2007 Ironman Pro Discord

As with any bodybuilding show there's always dissent amongst the fans with regards to the judging. So-and-so should have placed higher, whojamacallit was holding water, and whatsisname just couldn't control his stomach.

This years 2007 Vyotech Ironman Pro Invitational, held over the hill at the Pasadena Civic Center Auditorium, was no exception, except maybe with regards to winner, Toney Freeman, who's first place finish seemed to be met with unanimous approval (well pretty much unanimous, at least the viewers watching on bodybuilding.com gave him their vote).

Many thought Silvio Samual certainly deserved higher than 4th, having added a good 15lbs of muscle to his frame since last season (under the tutelage of Milos Sarcev), and a posing routine that earned him the Vince Gironda Award. "But heres the silver lining," thought Enter the Mind's BB is 4 life :) "with the position he got it shows he wasnt ignored, he grabbed their attention, now he is on the radar."

Second place finisher Mark Dugdale, one of the smaller IFBB pros, has one of the more symmetrical and proportional physiques, but not the mass that many like their pro bodybuilders to have. As Mike, the Admin Dude from Muscle Mayhem put it, Dugdale just "doesn't have that 'wow' factor [and basically] needs to get off that porch and put on some more mass."

39 year old Eddie Abbew, who's been around for a while now, placed 3rd, but how, asked Mayhem's dbcb314 when "his thighs are really narrow. His arms are nothing special. His conditioning was nothing special. He isn't a mass monster."

Then there's the case of unknown Russian Sergey Shelestov who was never even called out for a comparison against the top guys. "Yeah Shelestov got robbed BIG time. I think those mofos are racist," shouted Freak, a fellow Russian over at Muscle Mecca. His sentiments (well maybe not the racist parts) were echoed by many over all of the boards. Bodybuilding is a name game, and no one knew Sergey, hence his poor, poor placing.

Whether it's a guy's symmetry, aesthetics or proportions. Whether they have full round muscle bellies, lor ack the appropriate striations Maybe they look too chemically enhanced. Or maybe they just don't display and can't pose well. There's many a reason these boys place how they do... and only the judges really know the ins and outs of judging (deep I know).