Originally Posted by from bodybuilding.com

The 2006 Shawn Ray Colorado Pro:
By: Trick D

The Shawn Ray Colorado Pro Show takes place May 12-13th in Denver Colorado. Shawn Ray has done a hell of a job offering the third largest cash prize ($72,000 total) of any bodybuilding competition next to the Arnold Classic and The Olympia. The show also has some great opportunities for fans to win everything from a Hummer H3 to flat screen televisions. You can find more information at http://www.coloradoproshow.com/

In this inaugural show there is some great young talent and some great veterans. Some of the great story lines of this year include The big three youngsters making their pro debut. These competitors are Bill Wilmore (Nationals overall winner), Marcus Haley (North America’s overall winner), and the great Phil Heath (Mr. USA overall). The newest story line is the emergence of the veteran Gary Strydom! He was a titan in the end of the 1980’s and early 90’s. He finished 5th at the 1988 Olympia (won by Haney), and third in the 1989 Arnold Classic (won by Rich Gaspari). He is making his triumphant return at the ripe tender age of 47 years old (hey if Vince Taylor can do it!).

Overview of some competitors:

Frank Roberson: Frank Roberson is a hell of an athlete that has a crazy cowboy posing style that definitely gets the crowd going. Talking to him is even better. The guy is crazy and makes you laugh constantly. I got the honor to talk to him at the Arnold Classic expo in 2006 as he prepared for the San Francisco Pro show. He looked incredible. Although in this show I don’t feel that he will place in the top 10, he does have a lot of growth and time left in the sport, and in due time he will be knocking on the door.

Frank and I at the 06 Arnold Expo


Derik Farnsworth: Another great athlete is Derik Farnsworth. Derik can’t be taller than 5’1 or 5’2 and still packs on some mass. People might say “he only weighs 160 some pounds” but with his conditioning and height, he looks massive. I got to see him posedown at the 06 Arnold expo at the Sly booth. He has some massive legs and is very cordial when you meet him. The only thing working against him is his size, and I feel that he has a great physique but in these days, he just can’t mass up with the monsters.

Derik and I @ 06 Arnold Expo


Gary Strydom: Gary is making is triumphant return and from what I can see, he looks damn good!
http://web.flexonline.com/images/fl/208819/2189.jpg
I am afraid that the IFBB will still remember him leaving for the short lived WBF, and may cut him down some because of it. I think he looks magnificent but can he compete with the superstars of today? I pick him as a dark horse with a great chance of doing well, but at this time I would put him right out of the top 10.

The top 10:
10. Jason Arntz: Jason is a veteran that won the overalls at the 1998 USA’s. He has done moderately well in the pro ranks with many top 10’s. I feel that this is a good competition and will be hard for someone like Jason to get looks. 10th is a good placing.


9. Bill Wilmore: I feel this is a perfect place for one of the young guns. This young gun is Bill Wilmore. Bill is a veteran to amateur ranks but now is playing with the big boys. Bill’s back is incredible but seems to be missing a bit of arm size and wider quads that may be holding him back. I think he will do quite well.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/imag...nnie10abig.jpg

8. Martin Kjellstrom: Most people don’t know about this guy but you will soon. He is another huge mass monster from Europe. This time he is the man from Sweden (if pronounce Swedan it rhymes). This guy is a monster, and from pictures of him during his amateur days he can have some awesome conditioning. He came in a bit soft at the Ironman Pro, but I think this time he can make it into the top 10.
http://www.martinkjellstrom.com/temp/IMG_1443_small.jpg

7. Marcus Haley: Haley’s comet is ready to blast through the IFBB. Marcus won the overall at the North American Championships last year. This guy is massive and has a very complete physique. Most people like Bill more, but I think that Marcus has better legs and arms. I think seventh will be a great start for him.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/imag...interv7asm.jpg

6. Eryk Bui: What a freaking beast! This guy is thick, strong, and beastly. Eryk isn’t that tallest but he showed everyone at the Ironman Pro by finishing eighth that conditioning and mass is the only thing that matters. I think he will move up to 6th.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson83d.jpg

