start with the "I should have competed in X show because I could have won that". Yep, sure you could. You have to compete to win and words mean dick in bodybuilding. Get onstage and off your high horse dudes

I dont think we will ever see anyone compete in as many shows as Milos, Cormier, Dexter or Vince Taylor. Those guys would do shows in the spring and fall every year

[Bestia]

I dont think we will ever see anyone compete in as many shows as Milos, Cormier, Dexter or Vince Taylor. Those guys would do shows in the spring and fall every year

Funny, none of those guys are falling over deceased as a result of that either. Point being it is possible. Staying consistent and committed to the sport and the lifestyle.

[Griff11]

I wait of bated breath for this match up. It's almost as exciting as the loser bracket of the Industrial League Baseball tournament of single A ball

[Griff11]

Yeah that's what I'm saying. Hunter will get his win somewhere just based off his name (queue Griff here). No one is beating Andrew in Texas. If Iain doesn't win Toronto all Hell is going to break loose in the later shows. There will definitely be some odd men out this year. And with the Euro talent having improved greatly, the guys in the states can't just expect to bounce over and pick up an easy win. Just as likely to fly in just to get their asses handed to them.

All of that being said, this is the way it should be. If you can't win a show during the season then you shouldn't be on the Olympia stage.

The best best best thing I love/hate to hear is when jackasses start with the "I should have competed in X show because I could have won that". Yep, sure you could. You have to compete to win and words mean dick in bodybuilding. Get onstage and off your high horse dudes

Hunter and Andrew will split Texas and Orlando. Iain needs to win Toronto. Looks like Kuclo and Sergio will be watching from the seats

[bigmikecox]

I wait of bated breath for this match up. It's almost as exciting as the loser bracket of the Industrial League Baseball tournament of single A ball

LOL Single A ball is rough!

[lifepulse]

I wait of bated breath for this match up. It's almost as exciting as the loser bracket of the Industrial League Baseball tournament of single A ball

Lol, every year, I forget that this show even exists until somebody mentions it two weeks out.


Kucklo, I think is done (and even if he competes again, realistically, he's done; I love Steve, but he's not competitive in this era). Sergio might show up at some point, and flop epically, and then he's done too. The pictures he posted yesterday on IG -- once he actually took his shirt off and hit a front relaxed, and we can see his full proportions, it just isn't happening, man. Midsection is SO long, and looks swollen and thick, quads aren't sweepy, lats sit high because of his super long torso and thick obliques -- yes, he's bigger, and still doesn't look very impressive, so kinda' who cares? He looks like a world-beater in a sleeves T-shirt, but stripped down, I'm not seeing any "wow" compared to the top dogs these days. And once he gets that strong 3rd place finish, his brain will officially melt.

[Bestia]

Lol, every year, I forget that this show even exists until somebody mentions it two weeks out.


Kucklo, I think is done (and even if he competes again, realistically, he's done; I love Steve, but he's not competitive in this era). Sergio might show up at some point, and flop epically, and then he's done too. The pictures he posted yesterday on IG -- once he actually took his shirt off and hit a front relaxed, and we can see his full proportions, it just isn't happening, man. Midsection is SO long, and looks swollen and thick, quads aren't sweepy, lats sit high because of his super long torso and thick obliques -- yes, he's bigger, and still doesn't look very impressive, so kinda' who cares? He looks like a world-beater in a sleeves T-shirt, but stripped down, I'm not seeing any "wow" compared to the top dogs these days. And once he gets that strong 3rd place finish, his brain will officially melt.

Agreed on all counts. And for Sergio, the gains that seemed evident in his legs seem to have evaporated as he leaned out again. He is a "just-wait-till-you-see-him" but never really see him enigma..

[lifepulse]

I don't like to be a "hater" -- Sergio seems like a cool cat and obviously already gets a lot of shit from almost everybody, and bottom line, he's his own dude who has his own history and struggles, and I don't live his life so I can't comment on his "personality and fragileness", must be hard to be in his position with his dad having arguably the best genetics of all time. That said, I was never a fan of his physique, I never saw what any of the hype was about -- his waist is so long and his obliques are so bulgy, even if he grew massive legs, I don't think it matters. He has so much dead space between the top of his sweep and his lats, he's all belly.

For the record, I sorta' had the same problem -- shitty lats with wide hips -- so my taper was shit. But I knew that from the beginning, and never had aspirations of going pro. So I mean, sort of the pot calling the kettle black here, I'm not trying to "hate", just being honest with what I see.