5. Ahmad Haidar: Abzilla! The guy has conditioning down but has a major problem competing with the mass monsters. I think he will come in peeled, but will have a lot of problems getting the right looks from the judges. He may surprise us though and come in like he did at the 2005 New York Pro where many people had him beating Darrem Charles. I think he will fall around 5th and could be go up to the 3rd place range.
http://www.flexonline.com/05contests...s/FDBE0170.jpg

4. George “Bulletproof” Farah: George is the third pro that I have had the pleasure of meeting. Actually I have met George on three separate occasions. I met him at the 05 Arnold expo, the 2005 Charlotte Pro Show Prejudging, and at this year’s Arnold expo. This guy is super nice, but what is even better is his story and his physique. The guy has crazy conditioning and I can definitely see him crack the top 5 and maybe top 3 depending on how a few competitors come in.


George and I @ 2006 Arnold Expo http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/9...orge1em.th.jpg

George and I @ 2005 Charlotte Pro prejudging
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/4...00060hz.th.jpg

*3. Phil Heath: I know a lot of people will say he is going to win the show, and everything, but lets face it, we have not seen him compete against any top pros. Sure he won the Junior Nationals and the USA’s rather easily, but what about the pros? This is unknown. Phil has a phenomenal physique and his possibilities are endless, but until we see him next to a Darrem Charles or David Henry, we will not know actually how good he is. For his pro debut I think he will get a top three nod, definitely with the momentum and magazines on his side.
http://www.phillipheath.com/images/gallery/bg4.jpg

*2. David “giant killer” Henry: David Henry seems to be the David from the biblical tale. No giant will get in his way, and if they do, they are going down. Only Lee Priest could barely stop him from getting his first pro win at the IronMan. I feel that he will avenge his poor showing at the Arnold Classic this year and only one man will be able to stand in his way. He will come in shredded with even more beef packed on to his short frame. He will be impressive.
http://www.muscletech.com/HOT_NEWS/J...enr_DaChar.jpg

*#1 and Overall Champion: Darrem Charles: Darrem is just unbelievable. What pro in this competition has the conditioning, the muscle maturity, and his size to compete with him? No one in this competition. The only thing that may stop Darrem is the hype that Phil is getting but I don’t think it will happen in this competition. Looking at pictures posted a few weeks out shows that Darrem is right on to do some damage at this show and the New York show. http://www.muscletime.com/pages/depa...s/darrem02.jpg

Conclusion
Overall I feel that the inaugural Shawn Ray Colorado Pro Show will be one that we remember because of the young talent and also the return of Gary Strydom. If Phil Heath could pull the victory off, he would be in the company of Flex Wheeler winning the first pro show he entered. It would be great for a young gun to win their first show, but I feel that he would have to come in 5 times better than he did at the USA’s to take down Darrem or David.


* denotes Olympia Qualifier
** This is based on if Troy Alves does not compete. If he does, I feel that he will easily fit in the 2-5th range depending on his conditioning, hamstrings, and glutes.


About the author: "Trick D" is a recent graduate from Marshall University's College of Business graduating with honors with a degree in Marketing. He is currently working on his MBA at Marshall University Graduate School in Huntington, West Virginia. Trick has been working for the website www.********.com as a moderator and loves to travel to pro shows and expos. Trick is a super fan of bodybuilding and collects autographs, dvds, and other memorabilia. He has met great pros such as: Frank Zane, Dorian Yates, Vince Taylor, Chris Cook, George Farah, Branch Warren, Shawn Ray, Quincy Taylor, Sergio Oliva, Devana Medina, Kevin Levrone, Kris Dim, Bob Chicherillo, and is good friends with the great IFBB fitness competitor Kendra Elias.

Originally Posted by Fitnfirm

WOW, Very Impressive!!!!!!!!! Your lucky to have met so many awesome pro BB's. Nice work!!!!!!!!:nosthumbs

Originally Posted by NoNameNecessary

Inaugural Shawn Ray Colorado Pro

”We are not going to be business as usual.”
-Shawn Ray

No one thought this show would happen, everyone said it couldn’t be done, especially in Denver. However, Shawn Ray, along with NPC chairman Jeff Taylor, are making this show happen…and it is bigger than anyone, including them, expected it to be.

-----> Why is it so great?

This show is unlike any competition before.

Prize Money

The prize money is one of the largest in bodybuilding, behind only the Olympia and Arnold Classic. The first place finisher will receive $25,000, the second place finisher will receive $10,000, and the third place finisher will be paid $5,000. At most bodybuilding shows, if you finish outside of the top five, you finish outside of the money….not at this show. Shawn Ray will be paying the top ten finishers.

The prize money isn’t the only thing driving the competitors. The top three finishers will receive an automatic bid into the Olympia, which is worth more than the actual money itself for some competitors. Also, the best poser of the night will be awarded ten thousand dollars, which is obviously much larger than many other “Best Poser Awards”.

Great Location

Recently named as one of the fittest cities in America, Denver is a great location to house this event. Denver is the home to many teams, including a football team, a hockey team, a basketball team, and an arena football team. However, it has been a while since Denver has been the home of a bodybuilding competition. Also, the show will take place in the newly renovated, 792,000 square foot Colorado Convention Center, which is only another added perk.

Appeal to the Public

For the first time in history, at a bodybuilding competition, a brand new Hummer H3 will be given away to a fan in attendance and not a competitor. This alone will bring in tons of new fans. Many other prizes will be given away to the fans in attendance. Some of these prizes will include a laptop, flat screen TV, tickets to the Olympia, CD player, gift certificates, iPods, and much more. This show certainly is aimed to please the spectator.
For another first, the ESPN Zone will serve as the official restaurant of the competition. This will provide the public a glimpse into the bodybuilding world, as the pre-judging and the finals will be shown at the Zone. Also, in addition to that, our very own bodybuilding.com will be covering this show. This show may certainly bring many new fans to the sport and who knows? One of them may very well be a future champion.

But enough of all that, let’s get down to business…

The Competition

This will certainly be a great competition to watch. There is tons of talent, including competitors from every age and experience level. There are three competitors making their pro debut: Philip Heath (winner of the overall title at the 2005 USA’s), Bill Wilmore (winner of the overall title at 2005 Nationals), and Marcus Haley (winner of the 2005 NPC North American Championship). Gary Strydom is trying to make a triumphant comeback to the sport of bodybuilding at an age near 50 (47 years old). Strydom looks better now than he did back when he first competed in the IFBB, but can he hang in there with all of the younger competitors? I guess everyone will have to wait to see.

The Top Contenders

Troy Alves-Troy Alves wasn’t among the first list of names that was revealed, however, he is ready to compete now. Earlier this year he competed at the Iron Man Pro where he was a top contender, but performed poorly. Then, a few weeks later, he competed in the Arnold Classic, and again, he did not perform his best. Troy is a throwback bodybuilder, the bodybuilder of the people. He is not among the mass monsters, but he has great muscularity that he shreds up come competition time. Look for him to make an improvement.

Eryk Bui-Bui is simply massive all over. He nailed his conditioning at the Nationals when he turned pro, and performed well in the competition out in Pasadena. If he can nails is conditioning for this competition, he could shake up the top five. Look out.

Darrem Charles-Darrem Charles is one of the veterans in this competition. He is probably the second best poser in bodybuilding, behind only “Marvelous” Melvin Anthony. I would look for Darrem to win the 10K for the Best Poser award. Last year, Darrem won both the New York Pro and the Toronto Pro and is certainly a top contender at this competiton. His strong points are other competitiors weaknesses. I would look for that, and his experience, to help him.


Phil “The Hometown Hero” Heath- Phil Heath has chosen to stay in Colorado instead of packing up and moving to California, the home of bodybuilding. Heath says, “I decided to stay in Colorado for one major reason, because I started my new life [bodybuilding] here and the fan support and atmosphere here is fantastic.” You can expect the fans to be backing Heath at the competition this weekend.

At competition time, Phil will come in weighing at around 225 pounds. He has added much to his physique since his win at the USA’s and this improvement has been creating a much deserved “buzz”. Heath has improved his muscularity and conditioning. He has a great physique and is only 26 years old. He is certainly the future of bodybuilding. It will be interesting to see how he performs in his first competition. The only negative thing I see in Heath is his lack of experience on a stage, which could result in a lower placing. It will be fun to watch. Perhaps we could witness history.

David Henry-David Henry has one of the best backs in bodybuilding and will likely have the best back on the stage. At the Iron Man Pro, Henry clearly had Lee Priest beat in comparisons from the back, however, when they turned around, Henry clearly lost. Then, in his next competition, the Arnold Classic, Henry improved on his muscularity but lacked the conditioning and definition he at the Iron Man. Henry has greatly improved since turning pro, but I don’t know if it will be enough to win, or even place in the top five of this competition.

The Top Ten

1.Darrem Charles-His experience and conditioning will push him ahead of the competitors behind him. When compared to Heath, he will expose the weakness in his lower body. No one in this competition can bring the overall package like Darrem can and he will be the one holding the $25,000 check at the end of the night.

2.Phil Heath- Heath is a pure mass monster and his improved his conditioning from when he turned pro. However, his inexperience and lack of mass in his lower body will cause him to drop below Darrem into the second spot. Heath could be pushed ahead of Darrem, considering the competition is in his hometown. That will be something to watch for.

3.Troy Alves- In his previous competitions, Alves was bested by Henry because he missed the mark on his conditioning. However, I doubt that will happen again. If Alves really dials it in and brings up his hamstrings and glutes, you could look for him to move up to two or even three. However, that is very unlikely.

4.David Henry- If Alves misses his conditioning again, Henry could look to take advantage and move up a spot. Anything more than that is very unlikely. Henry cannot compare to the top two competitors and will not be able to touch them at this competition. He is always a fan favorite though. He will be fun to watch.

5.Gary Strydom- Strydom is making his return to bodybuilding, and oh, what a return it will be. In recent pictures, Strydom has looked very solid. His upper body is comparative with the top contenders. Like others, his downfall is his legs. If he nails his conditioning, he could look to crack the top 3.

6.Eryk Bui- Bui is thick all over. He will bring a very strong package and could look to possibly jump into the top five. He easily could have placed a few spots higher in his past competitions, but the competition wasn’t as stiff as it is here. If Strydom doesn’t perform well, look for Bui to jump into the top five.

7.Bill Wilmore- This is Wilmore’s first professional competition and I look for him to perform well. He is very massive but lacks size in his legs. His back will be one of the best on stage, but his upper body dwarves his lower body. His physique is too disproportional to make a big impact.

8.George Farah- Farah has freaky mass and is always in great condition. His muscles are veiny and ripped but I think his placing depends on how the other competitors perform. He could jump ahead of Bui and Wilmore without a doubt, possibly even to the top 3. Whether or not that will happen is yet to be seen.

9.Ahmad Haidar-Ahamad Haidar undoubtedly has the best abs in the game. He is always fun to watch onstage. He has on the best physiques and constantly nails his conditioning. He could look to move up a few spots, but he lacks the mass to do any real damage.

10.Marcus Haley- This is also Haley’s first professional competition. He has a great physique but can never seem to nail his conditioning. If he does, he can look to move up a few spots, possibly into the top five.

This competition will certainly be fun to watch. Many of the emerging story lines are providing some interesting rivalries. No one truly knows how this one will turn out. I am sure Shawn Ray never saw this coming, I know I didn’t. One thing I do know is that this show will be a hit, with the competitors and the fans. I can’t wait to see what happens. Good luck to all of the competitors.